My Montpellier Sabbatical

I have worked as a sole trader jeweller my whole life, studying for seven years before I started my business at twenty-five. It is an unstable life being self-employed, even more so in the arts, so I've worked hard at my career. I the past, I would definitely consider myself a workaholic. Then I had my children, which was a wonderful gift but came with a new challenge - I had to learn to split my time between being a mother and my work.

It was a huge decision to close my Tunbridge Wells shop this spring to go and live in Montpellier. I have spent years trying to get a good home and work life balance and I felt now it was possible for me to have the courage to take a break without worrying too much.

Many people were encouraging and excited for me, others less so. People mainly wanted to know what I would do when I was there. Before I left for France I decided I would try not to make any plans, have no real expectations but just go with the flow. I went with the attitude I was going for my son to help him achieve one of his life goals and whatever good happened for me would be a bonus.

So we set off, our car completely rammed with stuff. I am a heavy packer and we had Rolo, my Airedale terrier, with us so we had all his things as well.

We arrived at the place I had rented in La Pompignane, a nice area of Montpellier, ready for our adventure with a healthy mix of nerves and excitement.

I think it is particularly a female thing, but I have noticed many of us think we need to be busy all the time. With that in mind, I tried to balance my time between educational trips and activities with quieter moments.

Where I went for exercise and solitude

Swimming has been part of my life since I was young, but hasn't been for a while, so I wanted to make it part of my routine - especially as it was so hot.

Olympic Swimming Pool, Montpellier

It's the largest pool I've swam in, with ten lanes! I ended up there one evening when my local pool was shut and a lovely women, also hoping to swim, suggested we join her at the Olympic pool.

'Jean Taris' Swimming Pool Montpellier 

Among the many swimming pools in the Montpellier metropolis, the Jean Taris swimming pool (Pompignane district) was only a fifteen minute walk from my apartment.

A “sunflower” type swimming pool, this local water sports facility has a dome opening onto a grassy area and has a 25 metre pool with 4 lanes, built in 1983.

This pool has such a lovely atmosphere that I ended up swimming at least four times a week, sometimes more. I loved the fact it was small and old fashioned with basic changing rooms, which reminded me of my childhood. It was my time to relax and enjoy this peaceful exercise.

Where I went for Inspiration

I explored the main museum Musée Fabre at the annual late night opening.

Musée Art Brut

The museum I really loved and was totally inspired by was the Musee Art Brut, in the heart of the “Beaux Arts” district of Montpellier.

This museum showcases key works by untrained, primitive and obsessive artists, each one having developed a highly personal universe. The museum is home to lots of "treasures" many of which are renowned throughout the world.

Art brut is a French term that translates as 'raw art', invented by the French artist Jean Dubuffet to describe art which is made outside the academic tradition. Dubuffet, the most important French artist to emerge after World War II, became interested in the art of the mentally ill.

It is intimate and personal because the museum site also includes the home of the late artist Fernand Michel. His son set up the museum when he died in 1999 so you can see his work inside what was his home and now a gallery space. The icing on the cake was his beautiful studio still left as it was.

I was not familiar with Michel's work but I found it hugely inspiring especially his small studded zinc landscapes that he made assembling oxidised pieces and combining the tones in a new kind of marquetry.

The works on display are visually striking, bold, witty, macabre, childish, inventive, thought-provoking… I came away energised and inspired.

Where I went for fun

I enjoy the beach because, even though I'm not a sun-bather or fan of crowds, I love the sea and the creatures that inhabit it. There is nothing quite like the sound of the crashing waves as they break on the beach or the feeling of peace walking along the shore.

Le Petit Travers

Although Montpellier is not directly on the sea, the coast is just 11 km from the city centre, about twenty minutes in a car or 30 on the tram. The beaches of Villeneuve-lès-Maguelone offers 3000 hectares of protected nature, Aresquiers (Frontignan), Palavas, Carnon, and as far as Grande-Motte, all have the famous “Blue flag” which certifies the good quality of the water. The beaches of Petit Travers and Grand Travers, on the superb strip of land between the sea and the lagoons, have been entirely rehabilitated in recent years to preserve their natural and wild character.

Jake and I enjoyed some fun times together in the sun.

Palavas

Palavas was where I took my friends when they visited me. The town centre has this amazing building with a restaurant on top. 

We had a busy time makng happy memories together sitting, talking, walking and taking in the atmosphere.

One of my friends came to celebrate her birthday with me and we did something neither of us had done before. We put our feet in a tank of Turkish fish who nibbled at our feet - my feet never felt better!

