Amazing (Reims)

with a nod to Alex Lloyd, it's his song. Today was my 37th day driving in France. You know my opinion of French drivers, dedicated reader, so you will be surprised to learn that after nearly 6,000km of travel, today we saw the remnants of our first accident! That is truly amazing. Amazing enough that we both remarked upon it and Jayne actually calculated how many days we've been on the road in France. Thankfully, our car is still relatively unscathed, except for some minor door scrapes that we can't explain and a small mark on the passenger side mirror that I may speak of one day if you ply me with enough bubbly inducement.

Last night

Last evening was meet the guests night. Not all of our gite hosts have done this, but most have and it's a great way to learn about the area. In the situation where there are multiple gites it is also a way to meet people. We always knew it would be difficult, Christian has as much English as I have French, so that left Jayne and Catherine with their smattering of the other language. Cleverly, Christian and Catherine invited a friend, Anna, who also spoke a little English.

Now, I will be the first to admit that I am hopeless at these functions and Jayne is superlative. As always, things start a little slowly until the alcohol provides some assistance. Christian produced an unlabelled bottle of champagne. I thought it may have just been a cleanskin, but no, he is a retired champagne maker. Retired in the sense that he no longer produces for commercial sale, but his 25 acres still produces. Rather a nice drop too. We spent 2 and a half hours chatting slowly about our 2 countries and, although we went to take our leave a couple of times, another bottle of champagne was produced. Anna, who had driven to our hosts' house, clearly was not worried that she might be pulled over by the RBT on her way home. Probably RBT would not be well-received by the industry here although the houses are always quick to remind patrons about responsible consumption of alcohol. Eventually we made our farewells amid many merci beaucoups and bonsoirs and came home to a cup of tea and bed - the French were then going to have dinner - clearly they have more stamina than we do.

Reims

We had intended to set out for Mercier, one of the champagne houses in Epernay that does tours, this morning. However, a load of washing and a Skype call home made us a tad late for that, so we headed straight to Reims. And for the second time the GPS took us straight to where Jayne wanted and there was plenty of above ground parking.

The towers were never completed.

After wandering aimlessly for a while, we located a landmark that was of use and would get us to the Tourist Bureau where we could get a town map. While there we talked to them about getting an audio-guide for the Cathedral and Palais du Tau. I'm not sure if the woman who served us understood the concept of tourism, she was not particularly helpful. Despite her, we managed to get the guides and head to the Cathedral, Notre Dame, Reims.  As Bruce MacAveney would say, "special". The windows, the restoration work, it was just beautiful. We actually visited Reim in 2003 for about an hour on a bus trip - that is no way to do things people - so we are keen to see what photos we have at home. The audio-guide ensured we spent almost 2 hours in the Cathedral. I have so many pictures I'm not sure at this point what to include.

The smiling angel.

We returned to the Tourist Bureau where we surrendered our audio-guides and made our way across the plaza to the Palais du Tau. There, we found that the guides were also for there! Grrrrrr! I told you that woman wasn't helpful. In the end it probably wasn't a bad thing, as it would have halved our time there.

A re-furbished gargoyle.

The Palais itself now houses many of the original pieces from the Cathedral. As things were replaced, the original was moved to the palais. There were numerous statues, in various states of decline and tapestry after tapestry, artifacts from the coronation of Charles X and chalices and other objects from centuries ago used in Mass. One of the most fascinating rooms contained pictures of the Cathedral after the fire in 1914 and then subsequent bombings in the First World War. What they have done to bring it back to it's former glory is incredible.

 

Lunch

Lunch always deserves its own title in France, after all, most of the country shuts down for 2 hours. While at the Tourist Bureau in the morning, I spied a brochure for the Cafe du Palais and decided we should lunch there. It was a short stroll from the Cathedral. 

It was a great choice. After almost ordering tripe yesterday afternoon, we read the menu carefully. We both had scallops and prawns with salad, accompanied by the house champagne - a half bottle, I still had to drive. The food was delicious. The champagne also passed muster. And then? Dessert. OMG! We walked for an hour straight after lunch and I believe dessert is still with me. Jayne had ice cream made from rose biscuits. They are a local delicacy that you have with champagne. (They only sell them in really large quantity). I had a plate that had a chocolate pot, some rose ice cream, cake and a short black. Sigh! Heaven.

