Montpellier part two

Montpellier day 3: April 28th: the Mediterranean coast

The Fletas were unavaible on Monday the 28th, and my audition wasn't until the 29th in the evening, so having rented the car for two days, I had some time to explore the nearby parts of Languedoc / Roussillon.  I headed southwest from Montpellier in the direction of Béziers, but instead of taking the superhighway, I first drove southeast to the coast and followed the shore as much as possible, passing through Frontignan, Sete and then arriving in Bouziges, where I intended to meet up with Gregory Hecht, one of the founders of the Hecht and Bannier wine label.

Sete was my first really good look at a mediterranean village, and it is charming, canals passing through the town centre.  It seems to be a fairly well-established shipping point also, as I saw numerous structures used for container loading and unloading.  The little boats moored by the canal side look venetian, and I saw a lateen rig for the first time on something besides a sunfish. 

I didn't stay long in Sete, but continued along the sea shore, through Frontignan, where the muscat grape vines were breaking out in new green.  It is amazing to drive through Languedoc, where the majority of wine consumed if France is grown, and to see the fields of grapevines stretching off in all directions.  Also I really understand now why the French speak naturally about the influence of terroir - the influence of a local soil, topography, and micro-climate - on a wine: in a matter of five minutes drive, you literally pass from one cultivated valley to the next, to find that the soil colour has changed suddenly from a pale sand to a deep, cinammon-cocoa brown.  The moisture level of the air suddenly changes, the quality of the sunlight seems different...  It's really quite amazing to pass through these pockets of growing space, like separate, climate-controlled greenhouses for growing grapes.

I continued on to Bouzigues without stopping at any of the numerous wineries that advertised tasting, public cellars and direct sales from roadside billboards, as I was sticking to the plan to go see Gregory Hecht.

(A brief word about the Hecht and Bannier brand: Bruce and I had been to Languedoc in July of 2005, and I had noticed how frequently the french enjoyed rosé in the summer.  Around the same time Phil Kaegi, a friend and neighbor, had delivered a case of a H & B's delicious rosé wine to us in Collingwood where we were house-sitting, and the delicate floral qualities of it really impressed me; up until then I had been a bit snobbish about rosé.  Later that year, at Phil's invitation I had attended a wine festival his firm was hosting and I had met Gregory Hecht, tried the next year's rose - not yet fined or officially bottled, but nonetheless delicious - and accepted his invitation to visit next time I was in Languedoc).

As it was, we never did connect: I found the administrative office, which is located in a tiny building on a street that is too narrow for cars.  There was nobody home, and I got an email from Gregory later, explaining that everyone spends a lot more time out in the fields at this time of year.  I wasn't disappointed though: Bouzigues is a beautiful little town.  

I stopped at a quayside restaurant/hotel called à la voile blanche for lunch.  The plat de jour at was 16 Euros, and I had six oysters, a glass of local rose, and Seiches à la Plancha (grilled calamari).  It came with a delicious shrimp-rosé fettucini and some sauteed courgettes that had a deep intense flavour... Man, was it fantastic, no doubt because the seafood was so fresh: the waters of the Basin de Thau just off Bouzigues are completely filled with wooden oyster beds, stretching off into the distance like an invading navy.

After lunch I continued south-west to the Cap d'Agde, which is a year-round resort town and home to several very popular beaches, including - as I found out upon arrival at the maison de tourisme - standard ones as well as several "naturist" (aka nude) beaches. 

It was a bit cool, so I didn't see anyone taking advantage of the opportunity to swim or sunbathe, but I did make sure to dip my own toes in the "Middle Sea" before sitting down to contemplate the waves, write in my notebook, and watch the townspeople playing petanque in the square opposite the beach.

I headed back to Montpellier by superhighway and returned the car that evening, and had some bread, cheese and fruit in my hotel room (I try to stick to a budget on these trips, and eat at cafes or restaurants one meal a day, fixing the others from groceries myself) and then went to bed early to prepare for the next day.

