Left Barcelona the other day to cross back into France - Montpellier this time, down on the south coast. Driving northwards from Barcelona the snow capped peaks of the Pyrenees were constantly coming into view on our left - when we could see them through the smog haze. Never noticed it when we arrived in Barcelona, but to the north of the city there is a brownish haze hanging over the countryside. Doesn't look very appealing at all. Once we got past Girona (a little over 100km from Barcelona) it seemed to dissipate - must be a lot of industrial activity around there.
Got to the border about mid day. We were expecting a bit of a delay crossing back into France, and we were right. Traffic was funneled into one lane with about 5km to go, so the last part took ages (gave us a chance to admire the view down the valley to the Pyrenees peaks).
When we did get to the border we could see a large police and army presence there. Cars were directed to the left, trucks and vans to the right. When we reached the head of the line it was a bit of an anti-climax - we were waived right through. We did notice quite a few trucks had been pulled over and being searched.
So, on to Montpellier. What a beautiful city it has turned out to be. We got there early afternoon so it gave us a good chance to do some exploring. Caught the train into the city center (be warned - if you decide to come here, make sure you buy a train ticket and validate it, they conduct random checks for valid tickets. We saw at least two people ejected off the train for failing to do so).
The city center is divided in two. Where the train stops, Place de la Comedie, is a large open square, surrounded by restaurants and bars, with shopping streets radiating off it. Just behind the square is the old part of the city. A maze of narrow cobbled streets full of artisan shops, local produce shops, churches, restaurants, seedy looking bars, and tattoo shops (must have seen half a dozen of them) - just the sort of place we like getting lost in - and get lost we did, and google maps wasn't working. so we did what we usually do in situations like this - just kept walking 'til we came out the other side where we could get our bearings and head back to where we started.
Did a bit of a drive to the coast today to explore a couple of smaller towns. Sete, Palavas-les-Flots & La Grande-Motte are popular seaside holiday towns. Sete is the oldest of the three, having been established since the 1600's. The other two are newer towns having been established in the 20th century as holiday destinations. The whole area is criss crossed by a series of canals and inlets. Lots of boats in the marinas (pro fishing vessels and leisure craft). We both thought, "Imagine what these places would be like at the height of the holiday season."
Chaos. Found a really nice small restaurant in Palavas-les-Flots for a spot of lunch. Real buzzy place full of locals. The owner was really helpful in explaining the menu and what our options were, a pleasant way to round off our short day trip.
Montpellier is well worth a visit. Not as big as say Marseilles or Nice, it is easier to get around and has as much to offer as its bigger cousins.