France
Nîmes
July 15 - 17, 2022
I’m writing this the day after returning from France and given my tendency to forget things, it seemed prudent to recall as much as I could from my first night in France.
From Paris I took a train to Nímes (pronounced ‘neem’) to meet my friends. The French countryside was full of vast sunflower fields and the back of my eyelids. At one point I woke up and visited the dining car where I ordered a risotto dish that was literally purple. I don’t know why it was purple and as bizarre as this may sound, it was surprisingly tasty. My purple rice bowl was, as I’d come to find out, a preview of true French cuisine – if the food on the train was good, I figured it would only get better.
It was a hundred and seventy god damn degrees when I arrived in Nímes, as was the case all over Europe but more on that later. I took an Uber to the Hôtel des Tuileries, checked in, and enjoyed the A/C while I waited for my friends to arrive. Seeing friends for the first time in a foreign country on the other side of an ocean is some kind of special. Unfortunately the heat had all but melted my friends so we cooled off and caught up in the hotel for a while before going out to explore Nímes.
One of the first things I noticed about the city was how much it reminded me of Vietnam. I always thought the French were somewhat original with their architecture but apparently they just went to Vietnam and copied all of their buildings. In all sincerity, it was remarkable how much of Hanoi could be seen in the facades of the narrow streets of southern France. I’d learned about the French influence on Vietnam when I visited years ago but seeing the connection in person was fascinating.
We stopped at a restaurant, one of dozens within a quarter-mile radius of the hotel, and ate. My first proper meal in France was salmon tartare with avocado and it was supreme. As much as I’d like to describe the meal in vivid detail, I just don’t know how.¹ It tasted really good and eating it made me really happy. I’ll probably mention just about everything I ate in France but skip the description because literally everything was good. I didn’t have a bad meal for five days.
After dinner my friends discovered that Ben Harper was playing in the Amphitheatre of Nîmes that night so we decided to get tickets. I’d never heard of Ben Harper but live music in a 1,950 year old coliseum sounded like a good idea. Walking into the coliseum was surreal; the stone had been largely preserved and it was hard to tell the difference between modern renovations and the original structure. Steep, stone stairways lead us to the top of the amphitheater and the first steps into the open space were awe-inspiring. A duo called Rodrigo y Gabriela were opening for Ben Harper and their acoustic set was incredible. Unfortunately by the time Ben Harper went on, jet lag had fully latched onto my back and eventually I gave in and took a nap. I don’t think he noticed.
I woke up a short time later and it took a moment to remember where I was. Orienting myself through the transition to waking consciousness in an ancient Roman amphitheater was a unique experience to say the least and once it all clicked, I was pretty happy. The evening as a whole was a perfect way to start the trip and it would have been flawless if the jet lag wasn’t so heavy. I slept until 4:30 pm the next day and at first I was pissed at myself for basically wasting an entire day of the adventure. But the recovery was necessary and as the days went on, I quickly made up for the lost time.
The second evening in Nímes (after my hibernation ended) we ate dinner in the courtyard of the Maison Carrée, an ancient Roman temple. I ordered duck with ratatouille and potatoes and it fucking ruled. Like, I’m still mulling over trying to describe the food but it just ain’t gonna happen. I also don’t want to over-hype the food – it’s not like I Meg Ryan’ed myself at every restaurant but 100% of the meals I ate were good. I think it’s just the kind of thing you have to experience for yourself and any attempt I make to describe the food won’t do it justice.
We parted ways after Nímes – a couple of my friends flew back to the US and the other two headed back home to Montpellier. I had planned to spend a few days on the beach in the Mediterranean…but then my friends discovered a special little event that was passing through the small city of Carcassonne that very evening: the Tour de France. I booked an AirBnB and a train ticket to Carcassonne on the spot.
¹I’m lazy.