Mumm

After lunch we needed a walk, so we decided to walk the 1.5 km to Taittinger to see if they were offering tours in English. Nice walk, despite the increasing heat as the clouds cleared. Tours yes, English no. That meant a 2 km walk to Mumm. And isn't that typical, things don't work out so we go for mum (everybody needs their mum and it is mothers' day in France very soon).

Underneath my house ... I wish.

We arrived to tag into the last English tour of the day. We did the Moet tour in 2003 and it was far more impressive.  Anyway, we did the tour and saw all the usual things: long rows of bottles, kms and kms of cellar, really old precious wine ... and then ended up at the tasting. Remember I said that our host Christian was a champagne maker? We asked last night what Houses he rated. Jayne suggested Mumm and there was a shrug of the shoulders. We should have listened. Their 2004 vintage, €37 a bottle was the best tasting they had and I preferred the €20 bottle we picked up at the supermarket. As for their "popular" release? I would wash my socks in it. It was, as they say in France, merde.

Life wasn't meant to be easy

The walk to the car was fine, although we couldn't see an auto-teller anywhere and I need to have around €1600 in cash for the rent in Paris tomorrow. Back to the car, found the pay station and it doesn't take notes and wouldn't take any credit or debit card I offered. Frustration. Went to another pay station. Same story. We didn't have enough coin to pay, so we had to find a shop to buy a bottle of aqua and asked for the change in coin. Thankfully, it accepted the coin and set us free of the car park for our next adventure.

And yes, the next adventure involved our duelling GPS systems. Neither could find us or offer anything. It's OK, I thought, I know where we came in headed for there. Sitting safely at the lights, Sybil still didn't have a clue where we were (even though she navigated us in) Jayne says, "John wants you to turn right". I should have know better, but complied. As soon as we'd turned the corner, Jayne said, "he now wants you to do a U-turn". From that point for the next 20 minutes, in peak hour traffic, I was guided to turn into one-way streets, the wrong way and didn't, or to complete a U-turn across 6 lanes of traffic. I declined that one too. I was not happy, and those of you that know me well will know how NOT HAPPY I was. Enough said.

And that dear reader brings me from the point where we saw the car accident to being safely home, and calmed and cleansed by the cathartic experience of writing this blog and sipping on a glass of Rothschild Brut. Tomorrow we go to an arranged champagne tasting at Larmandier-Bernier at Vertus (the bubbles we drink at home) and then, sans car, we head for Paris!!

you make me dizy miss lizzy (Champillon)

no, I haven't spelled it incorrectly, Dizy is the next village to where we are staying amongst the grape vines that produce the grapes that make the best bubbles in the world.

To the dedicated few who have been following us all the way, you will have noted that we have been a little slack with publication of late. Yesterday was a transit day and the day before we finished with a party at the gite because 6 of us were heading in different directions.

The view from our window.

We are now happily ensconced on the hillside in Champillon, in the middle of the Champagne region. Sadly, Saturday is another transit day, but happily, it will take us to Paris where we'll settle for 12 days.

And I believe that we need to welcome a new reader, hello Maureen Q. I know you've seen all of these sights, so it will be great to swap stories when we return home.

Charles de Gaulle

I've seen bigger.

The General and ex-president, not the airport, lived in a little place called Colomby les deux Eglises, which just happened to be en route to Champillon. Always looking to break up a 4 hour + drive, we detoured to visit his house and the museum and admire the monolithic cross of Lorraine that dominated the hillside.

The house was lovely and full of memorabilia, not all of it politically correct - like the huge polished elephant tusks inside the front door - but most things were presents from other Heads of State. The country side was absolutely beautiful and peaceful. It was easy to see why he chose to raise his family and retire here.

The lift was shaped like his hat. Cool.

The museum was a short drive away and was situated beneath the cross of Lorraine. When we went inside and they handed us an audio-guide each I knew we were going to be late. Audio-guide = 3 hours (at least). The war history and de Gaulle's involvement was fascinating, but the later stuff on his career as President didn't do much for me. By the time 2pm had been and gone I was thinking of lunch and another 2 hours of driving, so we moved through the last part fairly quickly. I think it is fair to say that the French love Charles de Gaulle.

