Sunday, May 23, 2010

Nimes, Arles, and Camargue

John wanted to see the Pantheon building in Nimes but we were just too exhausted last night. So we decided to finish the town of Nimes this morning. The Pantheon building was all covered in scaffolding so it was a bit of a disappointment but we walked on and found a gem. We entered the “Jardin de la Fontaine” (which is my maiden name).

What a beautiful garden, flowers starting to grow and fountains going, just a beautiful site. We walked up and up to see what was there and ran into the Tower. It turned out to be an old Roman lookout tower for the city of Nimes. Nimes used to be a walled city because of its importance to the Romans. It was where denim was first fabricated (hence the name..Nimes). We paid our admission fee and climbed up an old winding staircase (where my fear of heights had a hold on me) but we made it and the view was worth it. IMG_0702 IMG_0703 IMG_0704

Arles. This is where Vincent Van Gogh lived for many years but left nothing more than part of his ear. They also have a Roman Arena but we decided not to pay for admission since we had just sat in one the night before. We walked along the Rhone but the “Mistral” (name for the wind in this part of France) was picking up and not much fun right off the riverbanks. We visited the Reattu Museum which is in a 15th century mansion and is mostly modern art including 57 Picasso drawings. Then we treated ourselves to a gelato and got back in the car.

The Camargue. This is the “wild” area of Provence. It is a National Park where pink flamingos, wild bulls, and famous white horses wander freely. There are salt marshes, rice fields and vineyards as well. We paid to visit the Bird Watching area and it was a feast for the eyes. Good thing we didn’t have Obie…no Dachschunds allowed (see photo)…boo.

Then we went to the nearby town Saintes Maries-De-La-Mur but it was a ghost town so we stopped at the beach. A beach all to ourselves…what a treat. IMG_0876 IMG_0871

On the way back to Port Camargue, we stopped at a roadside market and purchased some great finds!…Seahorse Wine made by the Listel Vineyard was a must, also the Fleur De Sal (made from only the top layer of the sea salt), and finally some of the local rice. IMG_0884

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