Montpellier and Pézenas, France

I am a beach baby. I used to be a mountain-digger but now, I am beaches-all-the-way! I moved to France in September 2023 and the one thing that I miss the MOST about India is, believe it or not, Goa. My beautiful serene tranquility and my therapy. Sigh.

Although, I was not going to let that discourage me.

I am in the central part of France which means no beaches anywhere. I am in a landlocked paradise. The other day I realised, my birthday is coming up and more than anything, I wanted to be at the beach. So, off I went, planning a trip to the south of France, to Montpellier. On my trip, I also visited Pézenas, a tiny hamlet that I found so abundantly beautiful. 

DAY 1

I took the bus from the nearest station close to me, Clermond-Ferrand bus station and it was a 4 hour journey from there to reach Montpellier.

I was jittery upon my arrival in this beautiful town. The first thing I noticed about this place is, their TRAMS! I mean, look how decorative they are! Additionally, everyone who lives in Montpellier can travel throughout free of cost!

How fucking cool. Well, anyway, I had to pay. 

DAY 2

The next day, I did a mini tour of Montpellier, seeing all the different monuments. I downloaded this walking tours app on my phone which if I am being honest was pretty much useless. I ended up going about on foot and doing my own thing.

First, I went to this beautiful place called Place de la Comédie which is the main square in Montpellier and is often considered the city's heart.The square is surrounded by impressive 19th-century architecture, including the iconic Montpellier Opera House.

It was really early in the morning and I was wearing porous shoes and hence, shivering, so I decided to cut my walking tour short and visited The Porte du Peyrou, also known as the Peyrou Gate, is a triumphal arch located at the eastern entrance of the Promenade du Peyrou, a large public park in Montpellier.It was built in the late 17th century and is a fine example of classical French architecture. The arch was designed by architect François Dorbay and completed in 1693 to honour King Louis XIV and commemorate his military victories. 

This was fun. Now for what I actually came all the way-the beach! It was actually pretty complicated to get to the beach from the centre. I had to take the tram till ETANG D'OR station and then, a shuttle bus service was present which took you till the beach every half an hour. Although, I was not aware of the latter and hence, I hitchhiked my way to the beach.

The first beach I visited was Carnon. It was perfect and serene. It was blue and pristine. Also, it was super fucking clean. I was so blissful that I decided to spend my day there. I walked from that beach to Palavas-Les-flots and finally to Zenith. All of them just as beautiful. 

I collected shells and met a puppy!

The water made me feel like myself again.

After a successful session of wave-therapy, I took a bus to Pézenas. 

DAY 3

What a colourful beauty, this place. Everything about it screamed abundance. It was wonderfully decorated. I started with a morning walk in the heart of the town. I visited all the little lost corners. 

It really refreshed me. Then I tried this regional specialty called "Petit pâté de Pézenas" which, to my surprise was sweet. It had meat and apparently, was made originally by an Indian chef. Pretty cool.

 

As a cherry on the top, I visited the beach again. 

DAY 4

Wonderfully satisfied with my experience, I headed on back home, until next time!