The Champagne Trail

No caption required!

We headed out this morning to follow the Champagne Trail from Epernay through to Sezanne. It was a very scenic drive and probably the best sign-posted I've seen in France. There were a number of interesting sights along the way, including an 8 metre high champagne bottle. Sadly for Jayne it wasn't full.

What is that?

The tourist guide warned of narrow country lanes. Clearly they haven't driven in the south; the roads were fine and not very crowded, so it was relatively easy to pull over and take some scenic shots. Or some not-so-scenic ones. This thing dominated the landscape in the same way the cross of Lorraine did in Columby. When I took the shot, neither of us had any idea what it was. It turned out to be the memorial for the battle of Marne from World War 1. And it doesn't look a great deal more attractive close up either, although you can at least read the inscription.

Proof.

So, there was lots of driving through vineyards and wheat crops and canola. The white chalky-limestone soils were evident everywhere. Any Frenchman will tell you it is the terroir that is important, not the grape variety. Which is why it is easy to find out what a region a wine is from, but not so easy to find out the grape variety. Anyway, today we saw definite proof of terroir tampering. There was a new field that was being prepared for planting and in piles every few metres was the precious terroir! Soil tampering! we cried.

And tomorrow?

Sadly, more of the same, except we are heading for Reims to revisit the cathedral we did not have time to tour properly in 2003 because we were there on a day bus trip from Paris and to do a tour of a Reims based champagne house.

time takes you by the hand, directs you where to go (Autun)

Jayne's song reference, not mine, don't like it. But, as she will point out, we ended up at Autun and not Dijon because of advice we had been given by different people, one of whom was a Dijonaise.

Autun

OK, it was lovely, cobbled streets, Roman, another Notre Dame, Museum closed because it was 'random' closure day - Tuesday? WTF? Am I sounding jaded?

Military school.

Roman theatre

 

There was a clear connection to Beaune, there were several buildings with the same Flemish roof tiling, including the Military School and the Cathedral itself.

The Temple of Janus

Cathedral window

The Cathedral was undergoing restoration, but was very impressive anyway. We walked from there to the Temple of Janus and then to the gate on the side of the river. After that it was back to the car, drop the pack and over to the Roman theatre. The theatre itself now surrounds (well half surrounds) a soccer (football, whatever) field. It was good to see it in the original state and being put to good use.

That chalked up about 2 and a half hours of walking in the heat.

THE meal

and so, we bought a nice sort of cake (gateau) for Wonnie's birthday and prepared our salad, dusted the bottles and got ready for the dinner.

While we were waiting for the action to start, we decided to have an aperitif on the balcony. As we were seated there, the hot tub downstairs in the residence of the owners was fired up. I remarked that the spa was on, although it wasn't until later that we found out that Chris (the 74 year old male owner) has wandered back and forth to the hot tub a number of times - naked! In full view of the American girls. I'm not sure they'll recover anytime soon.

Dinner was great. Everyone contributed something. We all had food to be bbqed. We all brought wine. It was a great night. The American and British components were suitably in awe of the Australian prowess at barbecuing all manner of meat and fish to arrive on the plates simultaneously (Brad assumed charge of cooking tonight - just like a weekly family dinner really).

Jude, Wonnie, Kam, Vickie, Chris, Trent, Casey, Tom and Jayne.

After we sang joyeuse anniversaire and happy birthday to Wonnie, it was time to move to the American terrace to complete the lovely night, swap cards, and go our separate ways to Lyon, Paris and Epernay the next day.

As we drove away on Wednesday morning, we agreed the stay had been great but only because of the excellent group of people we had been fortunate enough to share the place with.  Otherwise, both the venue and the owners are tired and slipping and we would not go back there.  The serenity and the possibility of the place are enormous but we have been welcomed much more and the attention to the little details that really count when you are on the road for 12 weeks was really lacking here.  Burgundy is absolutely a place to which we would want to return - the scenery, the little gems tucked away from the mainstream tourist tracks - glad we went off the beaten path.

