The Return of the King: Coming Back Down to Planet Earth from Montpellier Bliss

I am sorry it's been so long since you've been treated to a post. I have been occupied with fulfilling travel duties to write about, and cramming in revision along the way. Nevertheless, I am back, and can assure you that it is with a venegence.

It's certified madness how you can come away from doing something you expected to be interesting at most, and have your outlook on life permanently tweaked, changed even.

Yet here I am, just 888 km away from the scene of the crime (yes, I actually checked the distance between Maidstone and Montpellier), and I feel not only like a better person, but also a more versatile adventurer.

The Surprising Snazz of Montpellier!

A cheeky snapshot of La Comédie I was rather chuffed with. I had one lined up worthy of entering the photograophic history books, but a sly lorry idled it's way into the scene, and ultimately spoiled the glory.

Perhaps if the endless winter that engulfed the United Kingdom had followed us out to Southern France, this place would be another Scarborough or Stevenage. But warmed generously by the much welcome glow of summery sunshine, the effortless charm of Montpellier grew on me almost instantly. Filled to the brim with fashion boutiques, crèpe stands, and stylish, modern bars to cater to the thriving, lively student population, this seemed just the kind of place that anyone would be lucky to live in. The entire place seemed devoid of any concrete; in it's place was a smart marble and limestone cosmopolitan sprawl.

Chowing down on some authentic Pho with the Nguyen family!

Above is a one take snapshot of the family I stayed with. It seems that I got some of the nicest and most interesting people on the rota, and I was even offered to come and stay with them with a friend in the summer when I'm Interrailing!
Left is Marc, a streetwise DJ who took me on a solid night out with his seemingly endless acquaintances. Right is Génevive, a fantastic cook, and Fréderic, a European marathon winner with an incredibly healthy lifestyle and a spiritualist attitude.

Pho is heaven. They literally cooked heaven.

View from my bedroom window on the last day, spent chilling out, reading The Beach, listening to the Arctic Monkeys and basking in the warm sunshine. Real soul food.

Here's a little run-through of the routine that was in place

•Wake up in a spotlessly clean and tidy room in a ridiculously comfortable bed to my alarm, feeling like I actually really wanted to get out of bed. This may be the first time in history that any seventeen year old male has felt this way on a regular basis when forcably arisen at 7:45.

•Have a lovely chat in French if anyone was up, and eat several bowls of cereal.

•Catch the Tram with Ellie, participate in illicit cigar purchasing (for a friend, not me) and entirely legal daily supermarket pottering.

•Recieve AS French guidance from a hilarious character named Floric who wore the same jumper every day, and seemed to have a deep emotional connection with this song.
 

•Sneak out at break and use our time to rush here

To merrily munch our way through these

An exemplary crèpe

With this glorious bunch in our own perfect spot

•Finish of our 'learning activities' (vaguely educational, surprisingly helpful) and grab lunch.

•Spend the afternoon doing a variety of things, including ice-skating, shopping, bowling, laser questing, hitting the beach (during which, of course, I found myself scouring through the hippie beach market to buy incense and postcards like a good little tourist) and catching the train down to explore Avignon.



All fairly harmless and nice. The evenings were, on occasion, a slightly different story.

A little over-enthusiastic with the shots. A previous excursion with Marc and his DJ elite had taken its toll!

All in all, my faith in European travel was strongly bolstered, and I had a great time out with some lovely people. French lessons no longer seem to drag on either, and actually seem much more engaging, so I must have learned something out there.

Bring on the next batch of travel! The travel bug seems to be growing on me more and more. Adventuring is my addiction, and I'm forever itching to get off my English schoolgoer backside and dose up!

PS: I may well start posting a quirky, fun take on world affairs on here. You could well be in for some exclusive world news, and a fresh take on things. That's if you're lucky.

I would say au revoir, but that's far too cliché and annoying.
Ciao!