Carcassonne
Pt. I: The Castle
July 18, 2022
I woke up that morning in a puddle of sweat after foolishly keeping the windows closed all night, effectively turning my bedroom into an oven. When I opened the window I realized it was about 20 degrees cooler outside and vowed to keep the window open that night even if it meant bugs would eat my face. I went downstairs and found that my hosts had kindly provided a chocolate croissant and an espresso for breakfast. I fueled up then I left for the historic fortified city of Carcassonne.
My expectations of the fortified city were not exactly accurate. I assumed the castle was closed to the public except for tours. It turns out the castle was not only wide open, but actively inhabited and functioning with hotels, restaurants, shops, and more. I walked through the main entrance up a narrow, cobblestone road as I passed gift stores and candy shops on either side. From there I basically got lost exploring the city. I walked around the outer-wall perimeter of the city which provided great views of the surrounding area. Once I’d done a complete lap, I made my way through the winding streets again. There must have been at least two dozen different places to get food and just as many gift/souvenir shops. I ate lunch at a restaurant whose menu had enough words in English for the average fourth grader to understand.
While the larger fortified city itself was open to the public, the inner citadel was only accessible via self-guided tour. At first I was admittedly self-conscious about walking around with one of those audio players tied to a lanyard around my neck, but then I remembered no one cared and nothing matters so I ditched my hang-ups and took the tour.
I don’t recall all the information about the inner castle but it was fascinating to say the least. Apparently dumping hot oil on invaders is somewhat of a myth – oil was expensive in medieval times so wasting giant cauldrons of it on enemies wasn’t exactly frugal. Instead they fired arrows and dropped giant rocks onto the heads of anyone bold enough to try and storm the city. A few of these giant rocks were displayed along the tour and even though the security guards refused to let me throw one off a tower, I’m confident it would have sucked to have your skull bashed in by such a thing.
I also learned that the name “Carcassonne” comes from a legend involving Princess Carcas, who took over rule of the city after her husband was killed in battle. After a five year siege of the city, food and water were becoming scarce and after taking inventory, Lady Carcas realized they were in dire straits. In an attempt to deceive the invading Franks lead by Charlemagne, Lady Carcas took a live pig, fed it an entire sack of wheat, and had the pig tossed off the city’s highest tower for all the invaders to see. Charlemagne, upon seeing the deceased pig and the wheaty contents of its guts, assumed the city must have been flourishing if the inhabitants were able to waste a perfectly good pig and so much grain. So after nearly six years, they ended the siege. As the Franks departed and the celebratory bells of the city rang, someone shouted “Carcas is ringing!” or in French “Carcas sonne” and the name stuck. The lesson of course being: always keep a spare pig and a sack of wheat lying around in case you need to ward off home invaders.
After the tour I left the city and walked around the greater Carcassonne area until it got too hot. I went back to the AirBnB and took a nap but the day wasn’t over yet. In the interest of making this somewhat more tolerable to read, I’ll describe the rest of the night in the next segment.
Carcassonne
Pt. II
July 18, 2022
“Luck is Where Preparation Meets Opportunity”
-John Legend [Seneca]
My AirBnB hosts recommended a pizza local pizza place called La Metairie that had a great view of the walled city and the greater Carcassonne area below. It did not disappoint. The restaurant was operated (at least the night I was there) by two guys: a host and the pizza chef. The host spoke English but the chef did not. I learned this when I took my order ticket to the chef. I’d ordered a vegetarian pizza (I’m not a vegetarian, it’s just what I was in the mood for) but when I gave the chef my ticket he asked me something in French and I picked up the word “jambon” which means “ham” or as I presumed, “meat.” At this point in the trip I’d learned to ask “English?” whenever I didn’t understand what someone was saying. I’d also been told that the French can be occasionally impatient and rude when a foreigner fails to speak the language.
So when the chef said “no English” and kept asking me questions in French, I started getting worried he’d get frustrated with me. No such thing happened. Eventually we were able to get the host to translate for us and everything got sorted out. I realize this story may seem pointless and inconsequential, but it was the only time the language barrier came up over the course of my trip and it was a complete non-issue. Maybe I got lucky, but everyone I interacted with on the trip was super friendly. It’s also within the realm of possibilities they all thought I was mentally challenged and treated me accordingly.
