may2014
22
FLYTO
montpellier
threetimesweeklyfrom24june.
brusselsairlines.com
//SPEC
Suzuki SX4S.Cross
1.6DDiSSZ5Allgrip
5door
Performance
Nippy, lovescorners,
verycomfortable
Engine
1.6Diesel
Topspeed/
acceleration
180km/h; 0-100km/h:
12seconds
Price
€27,890
Montpellier iswakingup, peopleare taking their first
café
of theday, slidingupnoisyshuttersonshops,
reading thenewspaper orwalking their dogs–small,
bug-eyedpuggy-typesskitteringacross theelegant
Placede laComédie. I ammakingmyway througha
light spring rain to themarket that takesplacebeneath
theRoman-lookingaqueduct (it’sactually 18thcentury)
eachTuesdayandSaturdaymorning.
I bypass thestate-of-the-art tramsand themedieval
streets forRueFochwhichbringsmeout at thecity’s
veryownArcdeTriomphe, smaller inscale than the
Parisversionbut everybit as impressive.Beyond is the
PlacedePeyroux, a raisedpiazzawithviews to thesea in
thesouthandmountains to thenorth.Beneath is the
market, two long, neat rowsof stallsoffering lush, shiny
vegetables, freshlybakedbread, seafoodstraight from
thecoast and fat oozyslabsof cheese. I buya few things
for apicnicandwalkback through thecity, admiring its
handsome, confident architecture, neat squaresand
narrowancient streetswithgrandgated townhouses.
Montpellier isneatlydivided intoanewandanold town
(whichalsoneatlydivides the townspeople,dependingon
architectural preferences), thenew representing the
university,commerceand the river,and theold, the
centrewith itselegantbuildingsandmuseumsand the
grandesplanade linedwithsentry-likecolumnsofplane
trees. It feels likea thriving,cultured,go-gettingcity, so
it’snosurpriseMontpellierhasattracted the talentsof
JeanNouvel andZahaHadid tocreate itsnewbuildings.
Thismorning I drivenorth to take in theworkof
anotherworld-renownedarchitect, LordNorman
Foster, designer of themagnificentViaducdeMillau,
a towering2.5kmcable-stayedbridgeover thevalley
of theRiverTarn.TheSuzuki SX4 respondswell to the
exceptionally tight, curvy roads that cut through the
rocky landscapea fewkilometres to thenorthwest of
thecity,working thebendswithgoodcontrol. It’snot the
prettiest car I’veever seen–abit awkwardand ruggedy-
looking–but it’sasmoothdrive,well-designed,witha
generousboot and it’scomfortableover longdistances.
Theviewsoneither sideof theA75arespectacular–
huge truncatedhillswith flat topsandexposedcliffs,
scatteredwithvillagesandvineyards that havemade
Languedoc-Roussillon famous.TheSuzuki handles the
steep inclineswithease, effortlesslyacceleratingpast
the trickleofmegatruckspainfullycrawlingup theslow
Theother
Southof
France
JaneWright
visits the southernFrench city ofMontpellier, one of Brussels Airlines’ newdestinations, to
discover a prosperous city, amagnificent bridge to the north and a handful of attractive coastal towns
Thecharmingfishing
port ofSète isahalf-hour
drive fromMontpellier