Another fabulous beach day was in my last week with my friend Françoise. She made a sand castle of horrors and I couldn't resit joining in. It was so good to get stuck in and get my hands dirty as I'd missed the time making jewellery in my Tunbridge Wells workshop. 

She made a fabulous, slightly scary woman and I made a slightly weedy male companion.

Being around Françoise made me realise I need to think more out of the box and use my creativity in different ways. I think because I have a creative career it can make me afraid to just play around for fun, as I tend to have expectations about the finished thing. I remember while I was in India a few years ago I was missing art and creativity so I threw myself into making a mandala for our yoga practise one morning. It gave me huge satisfaction and joy to do something just for fun.

It was so lovely to take part in an activity that I had not done since my children were small when we used to spend hours building traditional sand castles. It was such fun and so freeing and my beach times in Montpellier will be remembered with so much joy.

Where I went for food

We mostly ate at home but also had a few lovely meals out. 

Mahe

The restaurant on my street happened to be the only one mentioned in the Michelin guide so it would be rude not to go! It had a peaceful terrace sheltered from onlookers and the chef creates "straightforward and no nonsense" dishes. I had a lunch there and the food was really excellent.

Tout Ou Tard

In the centre of the beautiful old town there are lots of lovely squares with many restaurants to choose from. One of my favourites is in Place de la Chapélle Neuve called 'Tout Ou Tard'.

I had a totally delicious vegetarian noodle dish and glass of wine while my friend tucked in to oysters.

Bonaventure

Eating by the sea is very special and the views at Bonaventure, at Palavas les Flots, did not disappoint. The decor was stunning and on a hot evening it was a wonderful place to have a cocktail.

Rolo my doggie companion came too and was very well behaved. 

Chateau D'Aboras Wine Tour

It is a must to go on a wine tour when you are in France and we had a great time despite the fierce heat.

Chateau D'Arboras was very picturesque.

They served Paella as you sample their wine - I have to come clean as I stuck to water but I really can't drink in the midday heat!

Ice cream was another treat and the flavours were magnificent - apricot and black cherry was especially delicious 

I was invited to lunch at my best friend's family in Eygalieres Provence so we made a trip on the train. We ate on her gorgeous terrace in front of her house - built by her son-in-law to her exact specifications. They have a fabulous house and studio where they sell their work @theforagedstudio.

Some of the best evenings were spent on my friend's beautiful terrace opposite our apartment, so we did not have far to go home. Her terrace was covered in a huge highly scented jasmine and covered in fairy lights. We drank wine and ate cheese and other yummy treats like home grown apricots.

On our last evening we ate a wonderful meal prepared by the family and the highlight was watching a French film projected on a screen as it grew dark. They made my trip so much better with their warmth and friendship.

The food was wonderful in Montpellier - it's hard to beat fresh croissant for breakfast and baguettes for lunch.

Where I went to explore 

The City and its Buildings 

Montpellier is a beautiful city - in the centre is Place De la Comédie also known as the "egg" because of its shape. It's Montpellier’s most famous square with two outstanding features: the Opéra Comédie, an Italian-style theatre-opera house built in 1888, and the fountain with a statue of the Three Graces on top.

When I walked from my place into the centre, I had to walk across the river to the vast esplanade characterised by grand architectural designs. The Esplanade de l’Europe is a large plaza in Montpellier’s Antigone neighbourhood with a vast semi-circular neoclassical building that contains homes, shops and restaurants.

A huge headless angel greets you when you reach the top of the stairs.

The esplanade and the surrounding district was created as part of an urban regeneration project in the late 1970s by Catalan architect Ricardo Bofill. I really liked the shape of these buildings with unusual balconies. 

This beautiful structure on the corner of this building is from the days when horse driven carriages were the mode of transport, designed so they could easily get round the corner. 

I love this street with its bright coloured stripes on the steps, there are lots of really interesting shops with a mix of independents with larger chains. There seemed to be a great deal of good bookshops including several specialised graphic novel shops.

I was lucky to see this beautiful nun taking a walk while I was sitting at a table having a cold drink on the corner of the street. The colour of the cobbles and the stone of the buildings and her habit were so harmonious.

The streets in the old town were so attractive but what I found interesting was the huge range of different styles of buildings around the city here is a typical old street in the old town.

In contrast, the Arbre Blanc a striking white, modern building near the Lez River. It's known for its distinctive, tree-like structure with numerous balconies that is considered a landmark in the city's architectural landscape.

