Fontcaude

I sometimes drink tap water but I prefer the water of the spring in Fontcaude, a neighborhood of a village close to Montpellier. One can walk to the spring from La Paillade, the northern part of Montpellier.

John Locke mentions Fontcaude in his Journal (1675) and that's how I learned about it. In the 19th century there were thermal baths in Fontcaude. The now decaying buildings were certainly very beautiful two centuries ago. The present mayor would like to build new ones.

The water is said to be very good for women, and especially for their skin. A lady I met near the spring told me drinking that water was as "effective" as having a facelift.

The lady in the photo is my friend Evelyne.

The name Fontcaude is derived from the Latin fons cauda, which means hot spring.

Lozère

Languedoc-Roussillon ("administrative region") is made up of five départements: Hérault, Gard, Aude, Pyrénées-Orientales and Lozère.

I took the photos above in Lozère this weekend. My blog being devoted to Montpellier, these photos may not be "relevant." However the major politician in Lozère (former président de région) is still the main opponent of the major politician in Hérault (present président de région). Therefore there is still a strong link between Montpellier and Lozère.

The photos show the lake of Villefort where I was, and the dam. I saw two other dams yesterday.

The third photo shows the tower of the castle of La Garde Guérin, which is a marvelous little village....

The last photo (lower one) shows the cutest and tiniest church I ever saw, with its cemetery behind it. It is in Puylaurent, a hamlet near La Bastide-Puylaurent. There is a bell missing in the steeple.

If you visit this region, you need to go and visit Lozère. I love it there. It is magic. The villages I visited yesterday are on the Stevenson Trail in the Cévennes.

Except for the link leading to a site about Villefort, all other links lead to sites in English...