Provence Day 1

---

So, some of you maybe wondering, "Why Martigues?" The answer is that my father was stationed here in the US Army during World War II. Among his memorabilia from that time are two pictures of Martigues. I was interested in seeing the town, but also I thought I would try to find the places that the pictures were taken. This morning, after breakfast, I wandered around the little town and, to my surprise, I quickly found the locations of those pictures. The first one is a photograph and it is easy to see the church belltower and the building in the foreground are clearly the same. (See first set of photos) The other picture from Dad's collection is a postcard and I was able to find the spot where the artist sat when he painted it. (See second set of photos) Martigues today is a pleasant little town located on the Mediterranean. It was fun to explore and, as I walked around, I picked up supplies for a picnic. The people in the shops didn't speak English, so I got to use my French, which is serviceable but not fluent. When I left town, I set the GPS for the Camargue. This is a national park and wildlife refuge at the mouth of the Rhône River. It is known for flamingos, wild horses, and mosquitoes. I didn't see any of the former nor of the latter, but I did see a small group of the famous white horses that were quite near the road and mostly hidden behind some foliage. (See final picture) Eventually I arrived in Arles and checked into my hotel. Tomorrow I look forward to exploring more of Provence.

---