Montpellier. A Little History

Hôtel Baschy-du-Cayla doorway. Montpellier (1636)
From Wikipedia: By Auregann — Personal work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=18958727

Montpellier, our adopted city; is old. It has been around for almost 1000 years. The original buildings have mostly been replaced (I've heard that Montpellier is a city of 16th-century buildings over 13th-century cellars). The streets were laid out in the Middle Ages and haven't changed: narrow, curving, with the building walls high and often featureless. The walls, though, are interrupted by large doorways often decorated with intricate stone carvings.

What's behind those doors? We don't normally think of that, as we hurry by on our way to someplace else. But we recently took a tour of the city that got us behind some of those doors. It's a whole different world in there!

What's behind the doors? View from the courtyard of the Hôtel Beschy-du-Cayla, looking up at the interior façade.

This tour focused on the  hôtels particuliers of Montpellier. (For a long time we thought that hôtel meant  a group of private bedrooms rented out by the night for travelers and guests. In this sense, though, it means a private home. More specifically, a hôtel particulier is a large house built by a rich family to show off their wealth.)

Vaulted ceilings--so medieval!
Our group tours the Hôtel Baschy-du-Cayla

During the Middle Ages—specifically, the 11th, 12th, and 13th centuries—Montpellier was a bustling international center. The major economic drivers were the wool guild, providing cloth for clothes; the spice guild (which in this case included paper and dyes); and money changers. During this time every region had its own currency, so keeping track of coinage, currencies, and exchange rates was an important part of trade. All this economic activity made Montpellier one of the more important cities in the south, and one of the larger cities in France, with a population of around 40,000.

This success lead, of course, to the accumulation of immense wealth by some. These families, eager to show off what they had, built large houses in town. Our guide pointed out that these houses, many of which still exist, are quite plain on the outside. The stone walls are smooth and unadorned. 

The magnificence was reserved for the inside; only guests (other rich people) needed to be impressed! 

View from an interior courtyard. Sometime in the last few centuries the large arched opening was narrowed, to suit more "modern" styles and tastes.

An ancient room with modern furnishings (this building is now used by the city for meetings, and adult education classrooms).

However, the economy ground to a halt in the 14th century. There was, of course, the plague; when half the population dies, economic activity tends to slow down. And by 1380 only some 15,000 people were left in Montpellier.

Then there were wars; principally the 100 Years War between France and England, which lasted until the middle of the 15th century. War, of course, totally disrupts trade.

Our next stop was the Hôtel d'Autheville.
Photo from Google Street View

Interior courtyard of the Hôtel d'Autheville. Look at those wonderful stained glass windows!

Inside  views of the stained glass. Imagine coming and going past these windows every day!

Our guide, a local woman, was very very knowledgeable. And there is a lot to know, given the age of the city!

The rise of Protestantism lead to the wars of religion, where the Catholic kings of France attempted to suppress new religious ideas. These conflicts lasted until the end of the 16th century, after which Montpellier re-emerged with the growth of a new upper class. This growing merchant class—the bourgeoisie—also wanted to show off their wealth through magnificent homes. But, unlike the nobility of previous centuries, the bourgeoisie was reluctant to spend much money. 

This resulted in a new round of hôtels particuliers, which are highly decorated on the outside, but with interiors—the part most people never saw—relatively bland. (Different century, different styles!)

And our last stop: an unassuming door, hidden behind a cafe umbrella...

..hides this exquisite spiral staircase.

Looking up at the ceiling inside that staircase.

I like this sconce that lights the coquille Saint-Jacques shell, illuminating the inside of staircase.

We were thrilled with this tour because we got to see some of these special interiors. Now when we walk through the city I mentally pause at each of these magnificent carved doorways and think, what's behind there? What splendor is hidden within?

(Intrigued by our tour, I did a bit of research and found this Wikipedia page listing 114 hôtels particulaires in Montpellier—a list that is noted as being non-exhaustive!)

Hôtels particuliers de Montpellier

And then, as luck—er, serendipity—would have it, I was wandering through the city noting the many hôtels when I saw the residents of one putting a flyer on their door announcing one of their twice-yearly concerts...

