European Adventure 2013

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August 30th 2013

Published: September 2nd 2013

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Aigues-Mortes

Colours of the Aigues-Mortes salt marshes...extend over thousands of hectares and have been producing salt since IV BC.

As most of the cycling group were heading towards yet another Mediterranean beach (always disappointing by Australian standards!), we opted to explore an area of salt production in the Aigues-Mortes salt marshes. This was only a 15 min bike ride from where the boat was moored and proved to be incredibly interesting and scenic…a beautiful range of colours in the ponds of different salt concentration, including pinks contributed to by algae which are eaten by brine shrimps, which are eaten by flamingos. A whole ecosystem of amazing diversity tolerant to salt has developed in this area. The salt production has been going on since IV BC and now extends over thousands of hectares. A tourist train took us around the whole operation including a fascinating Musee de Sel.

A walking tour within & around Aigues-Mortes occupied us for the afternoon. There was an interesting church, Notre-Dame-des-Sablons & wonderful towers & ramparts that made up the city walls. The city was founded in 1240 by Louis IX who later became St Louis…he led the last two Crusades, both of which left from the port of Aigues-Mortes.

This was the last day of our tour so after dinner the group headed

Aigues-Mortes

Salt crystals accumulate during the extraction process

into the city walls for a final drink. Although exhausting, it’s been a wonderful, challenging experience & we’ve met some great people.

Additional photos below

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Aigues-Mortes

Pink colour of the salt marshes varies in intensity due to the concentration of salt & the presence of minute algae - eaten by brine shrimp, which are eaten by flamingos giving their feathers a pink colour.