While I walked down the river with Rolo I discovered some really interesting modern architecture. The "Koh-I-Noor" is a notable yellow building located on the banks of the Lez river in the Port Marianne district of Montpellier.

I found a small park just off the river to take Rolo to and discovered this blue building with a large water feature underneath. It was remarkable and the reflections it produced were really fantastic.

I spent hours wandering the streets finding something interesting around every corner.

The Faculty of Medicine of Montpellier, a very grand building by St. Peter’s Cathedral, is the oldest medical school in the West that is still functioning. It is an example of the older grander buildings in the centre.

Montpellier owns a lovely Triumphal Arch, that isn’t as famous as the one in Paris! From the top of the arch you can admire the Place du Peyrou and the Louis XIV’s statue in the center of the esplanade.

Even the pharmacies are excellent - many have alternative pet medicines on the shelves which you do not get in the UK. This beautiful pharmacy was in the old town centre - it sold fabulous soaps and perfumes and smelt delicious. 

Walking in the evening in this beautiful city was really nice as it was still warm once the heat of the day passed. 

Where I could be creative 

I took my bag of fabric with me so I could spend some time getting on with my quilt that I started when I did Jenny's course at Pincushion's on the Pantiles Lower Walk months ago. I had not found much time in my normal life to sew so I was determined to make headway with it. Rolo was interested in it too.

At times it felt strange just sitting and sewing, as I'm programmed always to rush around. But I persisted and really enjoyed the time and I managed to complete all 24 star squares which means I now have 22 dog squares to complete. I am going to try and continue to hold value in quiet activities.

Where I went to be in nature

The Jardin des Plantes

The Montpellier Botanical Garden, is the oldest in France, was created in 1593 in order to develop health through medicinal plants. It has been refurbished many times over the years but it is currently managed by the University of Montpellier.

There is a bamboo forest, orange trees, a hundred-year-old hackberry, a lotus pond sometimes populated by carp and frogs, a greenhouse housing many species of cacti, and a garden of the senses with many aromatic plants.

The Jardin des Plantes is not only a garden it's also where you'll find France's oldest zoo, an historic botanical school, and the Natural History Museum (Musée National d'Histoire Naturelle). 

The Jardin des Plantes is free to enter, and you only need half an hour to walk around but I spent much longer.

Le Méjean

While I was walking in Montpelier I was very fortunate to meet a lovely lady called Susan with her Rottweiler and I explained I was missing walking Rolo in nature and she offered to take me to the walk in the local nature reserve. Le Méjean is a protected natural landscape 8km from Montpellier. It's a wetland with reed beds, marshes, mudflats and a lagoon creates a patchwork landscape where bulls, horses and, of course, birds thrive over the seasons.

It was such a lovely walk the dogs got on well and it was the prettiest place I walked on my trip. I saw so many birds including herons nesting on the top of elevated nesting platforms that help them breed.

Where I went to learn

I have an interest in tribal art and have collected a few bits over the last few years. I discovered a new museum in Montpellier in the Beaux Art district, which has only been open for a year. It is dedicated to artistic representations of female fecundity through the ages and across world cultures. I hadn't seen any of this specialised subject, so set out to spend the afternoon there.

Musee Art et Fécondité

Dr. Vincent Fauveau travelled the world for forty years as a doctor dedicated to women's health, collecting objects of a wide variety and often very unusual items. Here he is showing me his other collection of head rests from from all around the world.

It was nice that he is at the museum and the person that shows you around if you pay for the guided tour which of course I did.

The exhibition is divided into geographical areas, to reveal an infinite variety of styles and interpretations that respond to the anxieties of women facing uncertainties regarding their fecundity.

It is a unique and fascinating art collection of female-fertility-related objects found across the cultures of the world, from prehistory to the modern time. The objects are ethnographic, ritual, religious, or purely artistic in nature. They are often used as intermediaries to call the spirits or the gods for a successful maternity, or to celebrate the beauty of maternity.

I really enjoyed my visit and learned some interesting things about the wonderful subject of pregnancy and childbirth. Dr Fauveau was welcoming and knowledgable but I thought the decoration and display in the museum needed more love and attention.

Montpellier is a fantastic city and I am so grateful I was lucky enough to explore so much of it and the surrounding area. I had such a proper break from work and home.

My sabbatical was fantastic and I managed to do and see so many new things but also spend time doing things I love to do but often do not find time for normally. I also spent two months with this special person.