A house concert! Some good old rock and roll in the courtyard of the 17th century Hôtel de la Vieille Intendance.

Winter in California, Spring in Montpellier!

A wintertime view of the Central Coast! Not so bad... Note Morro Rock, nearly dead center.

Ah, the California coastline! We were there in February, making the long trip to spend time with friends and family.  And California, specifically the Central Coast where we live, was more than fine. It fact, it was extraordinary!

We flew into San Francisco and met up with our friends Sue and Alan, driving with them to Los Osos. They stayed for a few days, escaping the Oregon winter. They came with us to one of our favorite places, the nearby Montaña de Oro State Park. We love coming here to stroll along the flat cliff tops and watch the powerful waves of the Pacific Ocean crash against steep rocks. On this visit we had thick fog drifting down the coast, giving the cliffs and narrow beaches a mystical aire.

The rough rocky coast of Montaña de Oro, a state park not far from our house in Los Osos,
 on a foggy sunny day.

Paula and Sue at Montaña de Oro. Discussing the weather?

Nothing beats a sunny day at the ocean, but there's a lot to be said for a mystical, foggy seascape.

Finally a break in the fog, and a pair of lovely, lonely California poppies. 
(The State Flower!)

Our house in Los Osos is close to Morro Bay, and while we can't see it from our ground-floor apartment, it is ever-present. We walk often to the bay, just a mile (downhill!) from our house.

 

Kayaks on the shore of the bay in what we refer to as "downtown" Los Osos.

Oh so California: a cow statue, a stand-up paddle boarder wearing California poppy shorts.
(Looks like the tide is out on the bay!)

Somehow, in all the years we've lived there, we/re rarely been out on the water. All the many kayaks we see on the shore and in the water is a constant reminder that we really don't take the opportunity to use this fabulous resource! 

But we did on this visit.

Our good friend Mike is a tourist guide who spends a lot of his time on the bay. He organized a trip across the one-mile stretch of water to the sand spit that separates the bay from the ocean and keeps out the huge Pacific swells. So one morning found three of us—Mike, John, and me—sliding kayaks into the water at the edge of the marina.

It's not a long paddle, but we felt victorious when we arrived on the far beach and left the boats to climb the dunes. From the top we enjoyed fine views all up and down the coast, and it was a quick descent to the  spacious empty beach on the other side. After contemplating the vast Pacific Ocean, we made our way back up the dunes again, and then came running, jumping and crashing down the steep dune faces to our boats. The wind had picked up, but it was now at our backs, so our return paddle was quick.

View from the top. Mike holds the camera; in the background is Morro Rock,
one of two iconic landmarks of the town of Morro Bay. 

John runs-jumps-slides down a dune face as I wait my turn at the top.
(Photo credit: Thanks, Mike!)

A quick view of the bay from the sand spit...

It was such a successful trip that we did it again the next week, with Paula and Jamie, John's wife. The wind was up this time, and we only got halfway across the bay before turning and paddling along the shore. We had walked and driven along these beaches many times, but this was the first we'd see seen them from the water. That was very special. Overall, our two kayak trips on the bay were fantastic!

Mike, Paula, Paul, Jamie, John after our highly successful paddle on the bay!

We were pleased to see how well the yard was doing under Jamie's excellent care: the succulents were exploding! Here in France we are limited to little pots on the balcony. It was a joy to see a real garden. And we have John to thank for the night time lighting... 

The succulents grow SO well in the sand dunes of Los Osos!

John's night time fairyland...

...and he found something new to light the garden paths.

Even in February we can enjoy the garden at night!

A final shot of Morro Rock, seen from Sweet Springs, across the bay.

            It's spring again in Montpellier.

Well, so what? It's spring again all over the northern hemisphere. But we LIVE in Montpellier, so we get to see spring happening here. 

We lived in California (also in the Northern Hemisphere) for many decades, and spring did, indeed, happen at this time every year. But it didn't make as great an impression.

Why? Because California weather is pretty nice all the time, really. Things are always green!

Here, while winter is far from harsh, many trees and other plants do lose their leaves. Things turn brown. Branches are bare. Now the leaves are returning, plants are flowering. It's a change, it's exciting. It's remarkable!

