29.08.18
Off to revisit other places I have enjoyed before. The Carmargue with its wild horses, bulls and flamingoes is a place apart - it has a different feel to other parts of France and is unspoiled.
Aigues Mortes, the walled ancient city is a tourist attraction but still fascinating. It's narrow streets largely pedestrian only, are flanked with pretty houses, shops, bars and restaurants. It's centre square heaving with restaurants all al fresco under large sunshades. Plenty of eating choices here and lots of Carmargue beef (toureau) or 'gardien' beef. I couldn't help but have a memory of my Dad here not long before he died when the 3 of us came for a holiday, choosing to let my Mum and I wander the shops whilst he rested in a restaurant and had a crepe for his lunch before we took a boat trip and watched the majestic gardien on their horses rounding up the bulls. My parents had been coming here for years and it was them who introduced me to the area in my teens.
We went outside the walls to explore the waterways : the Rhone and Sete canal where plenty of pleasure boats were moored along with the trip boats. Another must of a stop identified for our future travels by boat. All along the coast from here are the salt flats where the water is pink (from the sea creatures I think). Sometimes flamingoes can be seen wading but we didn't see any this time. Carmargue salt is thought to be the best and very pure. Being true tourists, we bought some of course.
We went on to the beach at Grau du Roi - not a touristy place with little to remark about it and still as I remember it - a fishing port with huge boats coming and going. A swim here in the Med - although it took a long walk out for it to become deep enough.
Off to revisit other places I have enjoyed before. The Carmargue with its wild horses, bulls and flamingoes is a place apart - it has a different feel to other parts of France and is unspoiled.
Aigues Mortes, the walled ancient city is a tourist attraction but still fascinating. It's narrow streets largely pedestrian only, are flanked with pretty houses, shops, bars and restaurants. It's centre square heaving with restaurants all al fresco under large sunshades. Plenty of eating choices here and lots of Carmargue beef (toureau) or 'gardien' beef. I couldn't help but have a memory of my Dad here not long before he died when the 3 of us came for a holiday, choosing to let my Mum and I wander the shops whilst he rested in a restaurant and had a crepe for his lunch before we took a boat trip and watched the majestic gardien on their horses rounding up the bulls. My parents had been coming here for years and it was them who introduced me to the area in my teens.
We went outside the walls to explore the waterways : the Rhone and Sete canal where plenty of pleasure boats were moored along with the trip boats. Another must of a stop identified for our future travels by boat. All along the coast from here are the salt flats where the water is pink (from the sea creatures I think). Sometimes flamingoes can be seen wading but we didn't see any this time. Carmargue salt is thought to be the best and very pure. Being true tourists, we bought some of course.
We went on to the beach at Grau du Roi - not a touristy place with little to remark about it and still as I remember it - a fishing port with huge boats coming and going. A swim here in the Med - although it took a long walk out for it to become deep enough.
No comments:
Post a Comment