April 2024
For my birthday, I expressed a wish to go back to Montpellier. The first time I visited this city was in 2022, when, together with my friend—who had been staying for a couple of months in Toulouse as a temporary refugee from Ukraine—we decided to take a one-day city break to change the scenery and distract ourselves from the news. Despite the context, I loved Montpellier so much that I was determined to go back and visit it again, this time with my partner in crime travels and life. As part of another of our photo experiments, we took only our Nikon FM2 analogue camera with a roll of expired (by a good decade) Kodak Color film. We had never shot on expired film before, so the outcome was a total surprise for everyone.
The plan was very simple: spend a full day in Montpellier to relax, walk, eat, and lazily explore the city, and on the second day, make a quick trip to the sea. The challenge of having a birthday in April is that the weather is always unpredictable—it might be hot and sunny, like it was for my 30th birthday in Ganties, or it could be cloudy, gray, and rainy. This year, we got something in between, so I couldn’t recapture the same sunny, summer atmosphere of Montpellier that I fell in love with during my first visit.
That said, we still had a wonderful time. Living in Toulouse has accustomed us to the terracotta hues of brick buildings, so visiting other French cities with a different color palette always has a relaxing effect. The narrow streets of Montpellier, with their many small squares you stumble upon by accident, also evoke lovely memories of Italy. Unfortunately, due to the chilly temperatures, the terraces were still empty, though they promised a lively, joyful summer ahead. Naturally, we took our time to visit Montpellier’s most famous sites, such as Saint-Roch Church, Jardin des Plantes, Arc de Triomphe, and Promenade du Peyrou, as well as Saint-Pierre Cathedral (its arches are stunning!).
My birthday girl’s request was for a good restaurant, and we couldn’t have hoped for a better choice than Umami—a Korean gastronomic restaurant. If you’re ever in Montpellier, don’t hesitate for a second! Umami also has a more budget-friendly option (Umami Bistro), which is equally excellent. Yes, we went to both. Yes, I’m very happy and proud about it.
Another memory I want to keep from this Montpellier day trip is our Airbnb. Located in the heart of the city, the apartment was gorgeous, and our room under the roof was exactly what we needed. The two sisters who live there have a fascinating family story, but I don’t think this blog is the place to tell it. I’ll just say it’s no coincidence that their apartment is in the same building as one of the biggest bookstores in France.
The next day was all about the sea. It was windy and cold, but taking a tram from Montpellier and then cycling to the beach was a meditative and relaxing experience. Two years ago, when I went there with my friend, it was all about playa, sun and ice cream, but this time, the long, empty beach beneath the shadows of fast-moving clouds was also an excellent place to start a year as a newly 32-year-old.
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