Days 7 and 8 October 13 & 14 Cote de Azure

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Saturday October 13

Jim has always wanted to see the roman coliseum in Rome but there are two smaller arenas close to St Remy so we decide to travel to Arles to see the one there. The other reason we chose Arles is there is a Saturday market that our travel book says is very large. We follow Monique, the name we gave the voice on our GPS, to the city center only to find that the city is very busy because of the market and Monique takes on a wild ride through the city center with streets so small you could literally spread your arms and touch the walls on each side of the street. Needless to say we were a little nervous and there were a couple of turns we thought our small rental car could not make. After 10 frightening minutes we made it out of the old part of the city and found a parking spot quite a ways from the market. We walked to the edge of the market and soon realized there was nothing there we wanted to buy and way too many people to enjoy ourselves. Getting to the arena to see it was also out of the question as it was on the other side of the market so we walked back to the car and got out of Arles quickly.



We decided to visit another Roman historical site called the Pont du Gard aqueduct, which was built 19 BC. The drive there took us through some very scenic French villages. We parked the car and walked up the river canyon and soon within view was the aqueduct, an amazing site to see because it was so large. The aqueduct was part of a 30-mile canal system to bring water to the city of Nimes where most of the aqueduct was underground, but at this particular point the aqueduct had to cross the Gardon River. It stands 160 feet high and was originally 1,100 feet long. The amazing thing is it was built with stone blocks that weigh up to 4 to 6 tons with no mortar, and is currently the second highest standing Roman structure in the world. It is hard to believe it has stood this long. Even though there is all this history around this structure, people come out here to play in the water and float under the bridge. Many students were there today with their sketchbooks in hand. We walk across the bridge on the lower level and then hike into the hills to view the aqueduct from above. We were hoping to walk across the top level where the water was transported but they close that down in September – just missed it.



We then decided to check out the Roman arena in the city of Nimes, so we punched in the location into the GPS and let Monique guide the way. We found an underground parking garage close to the arena and was pleasantly surprised to find that Nimes was a hundred times less hectic than Arles. After a short walk we could see the arena, which was amazing to see in the middle of a busy city. The arena was built in the second century AD and was used for gladiator battles, theatrical events, and over time had many other uses until the City of Nimes purchased the site and restored it to its current state. It is one of the top 20 largest Roman amphitheaters of the 400 in existence, 133 meters long, 101 meters wide, 21 meters high, and holds 24,000 spectators. It is now used for a number of events including bullfights but the bulls are not killed. We walked up and down the steps of the arena and decided the Romans must have had strong legs because the steps were high and steep. A couple of times we had to climb up stones 3 feet high. Considering Lisa is only 5’4” it was a bit challenging but we were both determined to make it to the top.



After spending time at the arena we were tired and headed back to the parking garage but noticed a number of pedestrian walkways so we ventured over to check them out. To our surprise the old part of Nimes is a wonderful shopping area with cafes and stores selling just about anything you can imagine. We picked up a small bite to eat and headed back to the hotel.



After washing a few clothes Jim wanted to head back to town for dinner because he spotted a restaurant that served a great looking burger he saw a couple of days ago. Oui, a burger is not very French but we were hungry and wanted a little piece of home. The restaurant was La Mirabeau and did not serve dinner until 7:30 PM and we arrived at 6PM so we walked to a sidewalk café and had a beer and watched the people stroll by. We headed back the Le Mirabeau and got the last table they had. The waiter knew we were American because we wanted to eat so early. Lisa ordered the cheeseburger and Jim ordered the same but with a Bleu cheese sauce. To his surprise the burger showed up smothered with the sauce so it had to be eaten with a knife and fork. After he took a bite the look of his face was sheer bliss, in fact he mentioned it was one of the top three burgers he had ever eaten. If the burger was not enough it also came with frites, salad, and a basket of bread. It all went well with a bottle of local red wine. With all the hiking and walking we did today we do not feel bad about eating a burger. Tomorrow we are heading to the French Riviera to check out how the other half lives.



Sunday October 14



Our plan was to take the motorway southeast to Cannes and then drive along the coast towards Marseilles. After breakfast at the hotel we hit the road on our adventure. The motorways in France are toll roads and really cut a lot of time off long road trips. The problem for us we really did not know how the system worked, as it was different that we experienced in Normandy. On some motorways you drive for half hour or so and then come to a tollbooth and pay with a credit card and others you can pay with cash, and others you just take a ticket to mark your starting point. The thing Jim was worried about was getting in line with a bunch of cars behind us, and then not being able to pay the toll for some reason. The good news it did not happen but not without some stress along the way. By the time we drove the two and one half hours to Cannes we paid at least 25 Euros.



We arrived in Cannes and the weather was nice, about 73 degrees so we found parking and walked along the harbor and admired the million dollar yachts. We could not help but wonder how anyone could afford these massive toys. We took a stroll through the Casino located along the harbor walk but did not make a donation. The beach along the bay is amazing, cafes right on the beach and if you want a spot on the beach there is a fee of up to $18 Euros but you get a lounge chair, umbrella, and cocktail service. For those that have heard our South Beach (Miami) stories, the same applies here. We passed on the beach and walked along the shopping district where all the upscale shops are located and willing to take your money for something with their name on it (Gucci, Rolex, Hermes, Cartier, etc.). Since we left our spare change on our yacht, we decided to drive up the coast towards St. Tropez.



Monique, the GPS, took us on a journey on a road over a small mountain range where we came across crazy motorcycle riders and a mountain bike race that stopped traffic for about 15 minutes. The next town we came into was St Maxime and we soon were in crazy traffic. We realized there was a free airshow in town and two stunt planes were doing maneuvers over the harbor area. We decided not to stop as traffic and parking was crazy. Driving along the water with the planes flying overhead was crazy too as all the drivers were paying attention to the planes instead of the road.



As we came close to St Tropez we again came across traffic and soon realized there was a Porsche show in town where about 300 Porsches were on display. There was also a massive Boules tournament in town so there were not parking spots and everything was packed. The skies were also getting dark and rain was imminent. We were both ready to head back to the hotel in St Remy so we asked Monique to take us home. From St Tropez to the motorway we again had to drive over small mountain range with a two-lane curvy road. It was not long before many of the Porsche drivers were coming up behind us and itching to go fast. Jim felt like he was in a video game as these fast cars were passing us any chance they got. We finally hit the motorway and stopped along the way for a bite and got back to the hotel around 7:00 PM. Even though we did not get to see all the coastal towns we wanted to see we had a great time. Tomorrow we head to the Burgundy region. This will be another long drive but it takes us to another adventure.

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Photos

Pont du Gard
Roman Aqueduct

Nimes Arena
In the city center of Nimes stands the Roman Arena

Cannes Bay
The water is so blue in Cannes it looks like a picture

La Mirabeau
Our favorite restaurant in St Remy