Anyway I ate an entire pizza and then walked back to the castle. My plan was to keep exploring the walled city, grab a drink and/or dessert, and see where the night took me. But when I walked past the amphitheater in the southwest corner of the walled city, I noticed a ton of people lined up for some kind of show. It turns out John Legend was performing that night and even though I didn’t know much about John Legend aside from his hits, I bought a ticket and went inside.
The man’s got talent. I realize I’m a bit late to the John Legend game but it was a great show. He played a bunch of songs I recognized including Feeling Good, All of Me, Bridge Over Troubled Water, and Green Light. But like French cuisine, my words aren’t going to properly depict live music. If you’re ever presented with the spontaneous opportunity to see John Legend live, it’ll probably be worth it.
I went to bed that night and woke up the next morning ready to go see the Tour de France depart from Carcassonne.
*I apologize for the lousy video quality and full-screen issues. I’m still trying to figure out how to properly format vertically-oriented videos so until I do, it’s gonna suck. My bad.
Carcassonne
Pt. III
July 19, 2022
I woke up in Carcassonne for the final time this morning and headed to Freaks Cafe – another recommendation from my AirBnB hosts. Of all the cafes in Carcassonne, they suggested I go to the one called “Freaks” which I totally understand but maybe they could have disguised the insult by suggesting a few other places like the “We Tolerate Him Diner” or “Aging Loners Cafe”. Freaks was well-worth it though. Maybe it was France and the joy of the experience but a simple breakfast of eggs, bacon, toast, orange juice, and salad (breakfast salad is a thing and I dig it) was excellent. At one point I caught my reflection in a mirror across the street and noticed that I slouch like a gargoyle.
From Freaks I walked to the Place de Général de Gaulle to watch the start of the Tour de France. It was about 9:45 am and the square was already buzzing. Representatives from sponsor companies ran up and down the streets hyping up the crowd while they tossed out free goodies. Snacks, keychains, hats, laundry detergent pods, and more rained down to the outstretched hands of excited spectators. At one point a t-shirt flew out of the sky and landed on my head. I screamed and fell to the ground as I fought for breath but after an exhausting battle I managed to pry the shirt off my face and hand it to a nearby kid…who seemed hesitant to accept it for some reason.
At 10:30 am the Tour caravan departed from Carcassonne. There were vehicles in the shape of fruits and animals. Some had statues of cyclists and bicycles. At least 50-100 cars of various shapes and colors must have passed through the square, all occupied by enthusiastic sponsors throwing out treats to the crowd. I’ve never seen anything quite like it in the US and maybe that’s because the Tour de France is so unique, but I would enjoy seeing a taco-shaped car throwing out packets of hot sauce. How about a giant foot with wheels that blasted out free pairs of socks? Any variation of the Oscar-Mayer Weiner-mobile would be pretty cool. Maybe before next year’s Super Bowl we could have a parade where Amazon prime trucks could throw out boxes of things no one remembers buying.
At 11:30 the cycling teams were presented on-stage and briefly interviewed before the official start at 12:30. I could describe the kickoff but it’d probably be better to just watch the video. It was an exciting morning to say the least and the hype was contagious. I was ready to get on my bike and ride but I’ll have to wait a few more days. From Carcassonne I took a train to Montpellier where I rejoined my friends for a brief stay in a truly magical city.
Montpellier, Paris, Fin
July 19-20, 2022
I took the train from Carcassonne and returned to Montpellier to visit my friends for a final day in France. Montpellier (like every place I visited in France) was awe-inspiring. My friends lived in a small apartment just a few blocks from the train station. Shortly after I arrived we hit the streets, winding and narrow, looking for a place to eat. Much like Nimes, the streets of Montpellier were full of shops and restaurants. Within a quarter of a mile from my friend’s apartment there must have been dozens of places to eat, all of which were sure to be fantastic. In a way it was a bit overwhelming – choosing any one restaurant meant not choosing all the others and it created a unique type of FOMO. But since we were near the Mediterranean I wanted to get seafood so that’s what we did. I ordered some kind of fish I’d never heard of and it was served…well…whole. Fully intact – scales, fins, head, teeth etc. I’d never had fish that way before and while the fish itself tasted great, picking tiny bones out of every bite got old fast.
