Elsien's Traveblogue

Back to Maguelone

We were here some time last year, but I don't seem to have posted anything about it. It was a beautiful day today, after a whole day of rain yesterday and I needed light and space and sunlight, so … beach! We go to Palavas regularly, had just been to La Grande Motte, so this time walk to Maguelone. You start at the end of Palavas, there is no beach promenade, you can only walk on the sandy beach, unless you go on the road behind. 

 The beach was pretty empty when we started out around mid-day, apart from some diehard nudists who were still tanning themselves when we walked back. At the beginning there's the world's ugliest caravan camp, so you determinedly keep looking at the Mediterranean, almost blue today.

At the Maguelone end, the beach continues to Frontignan – a hell of a long walk with nothing there as we experienced a few months ago when we walked it in the pouring rain. We got soaked to the skin and never even made it to the end, had to turn back halfway!

We turned off through the étangs – between a pond, lake and marsh – towards the Cathédrale de Maguelone. I love the étangs, real wetland nature reserves with pink flamingoes, seagulls of course, little black terns. 

Near the cathedral there were lots of spring flowers : what looked liked little orangey wild marigolds, white and purple irises and a field of white flowers as well as a few purple thistles. The vineyards are still totally bare, kind of interesting. We had lunch at the cathedral where they have now opened a beautiful restaurant with simple but nice food. 

There's nothing left in the cathedral, a vast empty space, but there are early music concerts there in the summer. Strange to think it was such a powerful place once which had given a home to various Popes. The power went to Montpellier in the 16^th century, partly because of the constant threat of pirates.

See links – one in French, sorry!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bishopric_of_Montpellier

http://jean-francois.mangin.pagesperso-orange.fr/capetiens/capetiens_maguelone.htm

Back to Palavas the way we came, now meeting a lot more people. The nudists were still there.