Day 3: Orange, Avignon and Nimes

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It was the usual road trip routine this morning, we woke up early got our bags together and checked out of the hotel. My Dad, being self-employed, could never really separate himself from work and with the time difference between Australia and Europe being ideal in the early morning meant he sometimes spent the morning checking and responding to emails. Today he needed a little more time than usual so Hannah and I went to put our bags in the car then go grab some breakfast in the main square of Montpellier. No sooner did we order some breakfast, my parents came to meet us, it was a little frustrating since we had so much to do today and quite a bit of driving time as well. We bought a France Lonely Planet Guide Book while shopping yesterday so we could all learn a little more about the areas we visit. So after a quick breakfast we headed back to the car and were once again on our way, our first stop today the city of Orange, to visit the Theatre antique d’Orange.

After just over 2 hours in the car we reached Orange in the stunning region of Cote de Azur in south-western France. Orange was somewhere both Hannah and I had never been before so were really excited to be visiting somewhere new. The Roman Theatre was one of the oldest and best persevered theatres in the world, it was built in the 1^st century, an incredible 2000 years ago. We bought a double ticket which also allowed us entry into the amphitheatre of Nimes which we were planning on visiting tomorrow, but it was closed due to an event. This was really frustrating since last time we visited Nimes it was also closed due to a Lenny Kravitz concert that evening, we weren’t having much luck here. So reluctantly we had to change our plans and ensure that we left time to visit the amphitheatre of Nimes later this afternoon. In the meantime we were each handed an audio guide of the incredible Theatre antique d’Orange and headed inside. We all split up to explore this amazing structure inside and out. The size and scale of the place was immense, it was huge, and hard to believe that it was once much, much bigger, how an earth did they build things like this? I explored the theatre on my own, trying my best to get some good photos which actually portray the size of this place, it was difficult to find an angle to even fit the entire stage. After an hour or so we all met back at the entrance, clearly my parents were dumbfounded by this place, the scale, the history was unlike anything they had seen or experienced before. Eventually we made our way back to the car once again and headed towards Nimes.

We stopped briefly to fill up the car and grab some lunch at a Carrefour in the middle of nowhere then got back on the motorway, unfortunately in the wrong direction. Frustratingly I’d taken the wrong turn and we were heading straight into Avignon. I really wanted to visit Avignon tomorrow but since this road took us straight into the centre of the city, change of plans again, we were stopping here now. It was a brief stop in Avignon because I was conscious we still need to drive into Nimes, check in to our hotel and spare time to see the amphitheatre. So we headed into the old streets of Avignon and had a look inside the beautiful Avignon Cathedral then walked up the hill to the stunning lookout over Rhone River and the famous Pont du Avignon. We explained to my parents that the Pont du Avignon is an ancient bridge which was plagued by construction and damage issues until if finally succumb to a devastating flood almost 400 years ago to be as it stands today. After some photos and taking in the beautiful view we moved on, heading into the main streets before following the outer walls of the city back towards our car. By this time it was mid-afternoon and we needed to keep moving if we were to see the amphitheater in Nimes.

Although it was a very fast faced visit, we really wanted to show as many beautiful places to my parents as possible while in France, but at the same time tried to allow extra time in places where there was lots to do. The drive into Nimes took an hour, we checked into our lovely little French hotel and were on the move shortly after to visit the incredible amphitheatre in the centre of the city. We used our tickets we purchased earlier in Orange, grabbed an audio guide and again we split up to explore this ancient wonder on our own. A lot of it was quite familiar from last time I came here a few years ago but still impressive nonetheless. We spent almost an hour here listening to the audio guide as it took us through every nook and cranny of the amphitheater then met out the front to get a few photos before the sun set. We had a brief walk through the streets to Nimes so my parents had a better feel of what the city was like. We choose a restaurant located right next to Nimes amphitheater but were really disappointed so decided to get some gelato at a small café in one of the busy alleyways, delicious. Finally after an exhausting day of travelling and sightseeing we made our way back to the hotel, so far my parents were absolutely loving the beauty of France, but there was still lots more to come.

Day 3:
Montpellier - Orange - Avignon - Nimes
182 KM TRAVELLED // 678 KM TOTAL
Hotel des Tuileries

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Photos

Nimes
The spectacular Nimes ampitheatre.

Orange
The ancient stairs for the audience in the theatre.

Orange
The enormous and ancient stage at the Roman Theatre in Orange.

Orange
The scale of the Roman theatre is immense.

Orange
Entrance to the Theatre Antique D'Orange.

Avignon
The Pont d'Avignon which was half destroyed by a flood in 1668.