Before visiting the South of France in 2019, I pictured quiet towns, accordion music, pastry shops, and a slower pace of life. Spending summer days filled with the charming culture and fascinating history of Montpellier and Castelnau-le-Lez, Southern France, and learning from a local during a homestay might be a great way for you to realize your dreams—it was an unforgettable experience for me.

Homestay

The idea of a homestay has always interested me, and I have always wanted to experience this at some point in my life. Anne-Elisabeth kindly welcomed me into her home and hosted me for three days. She was very passionate about hosting, teaching about the French culture and the region we were in, and meeting people from all over the world. I had a room to myself and a nice, modern shower room attached to it.

It was very cozy. I spent time with her and her family preparing meals and enjoying meals together. I would have breakfast with homemade toast, jam and butter, coffee, and yogurt. I spent a day exploring the city center of Montpellier with the map she provided me and the tram directions to get to the city center—the tram was adorable, with red and yellow flowers painted all over it. I spent another day with Anne-Elisabeth walking through Castlelnau-le-Lez and learning about the quaint town (see photograph of Anne-Elisabeth with her cart :)). Then, we went to the Mediterranean Sea together with beach shops and pastel buildings surrounding us. I even got to try home-cooked French meals, tried Artichoke and vinegar for the first time, and learned how to make crepes. I would recommend a homestay to get the most of your trip, especially if you are interested in immersing yourself in the culture and living like a local, even for a few days!

Montpellier City Center

 On the second day of my trip, I rode the flower tram to the city center and got off the train at my first stop at Place de la Comedie in Montpellier. I was amazed—there was so much beautiful architecture and you could feel the rich history just standing there. It was a nice contrast to Paris (which I also loved), with fewer people and a slower pace. The square was grand, beautiful, and felt very peaceful. There was a fountain towards the center and many outdoor cafes with people enjoying the day. I went to every main attraction on the map Anne-Elisabeth provided which was very fun for me, and I got to see the city at my pace on foot. I gave myself the whole day to explore the city. I also went to an archeological garden, a tranquil space that overlooked the city.

Then, I saw the Faculte de Medecine, coined as the oldest western medical school in the world. This was very surreal and special to see. The university area had many magical, windy, small streets—just what you might envision, and even better seeing it in real life. I found a pastry shop while wandering through the streets and got a pistachio macaroon. It felt like I was in a movie. Then I visited Place de Royale de Peryrou and the Place des Martyrs de la Resistance. It is pretty incredible just taking in all of these sights, looking over the city, and imagining what life might have been like back then. This square was one of the prettiest squares I went on during my trip, and it had a calm feeling to it. This is also where I had one of my favorite lunches at a cafe—a sandwich with prosciutto and goat cheese. And to top off this special day, I sat down at a cafe in the Place de la Comedie back where I started and enjoyed a crepe while being present and people-watching. I then met some of Anne-Elisabeth’s friends and had a nice time getting to know them.

The next day, I had breakfast with Anne-Elisabeth, chocolate bread, coffee, banana, kiwi, apple with pumpkin and sesame seed mix. We walked to the local grocery store, and she had a summer hat on and a cart for the groceries. We walked by the local schools, passed by a stand-alone fruit market. We soon reached the old town of Castelnau-le-Lez. It was beautiful. A very quaint and surreal place. The streets winded in a circular shape, with little shells leading up to the church—the church was so beautiful. The streets were lined with buildings and structures from the 11th-12th centuries. It was a very relaxing and quiet place, and it felt like you were stepping into another world.

We sat together outside on the patio with her family enjoying the afternoon sun. The table was decorated with bright summery colored linen. We had tomatoes, mozzarella, and cilantro with a bit of vinegar. Then, we had some Ratatouille—eggplant, onion, tomato, zucchini, and couscous type of topping. I had the best French Baguette I have had—it was crispy on the edges, and the center was soft and perfectly chewy. I put a little bit of vinegar on it, which was really good. Then cheese! We had lots of cheese—sheep cheese, goat cheese! We also had lettuce with vinegar with a little goat cheese and a herby green pudding. We finished the meal with some ice cream. She pulled out about seven options to choose from, and I went for salted caramel and raspberry. She made us coffee in cute little mugs too. We enjoyed our dessert and coffee over the conversation and each others company.

We also made crepes for dinner one night—traditional crepes and savory buckwheat crepe called “galette” and learned some French words and sayings in the process! I tried a crepe with goat cheese and lettuce, and with swiss cheese and ham. On the last day of my stay, we had different types of sausages that we had from the local shop the day before, a traditional sausage, sheep sausage, and chorizo sausage. The food was delicious and it was nice spending time together over meals.

Anne-Elisabeth took me to the beach on one of the days. On the car drive, we saw flamingos—so many flamingos and palm trees! That was the first time I had ever seen any in their natural habitats. The rivers and swamps lead up to the sea. There was a lift that went over the river near the beach and adorable little beach shops with pastel buildings closeby. As we walked up to the beach, there were sailboats to our right and the coastline that you could see for miles to our left. The water was turquoise blue. The coastline went on for miles, with fine sand underneath our feet. I felt the chilly water on my toes, it was refreshing, and I was so happy to be where I was. We relaxed at the beach under the summer sun. When we got back from the beach, I sat on the hammock outside and wrote in my journal.

These are some of my experiences from visiting the Montpellier region of the South of France. It was a time of learning, exploring the city, and experiencing the local culture. If you have been dreaming of experiencing the South of France, even for a few days, Montpellier and Castelnau-le-Lez are beautiful places to learn about the culture and history of the region and to see all of the beautiful architecture. I had a wonderful time during my homestay and visiting the South of France. It is a very special place. If you are interested in visiting the South of France and learning from a local and want to learn more about Anne-Elisabeth’s homestay and business, you can visit www.frenchlanguagecoach.com and contact Anne-Elisabeth for questions. She also offers personalized courses and guided visits on top of homestays—there are many services available to fit your dreams! I hope you enjoyed reading about my experience, and I hope it gave you an idea of some of the beautiful things you can enjoy in the South of France!