Paint in Montpellier

[5-element]

I am now only a very part-time Montpellieraine, Rumzigal - not enough greenery in there to feed the soul, so I got out. And yes, I find the way the whole area is getting built-up rather scary - also, it is such a young city with its 70,000 (or more?) students, that it does make me feel VERY old. I do come in to visit friends, do the sales in  Polygone, and  the occasional special event or  medical appointment. On the western side towards Lodeve, it is getting just as built-up as on the Nimes side. Vanishing vineyards are being turned into lotissements, same as where you are. At the moment, still lots of congested traffic where they are finishing the A9 link to Millau. I find those car journeys really unpleasant though - unfortunately there is still no tram line that goes as far as I would want it to!

 

 

[TreizeVents]

My pal Ronald, who started work at the University in 1972, said he used to drive from the University to the sea in 20 minutes, have his sandwich looking at the sea, and get back to work in loads of time.  When I was being driven regularly (medical rasons) out to the Grabels area, I used to love getting the taxi drvers, who seem to be all old Montpellierains, to tell me where the vine used to be, where the new build had started.  I remember driving out watching the development of the area called Malbosc, on the route de Grabels.  It only took them a year or so to turn it from terrain into new housing.  In fact, the whole development of Montpellier reminds me of the southern California area where whole towns could spring up along the motorway, compete with sewage, schools, shopping centres and so forth, before you could blink. 

But all this is perfectly "normal" as Montpellier is the fastest growing and in the most well-liked area in France, sometimes beaten by Toulouse in a given year or poll.   Huge increases in employment, combined with huge numbers of unemployed. Both!  An area which basically skipped the Industrial Revolution and moved from agriculture/mining to medical, research, service, education in one bound that lasted 40 years.  I once read a fantastic book on that subject, trying to explain how and what happened.  Frankly, I go into the centre and stay there, then go home.  Then I can pretend it is something I love.  Mind you, around all the villages I know in the area, there are bungalow developments springing up.  They are all being bought by peole who want to live here.  We are not dumb to have moved here, both French and foreigners like it.  And its the 100th anniversary of the big wine revolt which had, apparently, 500,000 people hanging about in Montpellier one day.

Nice to know so many on the list are from the area.  Maybe we should start a thread on restaurants we like, now that we got the paint thing sorted.  Is it sorted?

[Mpprh]

[quote user="TreizeVents"]  Maybe we should start a thread on restaurants we like, now that we got the paint thing sorted.  Is it sorted?

[/quote]

I'd love you to help here : [url=http://www.the-languedoc-page.com/tourism/languedoc-tourism-restaurants.htm]here.[/url]

Peter

[LanguedocGal2]

L-R is so popular that I’ve seen figures of a population increase of 800,000 within the next 10 years. If the predictions are on target, that's a hell of a lot of extra people to cater for in such a short period of time.

Montpellier’s frenzied development is thus a necessary evil. The region needs a major capital and that’s what Freche has achieved (let’s give credit where it’s due even if I think it’s about time he retires to a plage ou deux). Like 5-E, the lack of greenery and the traffic, has made the smaller towns of Languedoc more appealing.  As most are well served by train and buses, getting to Montpellier is never a problem so one can take it or leave it. The region, on the other hand, can but benefit  from its attraction to the young and it’s strong university/research culture.

Montpellier’s development is already having some positive knock-on effect on the smaller towns such as Nimes and Beziers.  Being a poor region – due to it’s traditional industry disappearing at a rapid pace – it’s vital these towns -  Perpignan, Nimes, Beziers and Narbonne -  also develop to take the pressure off Montpellier.  The TGV extension between Perpignan and Barcelona should have a positive – jobs wise – impact on Perpignan in the long run, so the region can have important commercial centres on it’s western and eastern borders. That would be a good balance beneficial to the whole of L-R.

