Arles and the Camargue

  We split today between 2 places - the fantastic history in Arles and pure fun and beach time in the Camargue (Stes Maries)

Arles is again a slag heap of Roman ruins. An Amphitheatre, Roman baths, an arena and and number of other ancient relics litter the town. The architecture is similar but different that the arena in Nimes. It's not in great shape but a reconstruction (to the tune of 170 million Euros) is well under way. Hmmm - which do I prefer - viewing the original ruins regardless of thier condition or looking at a reconstruction....

In addition it was bombed heavily during the war and there is still evidence of this to be seen. The Rhone runs along side the town giving it a tranquil and beautiful appearance. Van Gogh lived here and painted many famous works. Included here is the cafe he painted in "Le cafe du nuit"

Here's another shot of Brigitte who left her top at home. Clearly distressed, I've had to point out that the gates to the amphitheater is no place to be topless unless she'll be pole dancing on stage later on. Even in the very liberal south of France you can only go topless on the beaches. Below are a couple "artistic" shots. Note the ring on the hand of the doorknocker on the left. Just 2 examples of the little things along the way.

 

Arle has the narrowest streets I have seen so far. Hilda took us  through these streets looking for a hotel last night and at times there is only 4-6 inches on either side of the car. (We are driving an Opel Corsa which is only slightly larger than my scooter - good thing) At one point we came to a T at the end of the road and there was no possible way of getting left or right without serious damage to the car. We had to back up 100 meters or so with 6 inches on each side of the car. No dents so far....but glad we took the insurance package. I have no idea how courier and trucks get product delivered.

And now back to Stes Maries which is famous for the Camargue horses and bulls. This ancient breed of horses are intelligent and beautiful to watch. Grey in color, (not white according to Stevie) these horses are everywhere in the Camargue which is mostly composed of the marshy delta of the Rhone river. Between the pink flamingos, grey horses and black bulls its quite the spectacle. Stevie, not surprisingly wanted to ride one of these beautiful animals. We found a stable (the road has at least 50 stables with hundreds of horses) where they agreed to do an advanced ride with a single guide rather than a group. Off she went and had the opportunity to gallop the horse numerous times. She confessed later that it was by far the fastest she had ever gone on a horse and loved it. Perfect - my daughter the daredevil.....

 

And while Stevie was riding with the wind, Brigitte, Jake and I headed for the beach. There are at least 5,000 people at the beach and while a bit crowded, it is a massive beach with room for all that and more stretching kms along the coast. No wonder Ernest Hemingway came here to "get away from it all". I'm sure at one time it was a beautiful seaside fishing village but is now a premier holiday destination for folks from all over the continent.

Montpellier and on to Stes - Maries De-La-Mer

We did another trip into Monpellier for 2 reasons. Firstly, the city square was at one time the largest in Europe and considered to be an excellent example of how to build a place where people will gather. Secondly, Le Grand Mot (The big beach) was calling our names!

 This is the transit system that comes right into the square. Its bright and colorful and moves efficiently throughout the city. Montpellier is a university town about the size of Victoria. It does, however, seem much much larger. The swimming pool was massive boasting a retractable roof  and 50 meter swim lanes all over the place. Beautiful.  But it's  the city center that is most interesting. Not only large, it ties together a walking lane (50ft wide) from the university, a large shopping mall, a park and theatre (entertainment) area. The square and promenade are full of street vendors selling everything from Man bags to mangoes.




Jake and I noticed a trend where Dads and Sons dress the same. This is so cool we thought. Usually reserved for Dads and young boys of 5 or 6 years old, we thought we'd look so sharp we should do it too. Cool hey?

And off to the beach! Here are a couple shots of the beach Looking in first one direction and then the other. There are easily 1000 people in the water. Air temp is around 35 and the water is cool and refreshing.

After Monpellier we headed off for the town of Stes-Marles De la Mer. Our thinking was that a little seaside village would be perfect for our next destination. I'll talk more about this town later but for now I'll say that it is like Penticton on steroids. People everywhere and no hotels available for at least a few days. Surely there must be a cancellation..... After trying 20 or more hotels - there were no cancellations. Ohoh. Back to the nearest city Arles....complet complet complet. All hotels full!

We wandered around Arles until about 11 pm when we finally walked into a place where there had been a cancellation 5 minutes before. The people in front of us got the first - we got the second room. Whew - that was close.

Funny bit - we have become completely dependant on Hilda our navigation system. She takes us to hotels, points of interest, cities etc. We go boldly with few if any errors by our trusty friend. But not on this night. On 2 occasions Hilda took us to hotel addresses in the middle of the country. "You have reached your destination on the right" she'd say. We'd all look around and laugh at the kms of nothingness all around us. At one point I'm sure she took us over a pedestrian bridge across the highway. Having a Hilda (with a couple exceptions) is making navigation a snap. Highly recommended!

Nimes and Chateauneuf du pape

Quick Layno history lesson. (not necessarily accurate but a good story!)

