Round The World and other travels
A frequent flyer's collection of trip diaries
April 2012: Nîmes and the Camargue
Saturday morning and afternoon were spent outside Montpellier, first in Nîmes, then at Aigues-Mortes and finally out in the Camargue itself. It proved to be a full, varied and interesting day and allowed everyone to work up a healthy appetite for dinner!
Nîmes
The small city of Nîmes dates from Roman times. It is a popular tourist destination because of its Roman history, the centrepiece of which is a well-preserved amphitheatre dating from AD2. The amphitheatre was not open on the day of our visit, but it hardly mattered: the whole city centre appeared to have been taken over by latter-day 'Romans' in full costume, making for a real tourist spectacle.
Aigues-Mortes
Aigues-Mortes - the name means literally 'dead waters' - is a walled town in the Petite Camargue. There was time for a quick look around prior to the afternoon's main activities.
Camargue Boat Trip
The group split into two at this point. Some of us took a boat trip through the canals, which was enjoyable despite the exceptionally windy conditions, while the others undertook some off-road exploration by jeep.
The boat trip ended with a short stop at a small ranch, where some well-dressed Camargue cowboys - including some of very tender years! - rounded up recalcitrant young bulls for the cameras.
Setting off
The day started at Montpellier St-Roch station.
Base: Holiday Inn, Montpellier
Linked reports from same trip :-