In Montpellier, on the Place de la Comédie, for the reopening of the terraces, this Wednesday, May 19, 2021 – N. Bonzom / Maxele Presse
- After nearly seven months of closure due to the Covid-19 epidemic, the terraces of bars and restaurants reopened this Wednesday in France.
- In Montpellier, on the Comédie, the terraces were packed at midday.
- “We see, in the face of people, that everyone missed it,” smiles a client.
As a symbol, after two blah blah days of drizzle and clouds, the sun was back, this Wednesday noon, in Montpellier (Hérault). And it was, on the thermometer, over 20 degrees. We could not ask for better, for the reopening of the terraces. Seated in the Place de la Comédie, a man, who has not been able to find his way under a parasol, spreads his face with sunscreen, even before taking a look at the menu. “We’re not used to it anymore, I won’t have to get sunburned!” He smiles.
It’s been almost seven months since no one had tasted “these little pleasures”, points out a young woman, that are “a beer, a coffee or a salad” on a terrace. So for the reopening of the terraces, this Wednesday, the bars and restaurants were packed, on the Place de la Comédie. “Since we landed, I’m very perky, I can no longer get my smile, says Mathias, who is enjoying a duck breast, at the Café Riche. We tell ourselves that life will finally resume normally. “Wait,” Damien cuts him off, at his side. We’re not going to claim victory too quickly, we’re going to be careful! We will say that we are on the right track. And we will enjoy! “
“We have the impression of blowing”
Alham had a front row seat for this “historic day” on Wednesday morning. “We started by having a little coffee, around 10 am… I kind of have the feeling of someone who has been locked up for months and who finds his freedom. “I’m fine,” Jasmine continues, at his side. I have just returned from Madrid and everything is open there! “
“When is it better than eating at home!” », Says Manon, who has just ordered an aperitif at the Grand Bazaar. “We have the impression of breathing, we free ourselves from all this accumulated stress, for months, during this period of work, home, work, home, work, home”, exclaims a young man, at the same bar. “A glass of wine, a small croissant in the morning, the coffee, the bistro… These are things that we had almost forgotten,” sighs another customer. You can’t live without it, it’s the French art of living. “
“The sun, the people, the noise …”
Seated at the Café du Théâtre with some friends, Nassima had been waiting for this day “for a long time”. And she would not have missed it “under any circumstances”. “We are a student, we started classes in the morning, in the evening, we went home,” she continues. It was very difficult. It really does good morale. At his side, Adel “came down especially from Lyon” for the occasion. “The weather is not very nice there, so I made the round trip to take advantage of the reopening of the terraces in Montpellier,” he smiles. Just to eat a salad! It feels really good. The sun, the people, the noise… ”
“I missed it a lot, and we can see, in people’s minds, that everyone missed it,” confides Aurélia, who is sipping a glass of white wine on the Yam’s terrace. We don’t have to prepare food, and we don’t do the dishes! “And it feels” weird to drop the mask, “resumes Nadège, one of her friends. But if, on the terraces, customers obviously do not wear it, this does not mean that we forget the barrier gestures, assures Pierre. “When the server approaches, we put on a mask”, confides this Montpellier student. But, tempers Antoine, at his side, “the Covid-19, we still forgot a little there. We have the impression of finding the life before. Finally. “