Montpellier is a large city in southern France that lies along the Mediterranean coast. It is a popular destination for university students, and offers a rich history through cultural landmarks, architecture, and artwork.
Traveling with Shaofeng and the guys from Singapore, after exploring and staying the night in Carcassonne, we hopped on a train the next morning headed to Montpellier. From the train station, we immediately walked down the street to get some lunch. We ended up finding a place not far from the station that offered meal discounts for students, so of course we stopped there and ordered some burgers.
After lunch, we made our way to the Place de la Comédie, a large open square in the middle of the city center. Unfortunately, the only photo I took of the area was at sunset, so you'll just have to believe me on this series of events. I think at this point in the year, I was still trying to "live in the moment" and experience everything without my phone. But now as I look back writing this nearly a year later, I realize maybe a few more photos would not have hurt anybody.
From the plaza, we walked down another street and stumbled across a large museum, la Musée Fabre, which was offering free admission for the first Sunday of the month. There was probably a lot of really cool art inside the museum, but again, I only took a couple photos of the pieces that stood out to me. For instance, this one photo of a young boy passed out on the table with an open book next to him really spoke to me. It reminded me of myself, especially when I'm studying for an exam or working on some homework that I don't feel like doing and then end up taking a nap to avoid the work.
We spent a couple hours in the museum before trekking across town to see the city's Arc de Triomphe, a smaller version of the famous one in Paris. Behind the monument was another bustling open area, la Place Royale du Peyrou. It offered some greenery for people to relax or walk around, as well as a few more monuments of interest. At the center was a large statue of a man on horseback, where some sat in its shade to avoid the sun. And all the way at the other end was a building with columns and arches and a small pond out in front. Known as the Château d'Eau, the building offered some tranquility on a day with no clouds in the sky, and even had views of an old aquaduct the emerged from its rear.
We walked some more around the city, passing by the city's St. Pierre Cathedral, characterized by its distinct cylindrical columns, and stopping to stroll around the Jardins de Plantes to kill some time before making our way back through the Place de la Comédie (see earlier) and to the train station as the day came to a close. Only spending half a day in the city, I'm sure there's much more that we missed. But with a two hour train ride back to Toulouse, I'd say it was another successful weekend trip in the books.