It was hard to sleep that night, something about the advent of a journeys end makes rest difficult. I woke up late in the morning and met my friends for a final lunch in the Montpellier square. I’d see them again soon back in the US so saying goodbye was only temporary. I boarded the train for a final time and made my way to Paris.
There were some complications with my flight and it was after 8pm by the time everything got sorted out and I checked into my hotel. I had an early flight in the morning so I was torn between going into Paris that night (staying up late) and staying at the hotel. In the end well…I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to see the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triumph. I only spent a few short hours walking around Paris but I’m glad I did. It reminded me a lot of New York City – alive and bustling well into the evening but oddly familiar. Sitting beneath the Eiffel Tower was special too. It was a lot bigger than I’d anticipated and as I looked around at all the people taking selfies or sitting in awe, I realized I was among people from all over the world who’d traveled to see this marvel of human architecture. I felt drawn to my family and in a way, everyone everywhere.
Eventually I got tired and took an Uber back to the hotel. I woke up, got on my flight and returned to the US where I bonded with a cat named Dabs. I don’t know what the future holds, but I have every intention of returning to France one day soon.
Final Thoughts
August 18, 2022
This isn’t going to feature any highlights from my trip to France so if you’re not interested in reading my general, semi-coherent thoughts, skip it. I won’t know either way.
This trip to France was my first time overseas since before the Covid pandemic. Prior to 2020 I’d traveled to Scotland in 2018 and New Zealand in 2019. I didn’t write about either of those trips but I wish I had (I’d have a lot more content than just this shabby attempt at a travel blog). When the world shut down in early 2020 I was fairly confident travel would resume again in the future but I wasn’t certain at all. Covid was scary and unpredictable for many reasons, among which was not knowing if I’d ever be able to go on some new adventure overseas. The world is massive (wow Wes, how insightful) and I probably won’t see it all in my lifetime. But that’s not my intention – to see it all.
My goal is to make the most of every adventure, wherever I am. I didn’t know I’d be able to see the Tour de France until the day before. I got lost in the Scottish highlands when I accidentally followed a wild sheep trail instead of the man-made trail. I ate Fergburger in Queenstown NZ about five times in a week because well, it was there and I wanted it. I’m in no position to tell anyone how to live their life – I’ve barely managed to live my own. But there are an infinite number of paths to take from where I stand and they’re all the same until I pick one and start walking.
One of the most challenging parts of traveling is the return to “normal life.” When I stepped out of the train station in Carcassonne, I was in a place I’d never seen before. It’s a remarkably unique experience – being by yourself in a foreign country – but even in the most unfamiliar places I’ve always been able to find my destination. This wouldn’t be possible without cell phones. Cell phones are so great, we should all appreciate our phones more. Everyone should spend way more time on their phone. In fact, take out your phone and give it a tender kiss because you love it so much.
In all sincerity, despite a pandemic we’re all in a position to grow closer together. There’s still a lot of mystery, confusion, and unpredictability in the world but I think it’ll always be that way. For whatever my sentiments matter, going on an adventure is always worth it. Getting lost is fun. Food is as much a frontier as is the vast wilderness. My attention span has a half-life and it’s starting to reach that wavering finale. I don’t know where I’ll wind up next. My friends are moving to Spain soon and I intend to visit in the near future. Speaking of my friends, I likely never would have gone to France if it weren’t for them. I enjoy going on solo adventures but having company of generous, loving friends is supreme. I’m nothing if not for those who join in the journey.
Japan is a place I’ve always wanted to go. You’ll know when I make it.