View from our balcony. For months we've seen these bare brown branches; soon we'll have a solid wall of green, restoring our privacy (and that or our neighbors), and protecting us from the harsh summer sun.

Wisteria gone wild! We see it all over town.

While our time in California was wonderful, spent connecting with family and friends, we are always glad to get back home to Montpellier. Now we're busy connecting with friends here, and making plans for the summer and fall.

        More on that in our next blog...

Paula admires cherry blossoms near our apartment in Montpellier.
They only lasted about three days; now the tree is full of  tiny hard green cherries!

Costa Brava, Spain's Wild Coast

8 AM. Sunrise from our hotel balcony in Aiguablava.

During our travels in Europe we have spent a lot of time in Spain. We lived for a month in Alicante (twice!), visited Valencia, and, of course, have spent the last six Christmases in Seville, and have explored the cities of Andalusia.

But Spain is big; we are always discovering new places. Two summers back we spent a fantastic four weeks in the mountains of northern Spain. And now we have returned from exploring another area new to us, the Costa Brava, the "wild coast" of Spain north of Barcelona.

(Yes, brava means "wild," not "brave." That gives a whole new meaning to the name of the traditional Spanish dish Patatas Bravas; not brave, but wild potatoes—a reference, I assume, to the spices, and not so much the behavior of the potatoes.)

Daytime view from our balcony. This chapel intrigued us to no end. Turns out it is all private property.

The Costa Brava is only a 2-1/2 hour drive from where we live; surprisingly close. We left home in the morning, arrived on the Spanish coast, and still had time to explore before heading to our hotel. Of primary interest was the archaeological site at Empúries in the northern reaches of the Costa Brava, not far from the French border.

The luscious-looking town of L'Escala, which we did not visit.

Ah Greek ruins from 500 BCE! That's more like it!

Excavation of more Greek ruins, with a view of the sea.

The Greeks built a small but thriving community here in 575 BCE; 360 years later the Romans arrived and built quite an extensive city a bit further inland. In more recent times a modern city has grown up near them, L'Escala. Although we did not visit, it looked fabulous across the bay of deep blue water.

This looks very much like an oven. Part of the Roman ruins.

Site of the Roman agora, main square, with some reconstructions.

The museum at Empúries.

Roman glass from the 1st century CE.

Roman figurines. Love the articulated arms and legs on the little doll!

Paula glances back at the old Roman wall as we leave Empúries.

After touring Empúries for a bit, and visiting the museum, we continued down the coast to our hotel in Aiguablava, an area recommended by a French couple we know who had visited it recently. We were very glad for their recommendation!

Inlet to the cove at Aiguablava. That's the Mediterranean out there!

        Aiguablava

It was surprisingly quiet around Aiguablava (well, ok, this was October, at the very end of tourist season). There is no commercial center, only two hotels with restaurants. One was right on the water and very pricy; ours was across the road; from our third-floor room we had a fine view of the sea, and the sunrise.

Aiguablava's tiny marina. That's pretty much all of it...

The cove at Aiguablava. Off on the right is a good swimming beach. We walked there... it seems close, but there's a lot of up-and-down!

Aiguablava sits on an inlet from the Mediterranean. It has a tiny marina, and several large houses that looked very much like resorts, but discreet; very discreet. There were no signs of welcome, nothing advertising names and phone numbers. I don't know how one would book a room; it seems this falls in that category of if you have to ask, you can't afford it. We didn't ask; we were pleased with our room a short walk up the hill.

Looking out towards the Sea from the cove. Is that red building a residence, or a guest house? No way to tell...

    Aiguablava

Aiguablava has a quiet beauty that really drew us in. Much of the coast shares this same rugged beauty, with steep cliffs, high rocks, and tiny coves, and the occasional small, isolated beach. And, there is a hiking trail, the Cami de Ronda, that runs along the coast, connecting these coves with the nearby towns. (It is part of the GR92 that will eventually run along the entire Mediterranean coast of Spain, from the French border to Spain's southernmost tip.)

The "Camí de Ronda," part of the GR92, a hiking trail along Spain's Mediterranean coast..

Seen from the trail. Near Calella de Palafrugell.

