Never Retire Flashback: Exceeded Urban Expectations, Incredible Images & Food Porn From France, 2024
28 days until we move to Spain
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And it highlights the format I tend to use to chronicle our day-to-day life once we arrive and start to settle in Spain. Of course, there will be a lot more to chronicle than mere food and drink, but this blow-by-blow approach with relevant thoughts and observations is the best way I have found to—
Give you a good read on how things look, feel and function on the ground. My aim is to provide the most detailed and personal accounts of what it's like to live abroad. No doubt, it's a crowded space, but only a handful do a good job writing in it.
Explain the rationale behind how we live our iteration of a Never Retire lifestyle from every angle, be it psychological, social, financial.
Inform whatever it is you’re working on, particularly if you share similar perspectives and outlooks on life.
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Some, if not many of you have been to France at least once, if not many times. So, please forgive this relatively ignorant, wide-eyed view from a first-timer.
After spending a day in Montpellier, we’re in Lyon. And I absolutely love it in both places, especially Lyon. Though Montpellier was pretty great, too. It’s like comparing pizza to coffee.
Anyhow, today’s report focuses on Montpellier, alongside some observations on feeling like an awkward traveler in a land that’s unabashedly French.
In case you missed it, here’s some of what did in and thought about Girona, Spain—
We arrived by train to Montpellier. And, as was the case when I first set foot in Italy and Spain, France exceeded my expectations. Instantly.
Yes, the buildings are old and beautiful. But, as a former urban planning student and long-time city lover, I have a sort of idealistic view of European cities. Come to find out, it’s not an ideal. It’s the reality.
These cities are everything you expect them to be and more—from every standpoint, but particularly from an urban perspective. The pedestrian environments are incredible. I see more cars in five minutes when I walk out of my front door in Los Angeles than I saw all day in Montpellier. No joke. No exaggeration.
Even in the bigger cities, such as Barcelona (and, to some extent, Rome), cars take a backseat to every other mode of transportation. Even so, Barcelona—and literally every single city in France—continue to push the progressive envelope on pedestrian-centric urban planning and design. It’s really—a literal—breath of fresh air.
Part of what I’m about to say has been informed by being in Lyon. So, we’ll expand on it when we focus on that city. But we caught a glimpse of it in Montpellier.
In Spain, I have very little trouble navigating the basic—and not so basic—in the city. In part, because Melisse’s native language is Spanish and I’m learning it. I probably should give myself more credit. Because, in a post I’m working on, I will discuss how I navigated Barcelona one day all by myself without Melisse’s help. While I could probably do likewise in France, it would be messy.
The other day, we were trying to figure out how to get into a store in Lyon. We stood in front of a large window, waiting for it to magically open. Finally, we found the door. I think we went in via the exit. It’s not that we’re dumb. It’s just that there’s so much going on in your mind and so much you can’t comprehend being said around you that you feel like you’re brain isn’t attached the way it is in a more familiar environment.
I hope that makes sense.
That said, the people here are great. One guy stopped to ask if we needed directions when we were looking at Google Maps. If you ask a question, people do their best to guide you. They don’t seem annoyed.
Walking around Montpellier and Lyon, you hear zero English. But some people speak it and appear to be happy to do so. So far, I’m not buying the stereotype of French people being rude, particularly to Americans.
A couple of things—
We’re not bumbling idiots, like Chevy Chase in European Vacation. It’s just that, as very confident travelers, who feel super comfortable in cities, we’re not on our A game all of the time. And that’s okay. It’s part of the experience.
I might need to be more patient with the many tourists I encounter in Los Angeles. I’m never rude (except maybe under my breath) and I always help if someone needs it. But I do get slightly annoyed when obvious tourists stand clueless at the door of a coffee shop or somewhere. The reality is they’re dealing with an environment where, unless it’s Spanish, it’s unlikely anyone speaks their language. Plus, all of the signage is in English—with maybe some Spanish—and that’s it.
While Spain and Italy are certainly Spanish and Italian, France feels more French. I don’t know if this is a thing or if it’s just my unfamiliarity painting this picture.
Our first stop in Montpellier was a burger place that, come to find out, is a French chain. It was really, really good, but, as we walked around later, we noticed several places we would have probably liked better for less money.
France definitely isn’t as inexpensive as Spain or Italy. However, you can find good deals. Part of it is knowing where to go, but it’s more difficult to find places probably because of the above.
Anyhow, for two burgers, two fries and two drinks at Les Burgers de Papa, we spent 30.80 euros, or $33.40. Less expensive than Los Angeles, though not by much.
Our Airbnb wasn’t the greatest. I wrote about that on Medium.
The hosts weren’t happy that we left them a three-star review, but this type of thing is unacceptable. Especially when you consider how nice the space could be and its surroundings.
That’s Melisse sitting there as we were waiting to check in.
Our Lyon Airbnb is incredible. I’ll share some photos in the forthcoming Lyon post.
The Arc de Triomphe in Montpellier
As for inexpensive food.
I forget the name of the place that was selling pizza slices for one euro because we paid cash, but it was fantastic.
We ended our day in Montpellier at a place called Popular Brewing, which serves craft beer and local wine. Two glasses of wine and a beer for 15.60 euros, or $16.90.
As we were sitting here, it started to get busier. I think when we live in Spain we’ll get on their schedule. Actually, I look forward to it. But most places open for lunch and then later for dinner in Spain and France. So like 11 to 2 and reopening anywhere between 6 and 8.
Two coffees and a croissant the next morning—8.20 euros, or $8.89.
We’re in Lyon till Friday (expect a report from here soon), then off to Paris for a week!
