Carly's Ramblings Blog - Style

Day 7 - Free Day in Montpellier & Define It The Design It

30 Day Blogging Challenge

Aug 7th-- Montpellier - a day of free choice
It is Sunday. I let myself sleep in this morning... not too long. I grabbed a coffee and a small breakfast. I made my way to Mass at Cathedrale St-Pierre for 10:30am. I got there early to explore sure an old Gothic style church. I am not Catholic, but I am Christian.... same God, just a different 'burger joint' - as my aunt would say. The service was in French and I understood very little, but I followed what everyone else was doing and the family sitting beside me helped me along. It was quite the experience. A lovely way to start my morning.

https://www.tripadvisor.ca/Attraction_Review-g187153-d230812-Reviews-Cathedrale_...
https://www.google.ca/maps/uv?hl=en&pb=!1s0x12b6af066bd1c383%3A0x2a172ca276488eed!2m5!2m2!1i80!2i80!3m1!2i100!3m1!7e115!4shttps%3A%2F%2Fssl.panoramio.com%2Fphoto%2F25743668!5s%20-%20Google%20Search&imagekey=!1e3!2s-0Z7gjDQPIaI%2FUkrVBd6cAsI%2FAAAAAAAAGeo%2Fn-XBGdEI9CgDWHbivp-CLUu_uZzGrKEmQ

After enjoying the church, I wandered through the Jardin des plantes de Montpellier enjoying the beauty before going for a lovely brunch at Delecto. The place was just perfect and the food wonderful. I feasted on quiche and a healthy salad. I had sure to order a huge fruit smoothie before heading off for the rest of my day.
https://www.yelp.ca/biz/delecto-montpellier

Lyn's a sly fox has given us the day to do as we choose. Her recommendations were for either hiking Pic St-Loup or the zoo. I decided, given all the luscious food and drink I have been overindulging in, I needed the challenge of the hike.

Pic St-Loup is 658 meters high. It is considered one of the most beloved emblems of the city. There is low vegetation, impressive 300-meter-high cliffs, and a surrounding relief of just 150 meters, Pic St-Loup is very prominent and can be seen from just about everywhere in the Hérault department. It is, by definition, part of the lower end of Massif Central.

Because of its micro-climate and unique flora, the mountain is a protected site and houses a thriving population of prey birds. The mountain is a very popular day trip from Montpellier for both curious tourists and serious hikers; there is an old chapel, castle ruins, a hermitage, and a symbolic cross atop the mountain. Not to mention the unobstructed panoramas, which stretch all the way from the Mediterranean Sea to the south to the Cevennes Mountains to the north. The wine produced on the low slopes of Pic St-Loup is some of the most highly-regarded terroirs in the Languedoc-Roussillon region.

I take my time, making sure to take lots of water with me and some easily carried snacks. I left my sandals at the hotel and put on my running shoes and socks. I coated myself with sunblock as I have read there is not a lot of shelter on this hike. It took me 90 minutes, sometimes going up steep walks, over rocks and on small pathways through the bushes without it ever feeling like real climbing. It was exhilarating - a work out for the non sporty person I am and the view was so worth it. At the top I took a narrow pathway to the right and found stunning views of the north face which is the rock climbing part of the Pic and there are no people.

The fortress, or rather the ruins of it at the top, were quite interesting. I sat there relaxing, enjoying the view and munching the snacks. Since there is no litter anywhere, I made sure to take my garbage away with me. I contemplated how people had managed to build the fortress up here hundreds of years ago. I took lots of pictures, sketched and wrote. One of the best of days.
Going back I was lighter, but I took my time. The descent is always more of a challenge than most people think. I was not into rolling my way back down, so I picked my steps carefully.

Back at the hotel, I took a long shower and washed the dust and dirt off. Feeling refreshed, I donned another dress I had packed and headed out to find my group. I had seen glimpses of some of them over the day - even marveled at the sights with them at the top of the Pic. Now we headed to dinner.

Lyn's a sly fox booked us into Leclere Cuisine D'Arrivage for 8pm. It's a small restaurant and I was amazed to hear she had booked it for us a year in advance! We are the only patrons from 8:00pm until closing.
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g187153-d7932738-Reviews-Leclere_C...
I enjoyed a healthy meal - salad, a fish dish... then indulged in a few desserts. I was hungry after all the walking I had put in over the day.

Back at the hotel, I took a swim in the pool then crashed. I slept like a baby.

Tomorrow morning we have a short train ride that is only a couple of hours - we leave at 9:00am - for Monaco, I believe.

Love Louder - Amplifying My Life

I have decided as part of my blog to comment on each of Preston Smiles's ways to Love Louder. He has written an intriguing little book or 33 Ways To Amplify Your Life. The full title is Love Louder: 33 Ways To Amplify Your Life.

Day 32 –Define It Then Design It
"Loving Louder is about living life by design and not by default."

"Too many people are chasing money instead of passion; living the lives their parents or society has mapped out for them, instead of carving out their own paths and designing a life that feels good to them."

Oprah interviewed a woman this morning, Shafani Tsbary, who has written a book called The Awakened Parent.
https://drshefali.com/blog/

In it she talks about how parents put so much into pushing their kids and giving them 'advantages' at such early ages that the love and joy and freedom of childhood is curtailed. She says so much can be healed if we step back and focus on just loving and developing that bond with our children. Being supporting and encouraging and letting the child find their way.... reflects what Preston Smiles is saying.

He goes on to say that "real success, not the standardized ideal of, looks different for everyone." Smiles discovered that he was challenged to redefine success on his own terms. For him, he defines his success as "creating an impact on the world, leaving it better than I found it." It does not have to be about finite things - a certain job title, a certain amount of money.

Those who live extraordinary lives have "defined success by their terms and set out to design a life that aligned with what they truly cared about. That commitment to their heart's calling creates a path of joy, bliss, and fulfillment, no matter what it looks life to the outside world."

Shaking of the chains of social conformity is difficult.... but important.

#LOVELOUDERCHALLENGE
What is success on your terms?
Make a list and get to work on designing it.
Being a good person, being healthy, leaving the world a better place by working with children and helping them achieve their potential, writing stories and poems and blogs that entertain and encourage others.