Provence, August 2006

Departure

AUGUST 2006 PROVENCE TRIP by Gian Anto Lara Ciano

One must admit that these holidays focused on culture were richer than our expectations. The idea for this tour came from Gian, a lover of Roman remains who on one of his trips on the internet found something extraordinary: the Pont du Gard in France, an aqueduct still well preserved.

Sunday 06 August. We set off for Graveson, a quiet village in a strategic position in the heart of Provence, at the B&B "Le Mas Ferrand". We couldn't have asked for better: a typical Provençal farmhouse, quiet, well kept with a beautiful garden. The owners, Christine and Jean-Paul, are very helpful and friendly people, not to mention the breakfast: delicious homemade jams, warm baguettes, croissants and cakes.

First day

Monday 07 August. We had planned to visit the Pont du Gard, but on Monday morning shops and the museum are closed, so we opted for a visit to the Gorges du Verdon. The canyon turned out to be rather disappointing. The road is narrow, with tourists stopping wherever there's a semblance of space, to admire the view from above. The only positive note was the landscapes and the villages we passed through. We covered 450 km (a practically wasted day) but back at the base we took a refreshing shower and went to dinner at an à bon marché restaurant, recommended to us by Christine. After dinner we headed to the Pont du Gard (about 30 km away) for a night visit. The site is open until midnight and the spectacle before us is FANTASTIC! Rating for the day 9.

Second day

Tuesday 08 August. After an amazing breakfast we head towards the Pont du Gard to see it again in the sunlight. This imposing structure is 50m high and 275m long and is part of an ancient aqueduct that carried water from Uzès towards Nimes, 35,000 cubic metres a day. The Romans took 15 years to build it. The car parks on the left bank of the Gard river cost 3 euros but the visit to the site is free. We recommend visiting the museum, very interesting (8 euros including a guided tour inside the aqueduct). The film (3 euros for 25 minutes) is only in French or English and isn't worth watching. Under the bridge you can also swim or rent a kayak. The site, in any case, is beautiful and far exceeded our expectations. In the afternoon we headed towards Uzès on Jean-Paul's recommendation. Along the way we made a short stop at the "Musée du Bonbon" dedicated to sweets and sponsored by Haribo.

A fun visit but above all a lot of sweets and a boutique you cannot leave empty-handed from. We continue our journey and, having arrived at our destination, we visit the church, then head to the tourist office where they give us a map of the town, with which we take a nice tour, browsing the many little shops and discovering very suggestive views. We have dinner along the road and on the way back we pass through Tarascon. Rating for the day 10

Third day

Wednesday 09 August. We leave for Arlès around 9:30 and after only 2km we make our first stop at the museum of aromas and perfumes, where you can also buy their products (Watch out for the speed bumps. Having arrived in Arlès we walk through the market and snoop among the stalls of typical products, spices, and we are pleasantly surprised by vendors who sell a single product: either onions, or garlic, or melons, etc. We have lunch in an oil shop recommended by our guide "Les huiles Jamard", 46 rue des Arènes, where they make fantastic sandwiches (we recommend "la vache folle" with bull salami and peppers). Next door there's a bar where they make a proper coffee. We visit the Roman amphitheatre, well preserved, where you can still see 3 of the 4 defensive towers built with the stones of the Roman theatre, during the Middle Ages, when it was turned into a fortress.

Twice a year bullfights are still held there. In the afternoon we set course for Chateaux des Baux, crossing the typical Provençal landscapes and skirting les Alpilles. Having arrived at the foot of the stronghold we are left speechless: seeing is believing. The well-preserved village is exploited for tourism to the maximum. We visit the ruins of the castle, 7 euros, lasting about 3h, with audio guide; watch out for the wind on the towers but the view as far as the sea is beautiful. Before continuing we decide to take one last souvenir photo with the castle in the background and head towards a car park on the hill to the right of the village, where we come across a cave (a cellar for wines and cheeses) carved out of a disused limestone quarry. The wine is good and the setting is also very evocative.

We head towards St Remy where, after a stroll through the historic centre, we have dinner in a brasserie in front of the église of St. Martin. Today's rating 9

Fourth day

Thursday 10 August. Christine kindly prepares breakfast 1h earlier for us because today we'll be visiting the Camargue. First stop Les Saintes Maries de la Mer. Here we take a boat (10 euros) and go up the mouth of the Petit Rhône for a cruise among the flora and fauna of the area. We admire up close the bulls and the little white horses of the Camargue. Back on land we visit the village where twice a year, in May and November, the gypsies gather at the church of St. Sara, their patron saint, filling the streets with songs, music and dancing. We go up to the roof of the church (2 euros) from where the view is very beautiful. We have lunch in a little restaurant on the seafront, "Brasserie La Chamade", which we do not recommend given the quality-price ratio. The tour continues to Aigues-Mortes (literally dead water) whose walls are intact and can be walked along a 1.6km route (7 euros).

From the southern bastions you can admire the salt flats with their pinkish colour. On the way back we stop at Vergèze, where the "Source Perrier" is located, the spring of the famous sparkling water, to visit the museum. Unfortunately, entry is by reservation only, so we stroll a bit in the garden and visit the château. In the evening we have dinner in Nimes, a somewhat disappointing town with an arena that to us from Verona seems like an ugly, shrunken copy of ours. A point in its favour for the car parks, which are plentiful here. Rating 7.5.

Fifth day

Friday 11 August. After breakfast we prepare to spend our last day of holiday. We have a very intense programme, so we set off for Orange. The road winds through the well-tended vineyards of Chateauneuf du Pape, whose wine production is even sold years in advance, which makes it impossible for tourists to get their hands on the best wines of the region. We arrive at the Roman theatre: it's a spectacle!!! The ticket costs 7.70 euros. Designed by the Romans to hold about 9000 people, it is the only one of its kind whose stage wall has remained intact to this day. For lunch we grab a quick sandwich to save time and go into a bakery opposite the theatre, "Festival des pains": the sandwiches are excellent! We get back in the car and the next stop is Vaison la Romaine.

The medieval village perched on a hill is enchanting, it looks like something out of a fairy tale, while the vast Roman ruins are well preserved and interesting (7.5 euros). The theatre is a bit of a rip-off: it is completely rebuilt! To reach Avignon we cross the Rhône plain with its beautiful vineyards laden with grapes and the little villages perched on the surrounding hills. We park under the walls near the famous Pont d'Avignon (Pont Saint-Bénézet). The original wooden structure was 9000 m long and was destroyed by a flood. Rebuilt in stone it suffered the same fate twice more until the people of Avignon got tired and of the 22 spans they left 4, the current ones. With the combined ticket of 11.50 euros, you can access both the bridge and the Palais des Papes.

The largest Gothic palace in Europe was the seat of the Papacy until 1377 and under the various popes it grew to become what it is today. The visit lasts about 2h during which you visit the Grande Chapelle, the Musée de l'Oeuvre, with the scale models of the expansions made by each pope, and the Bouteillerie, a wine shop that offers tastings and where you can buy the wine of the Popes. We have dinner in a brasserie on the square whose menus have low prices and the food isn't bad. Rating for the day 8.5.

Sixth day

Saturday 12 August. With sadness in our hearts we load the car, with no small difficulty. We couldn't return without the ceramic cigales, the straw bags, the little soaps and the wines from the various areas visited. It was a magnificent experience, our only regret being the famous colours of Provence, since the lavender had already been harvested and the sunflower blooming was already over.