But now onto God's own country - the Champagne region and a little place just out of Epernay where our hosts are atypically French (not ex-pat Brits) and communication should be interesting...

you've got a friend (Beaune)

Well, Jayne does anyway. Everyone she talked to today became her friend. The day began like most others so far, except the sound of birds and cows dominated our waking. It was perfect, blue sky, no cloud and not too hot.

Beaune

Beaune was recommended to us as a 'must see'. Good advice Maz. We loved the feel of Aix-en-Provence last week and Beaune felt the same way. It was relaxed and happy, a mixture of the old-walled city and the new. We parked the car outside the wall and walked in to see the Hotel Dieu

Radical roof.

or Hostel dieu as it was tagged in some places. What an amazing building! It was built as a hospital in 1443 and actually functioned as one up until the late 1980s. We spent about 3 hours there - give us an audio-guide and we'll stay forever.

After the Hotel we decided to have a look at the antiques market across the road. It was a fundraiser for the local football club. They had some really interesting things for sale and a lot of rubbish as well. I saw some beautiful crystal champagne glasses (although not as beautiful as the ones I have already Ange) and went to have a look at them. Four of the vendors were sitting together having lunch, chatting and using four 

The 'sorrowing Christ'

of the glasses. One of them started to speak to me in French and thankfully Jayne wasn't far away and came to the rescue. They made a joke about the glasses being good to use and poured Jaye a glass of champagne so she could test them. Then, they cut her a piece of bread as well!

The glasses were lovely, but not particularly 'antique' dating back to the 30s. We continued our exploration of the fair while we considered the difficulty of transporting 6 highly breakable glasses. In the end we decided not to buy and went back to let

them know. When they found out we were from Australia one of the men offered to bring home to us personally if he could stay with us. He said good bye to his wife and stood up ... it was all very friendly and lovely. They were such welcoming people.

Jayne's new friends.

Lunch

It was getting close to lunch being over, which means the kitchens in a lot of restaurants and bars close. The main area near where we were had plenty of places to eat but they were quite crowded and the sound of crying children and invasive cigarette smoke kept us walking. I decided to test Jayne's theory of the the Hotel de Ville, town square and eateries. We set off for the Hotel de Ville and arrived to find a beautiful town square devoid of life and restaurants. So, we went back from whence we came and found  a place to eat. I had beef burgundy (of course) and Jayne, in a pre-emptive strike on a later part of our trip ordered quiche Lorraine.

It was very pleasant sitting in the sun eating and drinking and watching the passing parade. There was an older couple at the table next to us who were Dutch. The man asked us where we were from and Jayne decided that she hadn't made enough friends today and wanted to add the Dutch to her list as well. It turned out that he worked in Australia for a year or so. He was a roller-coaster engineer and was involved in the replacement of the Big Dipper at Luna Park as well as working on the ones in the Queensland theme parks. Although he was quick to point out that the one at Luna Park was not built by his company and he worked only as a consultant to try and reduce the noise it produced.

After lunch I accepted the challenge of finding a supermarket open on a public holiday so that we could buy some supplies for happy hour. OK we wanted some wine. I had to drive 30km but we found one!

Notre Dame

Yes, another one! Built in the 12th century it is most noted for it's 15th century wool and silk tapestries that illustrate the life of the Virgin Mary. Unlike Bayeaux, there really were tapestries.

The party continues

We got back to the gite about 6pm. There are 8 people staying here at present, including us. There are two American couples and a couple from Britain. The Americans were still out on sight-seeing somewhere so Jayne invited Tom and Siobhan (Wonnie) over for a drink. Vickie and Kam and Casey and Trent arrived about an hour later and joined us as well. We had a very enjoyable evening that kicked on until sunset - that's around 10pm over here. Tomorrow night is our last night together, the Brits are staying but the rest of us are on the road again, so we have decided to have a communal meal.

We have passed the half-way mark of our holiday and we have just been so fortunate to meet such wonderful people from all over the world.

it's a nice day for a white wedding (Burgundy)

Ahhh, Billy Idol. Good times.

