Summer holiday 2003
le Cap D′Agde − France
Wednesday, 16th July
Arrived at Béziers I follow directions for "Ville de Centre" (city centre) which brings me right to the hart of Béziers. Situated on top of the hill overlooking the river L´Orb, this is the district where the more interesting and historical buildings are with their decorative impressive architecture. At the centre the road ends in a "T" like intersection. Just in front of this intersection I follow the left lane which disappears underground leading me into a subterranean parking.
Béziers - Allees Paul Riquet.
Having parked the car and having found my way back to the surface, I start my walk around town at the large square "Pl. Jean Jaures" which forms the roof of the car park. Alongside it stretches a wide and elegant boulevard called "Allees Paul Riquet". Along its length on both sides impressive big plane-trees rise. Sitting on terraces underneath the plane trees, people are enjoying their drinks in the cool of the shadow. Tall majestic buildings covered with stone carvings enclose the large rectangle square. These buildings house various restaurants, boutiques and prestige´s jewellery shops.
Wandering through the many narrow streets I reach the "Place Gabriel Péri". It's front decorated with long colourful banners, all starting from the centre of the third floor and hanging high across the road, the "Hôtel de Ville" is prominently present here. Not knowing where to go to or what might be interesting I decide to purchase a map of Béziers in one of the small newspaper shops. The one thing that I really want is a photograph of the medieval arced bridge the "Pont Neuf", which is one of the historical landmarks of Béziers.
Béziers - hotel de Ville.
After having determent where I am, I wander along following the "Avenue Alphonse Mas" which is gradually sloping downward to the "Place Garibaldi". Being considerably wider, many of the streets connecting to this Avenue do seem very narrow compared to it. Here I take a right turn heading for the traffic congested "Boulevard de Verdun", while still continuing going down hill. Traffic coming from Carcassonne and going to Agde and vice versa forces it´s way through here.
For train spotters this location is a definite must, because it offers a birds eye view across the French S.N.C.F. railway shunt area and its many tracks.
Béziers - Pont Vieux.
I finally have reached the bottom of the hill and I am standing on the "Pont Neuf" bridge, I have this fabulous view across the river on the old historical landmark that I came for, the bridge "Pont Vieux". At the other side of the river I enter a small public park and it is from this location that I can make that one photograph that I have seen before on so many picture postcards. The "Pont Neuf" bridge with on top of the hill overlooking the river L´Orb, the cathedral of "St. Nazaire".
Gotcha!
Crossing the river again I make use of this old landmark that I have fallen in love with. Supported by the wide arced pillars, it has been constructed from massive stone blocs, clearly with the architects intend to make it last. The bridge deck is not very wide and it offers room for only one lane wide enough for cars, which obviously makes it one-way traffic, and a narrow lane for pedestrians. In between the two lanes an ankle high rim of concrete blocs functions as a separation between the two lanes. A layer of asphalt on top of the old stone bridge deck has raised its surface slightly. The more I look at it, the more I feel that this asphalt does not belong here. It is clearly the wrong thing for the right reasons.
Béziers - Rue de Canterelle.
Sloping up hill this time I follow the "Rue de l´Abreuvoir" crossing a busy road, and I continue my quest following the "Rue de Canterelle". This quit narrow street leads me further up hill back to the city centre. At some places an awfully penetrating smell of heated household rubbish fills my nostrils. It is only then that I notice the many garbage containers standing in the sun, waiting to be collected. The street ends in the "Avenue Alphonse Mas", from where I continue my walk to the "Place Garibaldi". It was here, earlier today, that I saw this beautiful staircase called the "Ramp des Poilus" that leads up to the square from where I started my tour around town. It is here also that I become aware of the time that has passed. My watch says that it is 15:30 hr. already, and I decide to return to the park.
Doing so proves to be not so easy since many of the city centre streets are one-way traffic only. After two or three turns I am hopelessly lost. Fortunately I have bought a city map earlier today. I park the car, determine where I am and continue driving again. This takes place only few times. Eventually I come across some signs that I have seen before during my trip to Carcassonne, giving directions to the airstrip at Vias. Soon after signs follow that indicate directions to Agde, and before I know it I am back on the N112 that leads to Cers.
Béziers - Ramp des Poilus.
At Cers I take the exit and stop alongside the beautiful "Canal du Midi" in order to make a few photographs. Here, a long wide strip of land parallel to the canal provides more then enough space to park cars and to allow people to leisure. Some of them have put up foldable camping tables and have a pick-nick on the canal bank. There is a cool shade and the peaceful rural atmosphere reflected by the canal attracts lots of people. It makes the noisy traffic, rushing by behind me, almost disappear. I allow myself half an hour of leisure, after which I join the traffic again.
What a group of people this animation team is. Tonight also they have organised a disco feast for the kids down at "Charlies". According to the boys "everybody" will attend, so they really need to go as well. Somewhere along the line they still do manage to find the word "please", and add that to their "strong request". This musical highlight of the day starts at nine. We tell them that they will be picked up at 11:00 hr. for a midnight drink on the terrace, before turning in for the night.
