Tag: transit in Montpellier

The Montpellier Zoo

June 8

Dear Liza,

It just keeps getting warmer here in Southern France, but we are determined to get out and see the sights. Grandpa Nelson invited me along on his “Gotta See the Zoo” transit outing, so I went.

We made sure to take cold water and snacks, found the tram stop down by the triangular shaped Square Planchon, and headed off. The tram took us up to the University of Sciences and Letters, and from there we caught a bus up into the hills. The dry hills and low trees felt like Toro Park in Monterey, California.

When we had left housing developments behind, we found the Zoo. The first enclosure is a generous aviary housing Red Ibis, South American birds that are the color plastic flamingoes only dream of being.

After that, though, the paths and the enclosures felt more like a rough draft of a zoo. The paths were unpaved roads and the signs were vague about distances and actual zoo animals along the way. The enclosures were full of trees and high grass, making it nearly impossible to see many of the critters. We passed cheetahs, emus and gazelles enclosures,, with nary an animal in sight.

There were lots of families with small kids, and it was fun trying to eavesdrop on their conversations. By The Tower (which I can’t find any online info about), there was a cold water spigot and lots of shady benches and tables, which kept everyone rested and hydrated.

Luckily, there were Grandpa’s favorites, the giraffes. We visited with them and the rhinos for a bit, and then headed back out. Some cold Orangina and potato chips from the snack shop renewed our will to live, and we caught the bus, then tram, home.

It wasn’t the adventure we expected, but an adventure all the same.

Love,

Grandma Judy

To the Med!

June 7

Dear Liza,

Montpellier is only about five miles from the Mediterranean Sea, and once Grandpa Nelson got the transit figured out, we had an adventure day.

We caught the Number 3 tram south. Montpellier has pretty much the same ticket-buying machines as Lyon, and I was able to help this fellow with his purchase. Bright reflections play havoc with screens!

We enjoyed the views of the city as the tram wound through business areas out to the suburbs, which were filled with parking lots, fast traffic and big box stores with names like Flunch and But.

Yep. Flunch. But.

But, of course, things can’t go absolutely perfectly the first time, and we ended up on the wrong leg of the tram line, in a place called Latte Centre. After a loud, barely coherent conversation with a bus driver, we realized our mistake, backtracked, and got on the right leg to get us to Perols, by the Etaing de l’Or.

An Etaing is a lagoon, and this part of the coast has lots of them, formed by barrier islands. They are shallow, buggy wetlands between the mainland and the actual beach.

At the end of the tram line, we needed to catch a bus…. But which bus? There was a lot of thinking and looking at maps. Figuring things out together is something we do pretty well. The bus arrived, Grandpa’s E-ticket worked, and we got to Palavas Les Flots, a little seaside village.

It felt a lot like Hermosa Beach, California, with small, square houses on tiny lots, all set along a narrow road running parallel to the beach. Towards the center of town, taller hotels and apartments march along by Cafés, restaurants and souvenir shops. Nearer the harbor, fishing boats tie up, waiting for the next days’ work.

Among the delightful surprises of the day was this statue of aviator and author Antoine St. Exupery and his most beloved creation, The Little Prince. The level of artistry was a bit disappointing, but, as the Prince understood, “what is essential is invisible to the eyes.”

We found Restaurant Barisano and enjoyed a restful, tasty lunch, and then went to put our feet in the Sea!

Being on a warm beach reminded Grandpa and me of when we were dating, and it was lovely just to sit and watch seagulls, kids playing, and boats coming and going.

.

We walked, snacked, looked at shops and one odd little church, and eventually realized that we had all had too much sun and ought to head home. The bus and tram got us back to town, where Auntie Bridgett got dinner started and we all lived to tell the tale.

And that’s the Adventure report for today.

Love,

Grandma Judy