Provence & Côte d’Azur, southern France 1 - Montpellier
We had a wonderful summer vacation in southern France by driving through the Provence and the Côte d’Azur region. We landed in Montpellier Airport, which is located on the Etang de l'Or, a large saltwater lagoon that is connected to the Mediterranean Sea. We rented a car there and first drove to the Écusson, the historical city centre of Montpellier.
We started our self-tour at the main square in the Écusson, La Place de la Comédie. It was Sunday afternoon. Most of the stores were closed but some cafes and ice cream shops were open. People were relaxing here and there in the town.
We passed by Saint Roch church, built in the 19th century and dedicated to the patron saint of the city.
Porte du Peyrou was seen over there! It's a late 17th century triumphal arch, dedicated to Louis XIV.
We found another 19th century church, the Carré Sainte-Anne. We didn't see the inside but it seems that the building has been converted into a cultural space and a contemporary art center.
We finally reached Porte du Peyrou. Somehow it was getting cloudy and windy...
Promenade du Peyrou was a large square behind the arc. A statue of Louis XIV stood in the middle.
At the end of the square was a water tower. It's linked with Aqueduc Saint-Clément that was built in the 18th century to supply Montpellier with water.
Google Map showed us a big green area near Promenade du Peyrou. Founded in 1593 by Henri IV, Jardin des plantes de Montpellier is the oldest botanical garden in France. We was able to peek in the garden while we were walking on Boulevard Henri IV. The garden looked like a jungle... We decided not to go into the garden.
Montpellier is known as a scientific and university town. We found the Faculty of Medicine of Montpellier, the oldest practicing medical school in the world, founded in the 12th century.
The building of the Faculty of Medicine is adjacent to Montpellier Cathedral, or St Pierre Cathedral. The Roman Catholic cathedral was converted into a cathedral in 1536 when the archbishopric was transferred from Maguelone to Montpellier and is the only surviving medieval church in the historical city center. The design of the porch was remarkable. We didn't see the inside but kept wandering in the old town.
We stopped by Le Comptoir de Mathilde, a French deli and chocolate store. The shopkeeper was very friendly. According to his recommendation, we bought duck terrine with onion confit and artichoke and truffle spread as well as 'Les Escalettes de Montpellier,' an old-fashioned wafer-like biscuit that has been around since the Middle Ages.
Then we stopped by a gelato shop. It was a pretty hot day. I mean, Montpellier was much hotter than Wiesbaden. Having a gelato break sounded appropriate. I had passion fruit. It was tasty! J chose pineapple, I think.
Montpellier's old town was small and easy to walk. Perhaps because of the University, we saw many young people and the place has a lively atmosphere.
We needed to kill time another hour or so for dinner. The restaurant opened at 7:30pm. We walked more, trying to find a street that we haven't been to.
The restaurant was called Le Petit Jardin. As the name suggested, they offered lovely terrace seating at their garden behind the building. It was J's finding. Thank you J!
Olives and olive oil on the table told me that we were close to the Mediterranean Sea! Bread serving was endless, which I appreciated.
The amuse-bouche was seared artichoke and something creamy and smooth. Our waitress explained what it was, kindly in English, but I must not have caught it.
My 'entrée' was a kind of sardine dish. I liked it. J's was Homemade ravioli of octopus, cuttlefish and mussels “Sétaise” style, Fish soup, Espuma aioli. The ravioli must be hidden in the cream soup.
Our 'plat' was fish and we shared them. One was Roasted red mullet fillets. The other was... I forgot. A kind of white fish fillets, served with pistachio sauce. Actually it was described as a steak dish. We believed it would be a kind of meat and we thought we would have surf & turf to share. Anyway, the two fish were cooked and tasted differently and both were wonderful.
Of course, we had desserts. I chose rhubarb tart with pistachio gelato. Superb!
J had 'Citron en trompe l’œil, Sablé à la fleur de sel, sorbet citron.' Citron en trompe l’œil is a lemon-shaped, very thin white chocolate shell, filled with delicate melt-in-mouth lemony marshmallow. J let me tasted a bit. Incredibly tasty and enjoyable. I would definitely order the dessert if we come back.
Complimentary desserts were also lovely. The filling of cream puffs was something like hazelnut praliné. The chocolate caramel-like piece had a rich honey flavor. The dinner was a splendid beginning of our road trip in southern France.
To be continued...
