Day 4: Pont du Gard & Marseille

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We woke early and met my parents downstairs for breakfast in the tiny hotel restaurant, we were the only people here. The weather was looking a little threatening today, in fact it had already started raining this morning. After breakfast we fetched our luggage and checked out of the hotel then maneuvered our bright green hire care out of the ridiculous car park the hotel used. Our first stop for today was the magnificent Pont du Gard, an ancient aqua duct built over 2000 years ago, around an hour drive from Nimes. Thankfully, by the time we arrived just before lunch, the weather had dramatically improved. First we decided to have a good look through the museum, Hannah and I skipped it last time we were here and unfortunately we really didn’t miss too much. We waited outside for my parents who found it fascinating and when they were ready we all headed to check out the incredible Pont du Gard.

This thing was so massive, you could see it for miles away, my parents were blown away and for me, it was just as impressive as I remembered it. We walked across the aqua duct and eventually split up to explore the various walking paths and lookout points on either side of the valley. It was really difficult trying to get a photo which really showed the scale of the three tired aqua duct. I found myself going higher and higher to get the best angle and ended up on a path which took me further and further away, I’d been walking almost 10 minutes before deciding to turn around and head back. By the time I reached the base of Pont du Gard, Hannah and my parents were waiting for me on the other side ready to make our way back to the car and take the drive to Marseille. My mum kept telling us that she once did a school project on Marseille, and never expected that she’d actually visit one day. It was a decent drive to Marseille but today Hannah was behind the wheel. As we approached the city our sat nav stopped recognising all the new roads and we became extremely lost, very quickly. We had no idea where the hotel was and the roads were so confusing it was difficult to work out what direction we were going, let alone trying to avoid the expensive toll roads. With the intensely heavy traffic, a useless sat nav and a very poor city road map we drove around Marseille for almost 2 hours until we finally, finally found the hotel. A round of applause to Hannah, I was stressing out in the passenger seat, couldn’t imagine what it was like to drive in it.

We arrived at the hotel late in the afternoon, checked in and made the long journey into the city. After our unexpected driving tour of Marseille took so long, we didn’t have much time left to explore the city. We jumped on a tram then walked a few blocks and eventually found the Marseille Port. We noticed there was a ‘le petit train’, the small tourist train which did laps of the city. So we jumped aboard to save us what would have been an excruciating walk to reach the Notre-Dame de la Garde, which sat at the highest point in Marseille. From this incredible basilica you had uninterrupted panoramic views across the entire city and port of Marseille, it truly was one of the great city views of the world. My parents were couldn’t believe they were here, in Marseille, their now favorite place of the trip so far. Since it was the last tourist train of the day, we had very little time at the Notre-Dame de la Garde, so my parents and I were running around taking as many photos as possible while we had the chance while also trying to take it all in. I rushed inside the church to have a look inside, it was one of the most impressive churches I’ve even seen.

I rushed back to le petit train where it was blowing its horn, almost ready to depart, Mum and Hannah were there but Dad was still wandering around somewhere. I ran off to find him and rushed him to the train, just before it set off, lucky because it’s a very long walk back. When we returned to the port we explored the streets looking for somewhere really nice to eat, especially after such an ordinary meal last night. We eventually decided on a restaurant very similar to Entrecote and it was amazing. After stuffing ourselves once again we slowly made our way back to the hotel to call it a night.

Day 4:
Nimes - Marseille
123 KM TRAVELLED // 801 KM TOTAL
Ibis Euromediterranee

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Photos

Marseille
Stunning Marrseille with Notre-Dame de la Garde overlooking the city

Pont du Gard
The incredible Pont du Gard Roman viaduct.

Pont du Gard
Cannoers along the Gardon River, the breathtaking Pont du Gard in the background.

Pont du Gard
The immense size of the Pont du Gard is amazing.

Marseille
One of the best viewpoints in the world, Marseille from the Notre Dame de la Garde.

Marseille
Incredible views across stunning Marseille.

Marseille
Beautiful Notre Dame de la Garde, the highest point of Marseille

Marseille
Inside the Notre Dame de la Garde, one of the most impressive churches I've ever seen.