Where do I start? It has been so long since the first and only blog. First the days were too short and action packed to find time to write, then when we finally had the time, no internet access.
Montpellier is a delightful city, easy to get around, easy to access areas close by in the Languedoc, particularly the coast and the wine areas. Within 40 minute radius we visited Marseillan and Agde on the Mediterranean to the south west and the Herault region to the North west and west; then, further afield, but still easy driving, went as far as Millau, with its incredible viaduct which we visited both in 2006 and 2008. You’d think that would be enough, but on a day when the weather was not looking good closer to home, and the wineries we wanted to visit were not open, we made the decision and headed northwest on the main north-south autoroute, about 100km from Montpellier, to visit the actual town of Millau, which we had been told was worth a look. After a downpour on the autoroute and a bit more when we arrived in town, by the time we had lunch the sky had cleared, the sun was out and it had even warmed up a touch.
The old town (always the only place worth visiting) is compact and the tourist office gave us a map with walking guide, even though they had closed 30 minutes before (as usual, it is always a gamble when the tourist office will be open – 1230 or 1300 are the usual closing times, with reopening not until 1600 or so). After about an hour or so we had covered the old town, with its medieval streets, arcades and squares. Of course a visit to Millau had to include some view of the viaduct, and our detailed road atlas showed just the road to take to view across the valley and the town, and down the Dourbe Gorge (the Tarn and Dourbe rivers meet here). Some paragliders setting up and taking off while we were there was a bonus.
You can never take the same route back, so we opted for the scenic road that follows the Dourbe river and eventually leads back to the autoroute. If not we would never have seen some spectacular perched villages above the river, such as Canobres, and some amazing geological formations. So it was getting a bit dark by the time we made it back to Montpellier, even with the added twilight and daylight saving hour.
The next day looked promising (finally some sun) so we decided that the coast was the go. Marseillan (little Marseille) on the Thau lagoon (l’Etaing de Thau), at the far end to Sète where we went in 2008) is well worth a visit and specialises in seafood (coquillages), which in France means an amazing variety of shellfish as well as prawns, scampi and lobster. On the seafront are many seafood tasting places where you can sample the local products, with a glass of wine or beer, for a miniscule amount. The oysters are as local as you can get as the lagoon is full of oyster leases. Marseillan
Very close to Marseillan, but on the coast, is Agde and Cap d’Agde. Cap d’Agde is best known as a fashionable resort for the boating set, but our interest lay in the museum which houses artefacts from the time when this was an important Greek port. In 1965 a beautiful bronze statue of a Greek youth was found in the Herault River at Agde and is now in the museum; it was this we mainly wanted to see, but would you believe – today is Tuesday, the day most museums across France are closed – the story of our lives! However, the very kind lady at the desk allowed us in through a side door, so we could at least see the statue even though we weren’t allowed through the rest of the museum. It was amazing – of course you can’t take photos, but unlike the one in Sicily they had postcards. The only difference was that since the postcards were made the missing arm has been restored.
Our trip home took us via the circular lock on the Canal du Midi at Agde then a side trip into Pézenas, a town we had considered for our long stay in 2008 before we decided on Uzès. This is a very interesting town with a lot of excellent artisan shops, but we still think Uzès was the right choice for a long term stay.
We really made the most of last day in Montpellier, starting with a visit to the winery that made the excellent wine we had enjoyed with a meal a few days earlier. Then back to the village we had missed on Monday – St Guilhem-le-Désert - and the winery of Virgil Joly at St Saturnin (if anyone has read ‘Virgile’s Vineyard’ by Patrick Moon, this is the wine maker it is all about). The winery closed at 1800 and there were still 1 ½ hours to kill before our dinner reservation at Le Mimosa in St Guiraud. We didn’t want to be late, but figured we just had time to drive over a road to the west of the autoroute which passes through some amazing scenery – the Cirque Dolomitique – before we were due at the restaurant. It was a bit further than we expected but still worth the trip.
Le Mimosa is a fabulous place, run for the last 20 years or so by a NZ former ballet dancer and her English husband. This is supposed to be their last year at Le Mimosa before they retire but they are under pressure to carry on. The food was exceptional, the restaurant elegant and it was a very special night. David, the husband, is also the sommelier and he recommends the wines to match the food, and has a special tasting portion for the designated driver.
It had been a very long day but we didn’t have far to go the next one, so would be able to sleep in.
(The photos need to be viewed from the bottom to the top for some reason, and I can't add captions.)
Collioure.