I do, however, feel a little sorry for people who moved out to small neighbouring towns/villages over the past decade hoping to escape to the calm and a little countryside. Sadly for them, Montpellier is very quickly catching up with most and many are becoming part of the capital whether they like it or not, for example, Castelnau. How can a commune with a population of  around 15000 people, so close to the centre of MTP, continue to justify a separate Mairie and administrative machine? Doesn’t Freche have a cunning plan (temporarily thwarted) to have the MTP agglomeration extend as far as Sete?

I suppose that those looking for guaranteed space had better start looking at parts of the Aude and Lozere.

[5-element]

[quote user="LanguedocGal2"]

 

I suppose that those looking for guaranteed space had better start looking at parts of the Aude and Lozere.

[/quote]

Steady on, LG: a new doctor in my town came back here after years in the Lozere, he really could not stand the temperatures in that departement; the specific area he was in is apparently called "La Petite Siberie", as winter temperatures have been known to go as far down as minus 25oC!!![:D]

[Jc]

Where is the new TGV line going to run?;it's funny to see TGV's go thro' our village station at about 50/60 mph.One even stopped for a few minutes due to a lineside fire.

[LanguedocGal2]

5-E, I said guaranteed space, not sun.

You've just ruined my very very cunning plan to divert attention from the more popular bits. We can now officially blame you for the future over-population of the dept and ALL the ensuing problems. Hope you  can live with that.[:-))]

[LanguedocGal2]

[quote user="Jc"]Where is the new TGV line going to run?;it's funny to see TGV's go thro' our village station at about 50/60 mph.One even stopped for a few minutes due to a lineside fire.[/quote]

JC, there are regular reports on the lines progress in the local and regional press. However, here are two links.  The LGV/TGV are the same things.

http://www.aquitaine.equipement.gouv.fr/IMG/pdf/LGV_FranceEspagne2004_cle6b938f.pdf

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGV_Perpignan-Figueras

If you are in Dept 66, there are bound to be more detailed plans you can see. Contact the Mairie. It's such an enormous project for the region that there must be tons of information on it locally. Also, keep an eye on the Perpignan official websites (town and agglomeration). If I come across any detailed plans, I'll post it here.

It will put Perpignan at 50 minutes from Barcelona.  On the Spanish side, you can see that the fast link is being completed between Barcelona and Madrid. This will mean that from Languedoc to Sevilla, the journey should be very easy by train as the Madrid-Sevilla fast link has existed for years.

The weak link in this amazing network is the bit between Nimes and Perpginan. The TGV's are there already but cannot travel at the full speed until this section is upgraded. The region has fought hard for this but only the Perpignan section is under construction.

[Jc]

It's the bit between Nimes & Perpignan that I'm interested in.I can't see them upgrading this bit of line;too many corners(bends).

[Mpprh]

Doesn't seem to be high priority :

le contournement Nîmes – Montpellier :

2009 : démarrage des travaux

2012 : Horizon mise en service

la LGV Montpellier - Perpignan :

2008 : débat public sur la LGV

2020 : Horizon mise en service de la LGV

More details : http://www.eurosud-transport.asso.fr

Peter

[LanguedocGal2]

[quote user="Jc"]It's the bit between Nimes & Perpignan that I'm interested in.I can't see them upgrading this bit of line;too many corners(bends).[/quote]

Nothing  I have ever read on this project has mentioned difficulties with the terrain but you no doubt have. The budget has to be agreed in Paris and let's face it, the regional leader does have a tendency to get on the nerves of the suits in Paris. At this rate, the Marseille-Nice line will get all the money it needs and be completed first. The terrain on that side doesn't appear to be an easy one either.

I just consider LR fortunate to be well-served by the network despite this little blip on the line.

EDIT: Peter, just seen your post. Thanks for the info.

[Jc]

If you look at a map,it would certainly have to go inland from Montpellier,certainly as far as Vias/Beziers but probably the simplest route would be to run close to the autoroute all the way.

[Mpprh]

Hi

there is an interesting map of rail routes in the region here :

http://www.rff.fr/biblio_pdf/np_lr_reseau.pdf

Peter

[Jc]

Which shows the TGV missing Nimes and Montpellier!!!

[petercurb]

Perfectly happy thanks!-