OH! Pair: Montpellier

I'm no good with public transport. That's a fact. So when I decided to visit the lively city of Montpellier, I didn't quite take into account the 2 hour bus journey followed by an hour train journey... Once I'm on the train/ bus, it's fine, but getting to and from can be rather challenging. Add to that that in France you have to compost (?!) your ticket before getting on the train. A day later and I'm still not entirely sure what that is but I didn't get arrested so I think I'm ok! To add to the stress, the bus I was meant to take to Nimes didn't turn up so I used my D of E navigational skills to get to Avignon and take a different train, very proud of myself!
Once I got to Montpellier, I managed to befriend a guy (who was the spit of Tom Daley), who took me to the shopping arcade so I wouldn't get lost, and then I shopped until my heart was content! 'Les Soldes' (sales) are massive in France, with huge reductions in every store, so my luck was in! I then spent a few hours wandering around the shops and the gorgeous side streets that are littered with hundreds of cute restaurants. Unfortunately my Tom Daley friend had left by then and I didn't really fancy a 'meal for one' surrounded by thousands of happy families.
Instead I grabbed a crêpe to go and jumped on the road train to see all of the historical buildings that Montpellier has to offer. Perhaps the most striking is the Arc de Triomphe, which was built as a sort of replica of the one in Paris. I then spent a few more hours mooching around the vibrant city, which has gone from the 20th most populated French city to the 8th in just under 20 years! Its population is 40% students, so everything there is really catered to a younger market.
After a lovely day, I headed back on the bus, only to find that it was the same bus driver that I told 'I would like to ride you' and I'm 100% sure that he recognised me... brilliant.