Anyway, we packed and were on the road before 10am. It was a glorious day for the start of the Pentecost long weekend and, just like a long weekend in Australia, everyone was heading for the coast. The traffic jam, or bouchon, was massive heading south. We got caught a couple of times heading north and getting through Lyon was a nightmare.

We arrived in Chalon-sur-Saone in the mid-afternoon and headed for the town centre. Once we found a parking spot we made our way toward the the Hotel de Ville (that's the Town Hall for the uninformed like moi). Each town organises itself around the town hall and the subsequent town square. So, it's the best place to find food and drink.

We positioned ourselves directly across the road from the Hotel de Ville, and being Saturday there were a number of weddings - not all white. In France weddings are not legal unless they have been witnessed by a civil representative. Some people choose to have a civil rep at their church wedding, others have the church wedding, and in one case we saw yesterday, they then decamp for the Hotel de Ville - which in this case was next door. It was quite amusing watching the wedding party and guests move into the church, then out of the church into the Town Hall and then out again for photos on the steps.

There were three weddings that we saw and only one did the church/Town Hall double. Just as we were about to leave, some more guests came tumbling out of the Town Hall and arranged themselves on the steps. There was no church service for this group. So, we waited to see the married couple. Finally, two young men in suits emerged and had rice and confetti thrown on them by the well-wishers and received a big cheer from many of the lunch crowd as well.

Dracy-les-Couches

After lunch we did some shopping to counter Sunday closing and the dreaded Monday, public holiday. It was after 4pm when we arrived at our new accommodation. We unpacked, changed and 

Our new neighbours.

went to the meet-and-greet with the owners and other guests. We spent a most enjoyable evening drinking and chatting and then repaired to our verandah to watch the sun set over the fields.

 We have made a genuine attempt to stay out of the towns in the small villages, but En La Marre has taken this to a new level. We are 10 minutes, by car, from the closest village, surrounded by farmland, populated with cattle. There are plenty of vineyards too. You can't get more country than this.

The 'barn'.

Pentecost Sunday

We were curious to see if the Pentecost weekend translated into large numbers in Mass on Sunday morning. I was skeptical. And I was wrong. It was standing room only.

Again, the church is an historical feature, vaulted ceilings, carved timber altar - but we forgot to check how old it is. It is in Couches and is St Peter and Paul's. Lined up at the door were 20 kids, dressed in white albs. At the beginning of Mass they were called, individually by name by the priest. They replied, "I am here" and walked to apse and took a seat behind the altar. After the homily, the kids walked to the back of the church and were presented with a candle. It was lit and they processed to the altar and formed a circle around it. The priest then presented each child with a cross to wear around their neck. The candles were then placed at the front of the altar and kids returned to their seats behind the altar itself.

Although there was no Bishop, we assumed that this was the French version of a confirmation ceremony. And what a great day to welcome the youth of the Parish into the church community as adults - Pentecost Sunday.

Chagny Markets

Priorities.

After Mass, we were on another kind of mission, to get to the local markets before pack up so we could get essential provisions (cheese, bread and ham) and have a wander around. As with all the local markets, there sights to see that apparently are not notable to the French but to us they are quirky or remarkable.

Nothing unusual here.

After the markets, we went to Mercurey, another local village, to taste and buy some local Burgundy wines - another first as the cellar we happened upon had a system of wall display casings in which they have bottles of wine grouped in reds and whites made by various local vignerons. We did not know what was the procedure so we watched for a while and then a lady who was tasting the wines explained that you purchase a card loaded to whatever amount you select and then you use the card to insert into the display fridge and you choose either a tasting or a glass of the wine you wish to try. The tasting amount is obviously cheaper than a full glass and the card gets debited and you continue to taste until you run out of credit. We generally refuse to pay for tastings in Australia but really, since we know nothing about the Burgundy region, dropping in at a random vineyard is a lottery and as the lady said at the cellar, this way she does not feel obliged to buy a case of wine if she does not want to since she has paid for the wine she has sampled anyway.

We purchased a couple of bottles and then headed home to sit on the verandah and write these few words. It's just after 4pm so happy hour will commence shortly. Almost, we've just been invited to drinks with the other guests. It's a tough life.

the carnival is over (Aix-en-Provence)

French driving school.

