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Published: March 17th 2008
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Julia (German), Katrin (German), Julia (Swiss) and myself signed our lives away to hire a car for the weekend. We picked up the car (was silver no idea what sort... but was brand new had only done 450ks so far) early sat morn and headed off in the Provence region direction, map in hand and GPS ready to guide us. Both Julias were not keen to drive so me and Katrin shared it, may sound easy but trust me leaving Montpellier in a new car, on the right side of the road for the first time, in a manual, in ridiculous tiny roads with mad French drivers and cars parked in the most crazy spots, with the GPS speaking english direction, the girls speaking German and the radio talking French (Left, right, links, rechs, gauche, droit.....) is no easy task, but after crossing the same roundabout for the third time the GPS finally lead us out into the country.
First destination Aigues-Mortes. Sweet little town surrounded by a huge wall (again, but real well preserved and impresively big), and between 10am-5pm cars are banned from the central town. First coffee stop. Still havent sorted out the coffees here, if you order
Flamengos
THey were everywhere along the side of the road in the swamp Petite Camargue a “cafe” you get a tiny amount of black coffee for about 1.80€, a “cafe a creme” 3.5€ (7$!!) comes with milk which has tried to be frothed, but is only bubbles, a cappachino 3.8€ has cream on top of the black coffee... And a "grand" coffee will set you back about 6€ and comes in a muesli bowl...
We then headed to the sea via a country road, on the map it seemed like a direct short cut which the GPS was happy with and which would be through nice country side. Was very nice, but what the map forgot to tell us was the fact that there was no bridge at the river crossing, but a car ferry... The ferry crosses only every half hour and stops for lunch between 12 and 3pm... we arrived luckily at 11.55...
Stes-Maries-de-la-Mer is a beach side town, aimed at tourists, so lots of hotels on the water front and shops around, we didnt stop for long cause it was pretty windy and is a summer aimed place.
On through incrediable country, they only seem to have white horses and pink flamengos for country wild life, to Arles. Arles still has a
Car ferry
Tomtom (GPS) lead us through the country to a tiny car ferry in the middle of nowhere, only crosses every half hour and stops for lunch from 12 till 3pm, we arrived at 11.55am... wonderful historic feel, the view across the town reveils a puzzle of red roofs. The center of the town is around a huge amphitheatre in which they still have bull fights (they were advertsing for one the next day). We had lunch in a cute little resturant which looked over the amphitheatre. Ordering in a resturant is still an adventure, though is slowly becoming less of a stab in the the dark as my French improves, but you still never quite know what you are going to get...
From there on to les Baux de Provence, again through lots of farms and tiny towns, we often took random turn offs (to the horror of the GPS “make a u turn asap...”) into little country villages, all with a central church and often huge historical walls, and of course tiny impossible roads... Baux de Provence is in the center of the region and you drive through almost LOTR type rocky hilltops, with tiny villages perched ontop.
Not quite knowing where to stay we choose Tarascon, as we wanted a typical French over night experience (the dreams were a chateau with an old granddad and his dog and a huge four poster
double bed...). Tarascon seemed not too big, in the central of the region, but big enough to be explorable at night and have some things to do... Well big mistake, as so nicely put in German “es war der Arsch der Welt” and proof that some French villages just dont have any character. Firstly it is right next to a paper factory and at about 6pm the wind changed and the smell of rotten eggs mixed with a pub toilet came over the town while we wandered the streets looking for some night life. Tarascon is a town with lots of corners but no centre, when we asked some girls whether there was a town center they said not really and no there was not a central pedestrain road with a culture or anything. The resturants all had old men playing bingo or watching sport on tv. At least our hotel had comfy beds..... (On Monday when retelling (in the past tense in French), our teacher said its well known for its bad smell...)
Woke to sunshine in the morning and headed to Remoulins for breakie out of the smell and in the sun.
Pont du Gard was next, a
huge, incrediably preserved roman aquaduct, the size was overwhelming, considering they would have built it all by hand (photos speak better than words).
Then through Uzes, and the country side (Dions, Sommieres, Castries, Mauguio) on the way home with a final GINOURMOUS ice cream on the beach at Palavas.
Getting into Montpellier was no easier than leaving, missed the exit and then took the wrong one only to discover there are no petrol stations in central montpellier so out again and then repeating the processes back in...
Was a great weekend, but will have to return in summer when the lavenders and sunflowers, which the region are famous for, are in bloom, when my French is better so I can speak to the people in the small country villages
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Bridgie
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wow cool silv i remember studying the pont du gard in classics...mustve been cool to see it in real ilfe huh. like that statue at the louve..haha remember that. looks like youve been having a sweet time, im loving the distraction from doing schoolwork this is greatfun. yusss procrastination!!x