We wanted to sample the GR92 in various places as we had sampled the trails around the Bay of Morbihan in Brittany last summer. But the Costa Brava is very rugged, as in very. Much of it is steep; steep going up, steep coming back down. And long stretches follow the roads in nearby towns, as there is no room along the shore for even a narrow trail.

The coast here has a real Big Sur vibe.

Nice, wide trail complete with tunnels!

We were thrilled by the parts we were able to follow, though, and often found it resembling California's majestic Big Sur.

Finally we arrive at at tiny narrow beach.

The town of Calella de Palafrugell seen from the trail.

While the coast is the main attraction, there are several towns inland that we wanted to visit.

Begur

Begur is a pleasant village, home to about 4,000 permanent residents. We're told the population swells to 10 times that in the summer; glad we weren't there then!

A typical narrow street in Bergur.

The lady with a cigar (an ad for a cigar store, I think) is reminiscent of Cuba, and the "Indies" houses.

A unique feature of this town are the "Indies" houses. The 19th century had a number of economic crises, and some adventurous individuals left Begur for the New World, to Spain's colony on Cuba. Many of them prospered, and returned some years later. They had done well, and so built magnificent houses for themselves and their families. 

An "Indies house," built by a returning emigrant with proceeds from time spent in Cuba.

Another Indies house. But what's inside those arcades?

The name "Indies" comes from Columbus' initial mistake of thinking he'd found India when he'd actually landed in what today is known as the island of San Salvador in the Bahamas. Somehow all of Spain's subsequent discoveries in the region were referred to as the Indies!

Castel de Begur, a 16th century fortress. Great views of the countryside from up there!

Pals

After Begur we had time to visit this beautiful medieval village. It's located on the top of a hill and was built around a 12th century fortress. It's name comes from Latin palus, which means marshy ground, as it was surrounded by ponds and marshes. It is a gastronomic heaven with many festivals themed around it vast rice producing industry.

A picturesque winding street in the medieval town of Pals.

A courtyard in Pals. Sticking from the wall is an early street lamp: it held burning logs to light the street.
That's Torre de las Horas (Tower of the Hours) in the background.

So charming!

Roses

On our travels we are always on the lookout for standing stones and other megalithic structures. Brittany is loaded with sites (we talk about them in this blog); Ireland and England also have many (Stonehenge being the most dramatic, and the most famous). While we'd never heard of standing stones in Spain, it was hardly a surprise that there are some here (I mean, Spain has so much of everything!)

So, on our last day on the Costa Brava we went north to the town of Roses to see several structures, both menhirs (vertical stones) and dolmens (flat stones resting on stone walls or pillars).

The Dolmen de la Creu d'en Cobertella. Some 6000 years old, it's a bit out of town, near Roses.

Roses seems a pleasant town, although we were stunned at the number of boat dealers and showrooms we passed. You'd think they didn't sell boats anywhere else on the Costa Brava! But our interest was, for once, not near the water but up in the highlands, in the hills surrounding the town.

Another dolmen, this one in the hills above Roses.

This one is known as Llit de Generala, also in the hills!

We'd found waypoints (GPS locations) for some dolmens, and we dutifully followed the GPS in our car up and up through increasingly steep and winding streets to what I guess we could call the edge of town: the precarious houses suddenly stopped as the land flattened out at a protected area, a park to preserve these ancient structures.  

Paul with the Menhir de la Casa Cremada. (Yeah, they have names!)

We spent a hour or so hiking along the well-defined paths that connected the scattered menhirs and dolmens, aware that we were on our way home and did not have all day to linger. We finally turned and headed back to the car in the company of groups of students.

We could not help wishing that we could have taken a field trip this great while in high school!

The both of us in front of the menhir.

After returning the car we spent a few minutes admiring the fantastic views. 

The city of Roses and it's extensive gulf; Paula contemplates where we've been.

Once we had wound our way back down the twisting streets we were soon on our way to the Autoroute, the high-speed toll road back north. We did stop to get gas; for some reason fuel in Spain its about 20% less than in France. Then we hit the highway and were home before dark.

                Hasta luego!

The Far de Sant Sebastia.This 19th century lighthouse has fantastic views out to sea, 
Photo by Paula