Well, actually, the carnival is yet to start. Monday is yet another French public holiday and this is a big 'festy' weekend across the country. It will be interesting to see if the Pentecost celebrations translate into big numbers in church on Sunday. I am somewhat skeptical. But, in every town and village there is some form of celebration. In Vaison, the carnies have moved in and taken over the car park. In Aix there was a stage set up in the main street.

Aix-en-Provence

Aix (pronounced X by locals) made the list because it is the home of St Eugene de Mazenod, the founder of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate. Back home, we are fortunate enough to be an Oblate Parish. And what a beautiful city Aix is. The sun was shining, the people were out, the cafes were full (it's pont day, Monday is a public holiday). 

One of the many fountains in Aix.

Every street was narrow and the shops were lovely. It was a real delight. If it wasn't so expensive - thanks to the beautiful people of Hollywood - it'd be a great place to retire. There are literally hundreds of fountains, Aix is known as the city of fountains. There would have been five in one block of the main street. So majestic and dominating, some small and under-stated and others being put to good use to chill the bubbly.

A fountain being put to good use.

 

The Oblate chapel.

We set out on our own pilgrimage because the Tourist Bureau hadn't heard of St Eugene. Apparently the old saints are cool, the new ones, not so much. So, we found the current Oblate church in the main street. Its steps are used constantly by people stopping to rest and at lunch time it becomes a meeting place for the Uni students. I hope a few of them wander in through the doors occasionally, the steps and the plain facade hide some really beautiful features. The vaulted ceiling is amazing and creates this beautiful light space. 

Just across the road and down about 75 metres or so, was the original Mazenod mansion where St Eugene was born. Jayne picked it from a black and white photo. It really hasn't changed that much over the years, although the trees are taller.

The former Mazenod mansion.

We continued our pilgrimage in search of the Church de la Madeleine. And while we found it, a decent photo was difficult to get. The sun was in a bad position and the front area was a car park of sorts, where an enterprising young local lad was procuring a few € for 'watching your car'. As it turns out, there is only a facade of the original church where the young Eugene attended with his family.

The facade.

Next on the list was the Cathedral de St Sauveur. Everything was really close, fortunately, because the temperature was rising and lunch time (read closing time) was approaching rapidly. The church itself reflects a number of different architectural styles and is obviously a tourist spot because we witnessed two Japanese tour groups go through. Eugene attended here as a parishioner and returned as a priest to preach, amid some controversy. The facade is dirty and crumbling in parts, while other sections have been cleaned. But again, the facade does not indicate what's inside. It was amazing. A massive organ that dominated one side of the church. Beautiful stained glass windows, a side chapel that had a vaulted ceiling that was lit by natural light.

St. Sauveur's.

The organ

The apse.

And with that, it was lunch time. Our mini-pilgrimage was complete and the Cathedral closed for lunch. Truly. We headed back to the car that was craftily parked a couple of kms out of town, above ground, and drove back home to see the remaining sights of Vaison. You'll be surprised to know that it too, is a Roman town.

Vaison-la-Romaine

Despite the fact that we have driven and walked through the main street a couple of times, the extent of the Roman ruins is really hidden by their clever use of geography (and a couple of latter day fences). Much of what we saw was similar to Orange and Arles so I won't replicate photos or go over old ground, but Jayne was surprised by the advanced use of glass back in the 1st century BCE, so there here's a photo of a glass bowl.

If you're looking for something witty, you've missed out.

The other point to being here was that we actually were able to walk around the ruins, with an audio guide. The weather was perfect, unlike our time in Orange when we didn't really get to look closely at the ruins. And, although we saw the Arena at Arles, it was not close to its original form. Vaison doesn't have an arena, it has a theatre, but it is brilliantly preserved and looks original (even if parts of it aren't), so it made up for the Arles experience. And this venue is also in current use for choir recitals (without the iron scaffolded seating).All in all, it was great day.

The view from the top.

And tomorrow ...

Sadly, tomorrow is pack-up-and-move-on-day. We haven't managed to do everything that we wanted to in this part of the world since we lost two days to rain. So, the good news is that we'll have to come back! Yay! Anyway, we need to do Cannes when the Film Festival isn't on. So Western Provence still has much to offer us.

