A la campagne, part deux

Nicole suggested a day trip on Sunday. Perfect. It meant picking her up in the city of Montpellier. Gulp. Having learned my lesson about planning ahead, I did some homework. After studying Google Maps to figure out where her hotel was in combination with the address programmed into the GPS, I thought I was set. I didn’t count on all the construction. Lord help me! I think I just need to accept that driving in unknown cities is a source of stress. I don’t know why I care or get so bothered, but I do. The sooner I come to accept and embrace this fact, the better.
So GPS lady wanted me to turn gauche and droite right into roads that were closed off for the construction of tram line #3. At least she could recalculate the route a couple of times but after driving around and seeing the same landmarks a second then third time, I pulled over and made a phone call. Nicole – I don’t know where you are and I don’t know where I am but I cannot drive to you. Please put me out of my misery – I am NOT having fun anymore!
Not a great start to the day but I eventually found her and having a real person as co-pilot made a world of different. We slowly snaked our way through the mess and were soon on our way to have a day in the countryside. We ended up going to the Pont Du Diable - which is where I’d spent quite a bit of time the day before en-route to St. Guilhem le Desert - an absolutely amazing little town that was a great find! While I’d stopped at Le Pont for a drink and some lunch, I kept wishing I’d had my swimsuit so I could join all the swimmers at this wildy popular summer spot. It is absolutely a stunning location along the Hérault River where the cliff walls are carved out and a wide bend makes for a pleasant beach area. THIS is what summer vacations are all about! The next day I couldn’t resist taking Nicole there so we could get in and test the waters.
After a wonderfully lazy and relaxing couple of hours in the cool waters and on the rocky shore, we hit the road for Pézenas, one of France’s most beautiful towns, to grab dinner. The clouds had been building all day so we got caught in quite the storm. With all the rain we sought shelter on the high street, where we mananged to fit in some shopping before stopping for dinner. We’d both eyed this cute little restaurant in our reconnaissance tour of town; it was very gezellig! Galettes for both of us. Yum!
Based on the morning’s nightmarish attempt at navigating the city, the thought of returning the car weighed heavily on me on the drive back to Montpellier. The construction in the city in combination with GPS-lady’s unawareness of the ‘new’ highways made for an interesting combination between suspicion at her directions and necessary trust in where she told me to go. Amazingly, we made it into town to the car rental return fairly easily. With Nicole as co-pilot, she was able to spot the place to turn to drop off the car. Finding the key drop location was another story!