The Roman Empire lasted 1000 years. 500 to build, 200 in glory, 300 in decline. Started in 500 BC, it was done like dinner around 500AD. Julius Caesar (armed with the concept 1 man - 1 ruler) crossed into France around 49BC and started the expansion of the Roman empire. At its height it included England to the north, Spain, Egypt and part of modern day Iraq. Quite the empire. So the finest examples of architecture from the Empire are not necessarily found in Rome.

The coliseum in Nimes (1 hour from Montpellier) is the best preserved of all in existence.

The coliseum/area is now used for bullfighting and concerts. This summer the likes of Sting, The Offspring and many others will fill the medieval walls with sound. The ubiquitous bullfighting is something that I have a bit of trouble with and would not attend an event. That said, what about the Calgary Stampede with the calf roping and bull-riding. It's all a matter of perspective. If you've never seen the you tube video of the bull getting out of the area you should have a look. I've included it here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWAIjYs9Lws

We watched this clip after another night of observing bull -taunting and felt a bit better for the bulls. I have a new-found respect for these magnificent animals.


The Nimes Coliseum was very important to the Romans. Built in the 300 AD it became not only a base of operations for campaigns to the north but also an excellent holiday get away. With a pool, slide for the kids and 24 hour adult TV, it was perfect after a campaign of killing and plundering. In fact, its said that the 24 hour adult TV precipitated the decline and collapse of the Roman empire - who knew?

Brigitte loved this particular matador even though I explained that he was made from bronze and not real. She later bought him dinner and offered drinks in exchange for a night on the town. He, not surprisingly said nothing.

Next we went searching for great wine. We have enjoyed wine on most nights since we got to France and we have not been disappointed even once even though the wines are generally around $5 Canadian. We are in the region of Provence which roughly surrounds the Rhone river.

 

We made our way to the Chateauneuf Du Pape region which includes about 100 labels. We toured and tasted our way through 2 wineries sampling some very good examples of what the region provides. Some of the vines date back as far as the first world war. This label on the left is the one we chose (about $25) hoping that for that kind of money it should be pretty good. I think its one of those bottles that you buy and hold, we drank it with a steak dinner. It was as good as any wine I have ever tried, but likely the best considering the adventure that has gone along with it.

Montpellier

While we are technically hangin in Montpellier, we are really in a small village just north called Saint Drezery. I'm guessing the population is less than 500 and its about 30kms from the city.  It's a thousand year old village with single lane roads, a cute little village and vineyards in every direction. .

 We are in a little villa with friends enjoying the feel of this part of the world. It's tranquil, sleepy and completely relaxing The little village is a maze of streets just wide enough for the car with the buildings right up to the road on both sides. There is a meat shop, a bakery and few other essential shops but very quiet.

 

We got ourselves together this morning and headed to a place called Aigues- Mortes. This is a  city within medieval walls perfectly preserved over the centuries. It was from here that the 7th crusade was sent in the 13th century. This became a save place from the bands of marauding outlaws many years ago. Now the inside is full of residences and little curio shops where your credit card is anything but safe.

When hustled back to St. Drezery for the running of the bulls. All day I was excited by the prospect of running with the bulls. If Earnest Hemmingway did it - why shouldn't I? Am I not a man? Am I not a bit stupid? Why not run down the street in front of thousands of pounds of pissed off bull?

So surprisingly for me it's not just Pamplona where the bulls run, but many towns throughout Spain and Southern France. 6 bulls are lead  through the towns narrow streets with local "cowboys" leading them along. The trick is to keep the bull contained as it is paraded through the street. It's very exciting to see because it's fast - noisy and over the top with excitement. The real "cowboys" are the young town boys who will try to get as close to the bull as possible. In doing so, they build their reputation for bravery (or stupidity - you be the judge)  The ultimate feat it to grab the bull by the horns and bring it to the ground.

The bulls don't do what they're told. Most got loose and angrily attack anything that moves. They are surprisingly agile, very fast and strong. At one point a bull charged a chain link fence and bent all the metal posts over.  I saw one boy of about 13 get the bull by the tail and get dragged a bit - he leapt to his feet just in time to see his mother come running out and slap him silly for being so stupid. The walloping from his mom did little to displace the huge grin on his face. He now has a reputation. Huh!

And so of course I ran with the bulls. It was incredibly exciting and fun. A casual bond of oneness is quickly formed between the taunters and there are handshakes and kisses and shouts of bon chance to one another as they prepare to release the bulls. Each year people are hurt though not seriously most of the time. Death is unusual but possible.

In the video below the bull escaped the horses and ran up into the trees. In my enthusiasm to see where he went, I ended up in a rather bad spot and for a moment was paralzed with fear as he burst from between the trees with bits of branches caught in his (uncut by the way) horns. The fences are built so that you can escape between the bars...but to do so you have to get there first. When the panic moment comes - all bets are off as everyone races for the the fence.....My family was not very happy with me but I wouldn't have missed it for the world.