Tomorrow we are off to the Burgundy region, to a little village in between Autun and Beaune called Dracy. It is about 400 kms and four and half hours away. We'll be there for four nights, before heading towards the Champagne region. And so tonight, we celebrate tomorrow's departure with a bottle of Champagne. Just waiting for it to chill at the moment.

still thinking about the fall of Rome (Arles - Pont du Gard)

Today was all about the Roman influence and what they built. Although the most frustrating moment of the day was at the first sight of the Pont-du-Gard. I wanted an arty shot through the trees, but there was a man standing in the middle of the shot with his movie camera, filming the bridge. I waited for

Still not moving after 1,000 years.

 at least 5 minutes and gave up. He was still there filming as we walked onto the bridge itself. What a rivetting film-maker he would be ... here's 10 minutes of a static object being static, although you might notice in the foreground the numbers of people moving to and fro. What a ... I'm not allowed to use the words I'm thinking.

You know, you can make an educated guess about country of origin by clothes. Seriously.


Arles

We went to Arles today mostly because they have a significant array of Roman artifacts/ruins like Nimes but they did not close shop in anticipation of the weekend feast for Pentecost (the next in the series of May public holidays) and we could go to Pont-Du-Gard afterwards on the way home. Not that we want Arles to think it is Nimes' poor cousin ... in fact is they have our undying admiration for a couple of reasons:

1. they do not have sub-terranean car parking (Jayne hates it),

2. they do not close their major attractions for the feast of Pentecost.

We left early by Jayne's standards and started by finding a free above ground car park which is always a bonus.  We had a lovely breakfast (great coffee and croissants) and wandered into the town to happen almost immediately on the Roman amphitheatre. It was much closer than it appeared on the map and like most of France's monuments, is undergoing significant renovation and therefore offered a reduced entry tariff. 

We thought we had lucked something here when we read that this amphitheatre was in fact bigger
than Nimes.  In the main arena we witnessed local school kids participating in sessions to learn to be gladiators - just a walk from their local high school to the arena where it really happened.  There were a number of guided tour groups and maybe we missed something by not being on one of these (albeit they were all in French). Without the offer of an audio-guide, we were met with the spectacle of a Roman theatre festooned with lots of iron scaffolding seats. They use it for current bull-fighting displays - nice. It's great that they are using the venue, but as a visual of a time long past, it was less than inspiring.  We wandered around and took what photos we could, but we thought the theatre at Orange was far more impressive - even in the rain.

School excursions are so cool over here.

We wandered around some other Roman sights and made our way over to the Museum of Arles Antiquities which had an impressive array of artifacts spanning many centuries of history before the Common Era. I didn't realise that the Romans had mastered glass blowing in the 1st century BCE and produced delicate glasses. There were also bowls and jugs on display as well as a range of other things that their civilisation brought to the rest of Europe. There were lots of school excursions on here too - we both noted one boy though who looked particularly forlorn - bored or friendless we couldn't tell but no one else seemed to be noting his despondence - and he was trying to be noticed. Anyway, we wandered back through Arles, bought our baguettes for dinner tonight and drove out of town towards the next testament to Roman greatness, before the fall - the great Pont-Du-Gard.

Funeral stone.

One of the Caesars.

Pont-Du-Gard
In terms of bridges, this one rates. Far more spectacular than Pont D'Avignon and still largely intact. It is situated in a reserve/park where lots of French people come for picnics and bushwalks and swimming and water related activities. It is a really beautiful area. Sadly for us, there were too many school excursions and bus tours on the day, but, we worked around them.

 There was precious little signage within the area - no surprises there, so the dude at the Information Desk was constantly being asked the same question in a variety of languages. How do you pay to get in? It was all covered with the parking charge of €18. Pretty good value for a day's entertainment.

There was also a museum near the info centre that focused more broadly on the Roman use of water and their amazing plumbing systems, but it also provided some interesting information on the actual construction of the bridge. Although, this would have been superfluous had they provided audio-guides like every other tourist attraction.

Anyway, unless Jayne wants to add anything, I'll let the pictures do the talking.

The aquaduct bit.