Montpellier - tram system efficient and easy to use.......miles and miles of beach along
Mediterranean at Palavas....the summer destination for Montpellier......building boom evident by the number of cranes on the skyline.
The coastal resort of La Grande-Motte with its unusual shaped white buildings....designed as a holiday town to prevent the French from migrating to the beaches of Spain.
Aigues-Mortes.......medieval fortress city....13th century.....restaurants, art shops and lots of people.
Les Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer......seaside resort town.
Gite at Chateau d'Or et de Gueules ( means "red" in ancient Occitaine language.....from bull's mouth...which is a bit rude to call someone now) is up some metal stairs through an uncared for yard near the tasting room.....5 kms from St Gilles in the middle of vineyards as far as one can see.
La Capelière nature exhibit and bird watching location in the Petit Camarge and the shores of Étang du Vaccarés (black bulls, white horses, flamingoes).
Les Salins observatory where we watched truckload after truckload of salt that has evaporated from the salt marshes is piled up...has been providing salt for 400 years.
Plage Napoleon with its caravans, miles of sandy beach (and a huge dumpster overflowing).
Port-Saint-Lois-du-Rhone...... With a tiny free ferry to take cars across the Rhone River.
Arles with the Pont Van Gogh ....the bridge over the canal featured in one of his paintings.
Beaucaire .....majestic ruined castle facing another castle across the Rhone River........in the middle of a town with 2 big factories belching smoke.
Pont de Gard.....incredible Roman Aqueduct with an facinating museum describing the construction of the aqueduct system from Uzes to Nimes, the particular construction of the Pont De Gard, and the uses and importance of water in Roman life.
L'Orange......ancient Roman theatre that was the first public project by Augustus (55 BC) in this area of Gaul which gave Nimes status.....using the hillside carved out for terraces....an audio guide which gave the history of the theatre past and present....and arc de triomphe d'Orange also from Augustus' time.
Avingnon......with its bridge, pope's palace & charming old town.
Wine tasting at Chateau d'Or et de Gueules.
Grapes......Syrah, Grenache, Carignan, Mourvèdre......AOC Costières de Nimes......delicious rosés, full bodied reds, and a vin de pays Chardonnay.
Nîmes, 2500 years of history......historical Roman amphitheatre built in 1st century which still hosts bull-fights....only place in France licenced to kill bulls. Detailed description of Roman games.......wild animals/criminals, gladiators. History of construction, the ancient games, the fortification it became and its restoration, the history of bull-fighting in France....all via English language audio.
Magne tower at highest point in Nîmes with large garden, Roman baths, & Temple of Diana...... lots of families, young people, lovers, old people....a wonderful public space.
St. Gilles .....delightful town with its 12th century abbey church which was the 4th most important destination in the Middle Ages after Rome, Jerusalem & Santiago de Compostela.......Romanesque....Unesco site....abbey ruins remain.
Cirque de Navacelles...canyon 300 meters deep with village at the bottom of a serpentine road.
Pont de Millau crosses the Tarn Valley took three years to construct.....a 4 lane 2.5 km motorway that towers higher than the Effiel Tower at one point...designed by British architect Sir Norman Foster
The Société cheese factory in Roquefort that utilizes the enormous caves with natural vents to mature the cheese made from sheep's milk.
Gite de Les Bourboules........in Les Martys which is about halfway between Cacassone and Mazamet up in the Black Mountains.....a renovated upstairs space with a lovely sunny terrace.
Castelnaudary.......eating cassoulet on the banks of the Midi Canal.
Old non-working moulin overlooking vineyards.
Albi.....fortress Gothic Cathédrale Ste-Cécile made of red brick from clay from the Tarn River which runs through town........begun in 1282 after the Cathar heresy was crushed....a dominating presence in town....inside painted by Italian artists in 16th century.
Gardens of the Palais de la Berbie......now the Toulouse-Lautrec museum.
Cordes-sur-ciel......medieval village on hillside built around 1222.
Gorges of Galamus ..... 500m deep.....roadway carved out of cliff for 3 kms.....passing outcrops at intervals for one car lane.
Castle of Puilaurens 690m above village of Lapradelle 10th century abbey, 13th century refuge for Cathars.......a 20 minute walk uphill to appreciate the construction, view from ancient steps.
Lastours......4 castle ruins high on hills but only 2 visible from village....built on hillside.
Minerve.....on limestone promontory above River Brian...1210 besieged by Simon de Montfort vs Cathars.
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