Nîmes
20 mins a way
Montpellier
20 mins a way
Les Cévennes
40 mins a way
Sommières
5 mins a way
I spent the day in Montpellier yesterday.
I go there most weekends, or to Nimes, it depends. However, yesterday it felt different.
I have lived in or around Montpellier for the past 23 years, longer than I lived in England. Last week I realised how much I took my life here for granted, how I'd stopped admiring, taking photos and generally gasping at all things French. I realised how lucky I am to live in the South of France, in such beautiful light, such a beautiful place.
Why the change?
Mary Gaudin.
Mary is a photographer / life book maker from New Zealand currently living in Montpellier. I stumbled upon her
blog last week and so enjoy her posts, especially those about our region, and London, where she travels to frequently. Browsing her photos, such as those shown above, I realised how I'd stopped "really seeing" things. Montpellier and Nimes are both wonderful, very different cities, the Cévennes mountains are breathtakingly beautiful, - my husband grew up in this region and we used to have a second home there - and Sommières , a small Medieval town, where Dylan goes to school, is just down the road.
So, yesterday, while shopping for Miles' 5th birthday, I opened my eyes, and soaked up the atmosphere. I stopped for a while to look at all the old book stalls along the Esplanade, enjoyed
un café outside under the Plane trees
, walked through the windy narrow streets in the old part of the city and felt thankful to be living in France.
Mary and I plan to meet after Easter. I think we're both looking forward to it. I can't wait to find out about her busy, globetrotting life, discover what brought her here
and say thank you...
Merci Mary!Mary's
Flickr photostream
Mary's
portfolioMary's images via
GettyAll images copyright: Mary Gaudin.