Day 2 Barcelona

Today we explored the beach area in Barcelona. When I was here last - it was mostly undeveloped and casual . Not today. Other than the significant number of women who chose to go topless which is refreshingly casual, the beach is now very developed. And here's the thing - so is the cost of being there. Spain used to be cheap cheap cheap but is now no different than Paris or London. On the other hand - I gotta tell you it is beautiful. I really love the architecture, historical and contemporary art and the integration of "beach" culture in the middle of a large modern city. The other wonderful thing is scooters everywhere. I have never seen so many in one place. I actually teared up at one point.....

Jake and his friend Matthew with the beach in the background

Well the surf was up and while there were no surf boards around the body surfing was fantastic. This took up a fair amount of our day.

There is more public art (contemporary) in Barcelona than anywhere I've ever been. Along the shore there is one great piece after another. Below is this huge copper thing on the building. Part of a salmon - don't know but I love the way it transitions the beach to the city. I mean its not as cool as the rubage pile in front of the Save on foods memorial center but its pretty cool.

After the beach we casually walked the streets of Barcelona admiring the quaint little apartments and shops. Barcelona is clean! Not a scrap of litter anywhere I saw. I would say that is I had to choose between a trip to London Paris and Barcelona knowing what I do from this trip. It would be Barcelona by a long shot. There's a great feel here. It feels safe, fun and there's is tons of history and culture to explore.

 

Reluctantly we headed back for Montpellier. Not because Monpellier isn't a wonderful place but there was so much more to see in Barcelona. Well you have to leave something for next time.

SIDEBAR - we found the coolest product on the way home. Cappuccino in a can - yup. And its amazing. Its like a can of Coke with a pop top and bottom. You pop the bottom first and compress the plastic disk you find there. That activated a chemical reaction in a chamber in the bottom of the can and within 3 minutes you have a hot cup of delicious coffee. Think of this for soups, hot chocolate etc. Great for vending machines at your local ice area where most cities have removed the concession stands. Amazing idea. 



The road to Barcelona

We spent the night with friends in Montpellier arriving near midnight. (they were incredibly welcoming despite the late hour quickly resuscitating us with cheese and fabulous red wine).
First thing in the morning we all headed for Barcelona Spain. The drive (at 140km per hour) was a bit woolly but was enjoyable regardless. The car thermometer said it was 35 degrees - thank goodness for the air conditioning in our little Opel Corsa that is just barely keeping up with the speed limit and heat. By the way - while rental cars have an advantage over trains (you pay for 1 person rather than all members of the group) the Toll charges on the highway can be up to $75 over 300 kms. This was a big surprise to me.

And so we drove to downtown Barcelona and parked our cars. WHAT AN ADVENTURE! Driving in Barcelona is not for the faint of heart.

Barcelona is beautiful. We quickly located La Rambla street (the main drag and enjoyed the sights and sounds. You wander down the street to the water where there is a massive monument to Christopher Columbus. Its a busy busy place with folks from all over the world. We managed to find a place serving Paella and sangria on the street and pulled up a chair. Spain is no longer an inexpensive place to visit. The prices here are not much different hat London or Paris.

The Palace!!!

Rented a car at Charles De Gaulle airport and drove to Versailles. Wow!!! We actually did it. I have to admit that I was terrified to drive in Europe but took the plunge regardless. You see, my driving is marginal at the best of times - swirling traffic circles and angry honking french men could only make it more interesting. So armed with our 5th travelling partner Hilda (the TomTom navigation system) we drove through Paris and southwest to the palace.

The palace of Versailles is a must see. Often missing from a french traveller's itinerary, it puts historical works of art in perspective. Once you get into the palace, and get over the glitz and glam of the entrance, you can settle in with an auto attendant and get a real sense of what Louis the 14th was up to.




The Auto attendant is a cigarette package sized device where you are able to type in the room number as you go along and listen to a detailed description of the contents of the room and the historical events that go along with it. Imagine the sense of history you get as you stand in Marie Antoinette's chamber and see where she escaped when the townspeople came to kill her. Fabulous.

And you can see why the French were pissed. The whole idea that you can bamboozle people with their own resources forever, whether your Louis or the NDP only works for so long.  The palace is immense and the grounds even more so. Below is the eating chamber for the Louis where he would take his dinner (at 10pm each night) while others sat and watched.

The french have done a great job of keeping the gardens up but you can see that won't last forever. It's simply too much area to look after. As it is, the manicured gardens are at least the size 5 football fields and the grounds in general with their rows of trees, lakes, ponds, fountains etc. go on for kilometers around the castle.
 

Stevie was fascinated with this visit and was reluctant to leave. For her - it was like a textbook coming to life. I too have to admit that it piques your interest in European history buy bringing perspective to the little I do know about the reign of terror and the folks eating cake.

I took this picture of the back end of Louis rather than the front. Three cheers for the French who sent this joker packing. Don't let the door of the palace hit your ass on the way out!

Back on the road and drove to Montpelier. What a beautiful driver. The Loire river valley, the vineyards as far as the eye can see - its a beautiful place.