Montpellier day 4: April 29th: audition

I rose late on Tuesday morning, and went for a brisk walk around the centre of town to wake myself up; an espresso from the café down the street helped also.  I hid in my room for the rest of the day, nibbled some bread, cheese and water, and waited.  I received a call from Fleta early in the afternoon, wishing me toi toi (the traditional italian operatic equivalent of "break a leg").  That was encouraging, and I soon headed out to meet with the pianist.  We did 15 minutes of preparation and then I went back to my hotel room to try to relax, and returned at six o'clock for my audition.

The Salle Mollière is an intimate recital hall that seats perhaps 400 people.  The person auditioning me was the director, René Koering, who also is the director f the Festival de Radio France et Montpellier Languedoc-Roussillon.  As with the two other singers he was hearing that day, he didn't offer me the opportunity to present a piece of my choice, but we launched directly into his single choice: Valentin's aria, with its four high Gs.  Fortunately that one, despite being the most difficult, is feeling good in my voice, and with Fleta's recent help I sang them more confidently and bravely than ever.  We spoke briefly afterwards, and Monsieur Koering asked a single question, to confirm that I was now living in Brussels.  All in all it was a good experience, a nice town and a beautiful hall to sing in.

I celebrated my last night in Montpellier by having dinner at a place called the Bistrot Gourmand located in a little triangle called the Place de la Chapelle Neuve, which had a kind of seedily opulent bohemian feel.  Many people chose to dine outside on the little square, but being slightly chilled, I decided to eat inside for the first time during my trip.  The whole operation was being run pretty much by a single extremely efficient server; while the proprietess did help a bit early on some friends of hers showed up and she sat down to have dinner and drinks with them, not budging much for the next hour.

The food was really outstanding, a carpaccio of salmon in olive oil, lime, coriander leaves, sun dried tomatoes and green onions, followed by five huge still-translucent scallops seared in a pepper / paprika / chopped chive coating, swimming in a buttery white wine deglaze.  This area is home to the best shellfish in France, and these were fantastic.  In the centre of the plate was a little pyramid of julienned courgettes, carrots, and chopped roasted red pepper.  The wine was (you guessed it) a rosé, Chateau de Valcyre Domaine Benezech 2006, and not expensive since I only bought a single glass.  This rose had an initial impression of a little sharpness, but on then it blooms quickly into intense, deep fruit flavours... amazing!

I walked slowly back to my hotel and turned in for the night. 

Montpellier day 5: April 30th, Duncan's birthday

I checked out mid-morning, but left my bags at the desk and went shopping for the boys.  On my way back from dinner the night before I had spotted an old-style toy store, and wanted to look there for some presents for Duncan, and some for Malcolm too, as his birthday is two weeks later than Duncan's.

The toy store, Pomme de Reinette, is a refuge for the kinds of toys you may remember from childhood, but don't see anymore in the big chain stores:  little puppet theatres and maquettes, paper commedia-del-arte masks, little music-box mechanisms, magic tricks, juggling balls and clubs, card games, doll houses, and so on.  Not a battery-powered beepy box with blinking LEDs was to be found, which suits me just fine!  I loaded up on little gifts for both boys, and headed to the chemiserie to buy a summery cotton blouse for Maggie.  After a stop at the wine store for a couple of inexpensive local bottles to take home, I picked up my bags and ran to the train.

I know it sounds very exciting and romantic to read about how beautiful and ideal Montpellier is (see this Globe and Mail travel article) and I did enjoy many things there, but after the first day or two I started to feel quite lonely exploring it - and dining out - by myself, and was eager to see my family again.  I realize now that traveling to cities where you don't know anyone, and have to spend much of your time waiting around to sing can be difficult; you really start to miss your loved ones.  Still, it's the only way to do it!

I didn't get in until after the boys were asleep, so Duncan received his presents the next morning: I think I'll save the birthday details for my next post...