Sunday 15th October 2017
Another glorious day and we were making our way to Nîmes. It is in the Occitannie region and once an important outpost of the Roman Empire.
The name had cropped up a few times whilst we were at the Pont du Gard. (Also known as the Nîmes aqueduct).
The city of Nîmes has a number of well preserved Roman monuments; the most famous being the Arena of Nîmes.
On our arrival, we located an underground car park quite easily in the centre of the city. It was in the area of the Esplanade Charles de Gaulle.
The area was delightful with well positioned shaded seating areas and some lovely water features, such as rills and fountains.
The amphitheatre was just a short walk from the public garden area and was just as imposing as we had imagined.
There it was in all its glory, smack bang amongst the modern buildings of the city, but nevertheless not looking the least bit out of place. (Big plus, not another tourist in sight!)
We purchased a combined ticket for the amphitheatre, Le Maison Carrée, a restored Roman temple and La Tour Magne. (An 18 m stone watch tower, part of the city wall, with panoramic views over the city).
We were informed that we would be able to walk to the other 2 monuments, but a word of caution. Yes, you can, but the Tour Magne is situated at the top of Les Jardins de la Fountaine, which means a steep walk, so be prepared.
We were provided with an audio guide for the Arena, which we were able to use quite easily, by following the numbers located on various parts of the walls. If you are interested in the history, then this aid is fantastic and provides huge amounts of detail about anything and everything relating to the Arena, including how it is still used as a bull ring and a venue for concerts or sporting events.
We were blown away by the vastness of the construction and in admiration of not only the incredible building skills of the Romans, but also the huge amount of dedication that is being paid to the monument through its long term restoration project.
It was possible to walk almost anywhere, apart from on the arena floor, which had been set up for an event. Even up to the very top and take in the views.
You can climb to the very top of the arena and admire the city but some of the rises are quite high, so make use of any thing you can find as a lever!
Time to head off for a bite of lunch before taking in any more ‘history’.
We found ourselves at Big Fernand, L’Atelier du hamburgé. All the produce is French and fresh. Home made mayonnaise and delicious fries with herbes d’Provence, which was a new condiment for us.
Feeling nourished we reverted to our Google map to lead us in the direction of Le Tour Magne. It led us to Les Jardins de la Fountaine by one of the lovely waterways in the city. A marvellous gadget!
We paused to take in the Temple of Diane, which had definitely seen better days, but more interesting was the filming which was taking place in the gardens.
Numerous people dressed in period Roman costumes listening carefully to the instructions of the director.
We made the long, steep walk up towards the Tour Magne, pausing every so often in the pretence of taking in the views.
At last we reached our target – The Tour Magne.
The next target was to ascend the spiral steps to the top of the tower. Unfortunately there wasn’t anywhere to pause and take a breath, as the stairs were steep and narrow.
Somehow we made it to the top! Once again we were rewarded with stunning views across another city. (At least the descent would be a lot easier!)
We made our way back down through the gardens, listening to the shouting and screaming of the actors below us.
By the time we reached the bottom, there were many ‘slaughtered’ actors littering the gardens, but the filming had ‘cut’ for a moment, so we moved on.
We made our way back to the car via another lovely walk. The Avenue Jean Jaurés/Les Allées Jaurés.
Time for home and put our feet up!