(http://www.arlestourisme.com/the-camargue.html)
The Camargue, a magic word, is a place where man lives alongside horses, bulls, birds, the sky and water. The magic of this region lies in the preservation of it natural spaces. It is a fragile sanctuary for fauna and flora, uncommon in Europe; protected by the Camargue regional park and natural reserve, it forms a unique landscape. Moreover, it is as a natural space of world interest that Arles is classified by UNESCO as a World Heritage site. Situated between the two arms of the Rhône (it is a delta with the Grand Rhône towards the south-east, and the Petit Rhône towards the south-west), the Camargue is a vast wetland of approximately 100,000 hectares, the largest in France and also one of the most secret. It is divided in three distinct zones: cultivation north of the delta, salt banks in the west and east and lagoons in the south....
The guidebook's section on Arles/Camargue sounded interesting...even more so when it suggested a 4X4 safari tour! Sign me up! The city of Arles also was of keen interest. So, I put on my "travel agent hat" and found an interesting hotel (a converted convent) within an easy walk into the old/historic part of Arles. We set out for the 2+ hour drive and we were so pleased when we saw the hotel; it was full of charm, history and elegance of a bygone era. We checked in and immediately booked lunch at the hotel and enjoyed a relaxing meal, expertly served on the terrace - and it was superb.
After a quick unpack (it was only a 3 nite stay), we ventured out to the old town. Some of the best preserved Roman ruins are in France, and the arena in Arles was testament to that fact. Then there was the "hospital" where VanGogh took refuge and painted - a reprint of his famous painting "Courtyard of the Hospital in Arles" is posted and it still looks the same. There are churches and museums, restaurants and bistros, cafes and bars; so many wonderful choices.
A stop into the Office of Tourism and we booked our "safari" ride to the Camargue. Sure enough, next morning, right behind our hotel, a rough looking 4x4 picks us up, along with a few other tourists and off we went. In less than 30 minutes we were in the Camargue. Pictures can best describe what a great experience we had - highly recommend it. And they speak a "different" kind of French here: Occitan. Sound familiar? The bath and body shop? Well, Occitan is a form of Catalan (Barcelona!) and it is the language of the people from the region of Languedoc. In fact, Languedoc is a variation of the words "language of the Occitan" (langue d'oc). There is a strong Spanish/Catalan/Basque influence here: bulls, bullrings, and bull fights; there were flamenco dresses being sold and many of the horse and bull ranches had Spanish (owners') names. I felt right at home!As I was cooking the other day, I went looking through the pantry for some of the goodies we brought back from France that may have been hidden from sight. I came across the small container of salt from the Camargue. It brought back a flood of memories of our trip to the Camargue. What is a/the Camargue? (I asked the same question!) Here is an excerpt from the Arles Tourism Board (http://www.arlestourisme.com/the-camargue.html)
The Camargue, a magic word, is a place where man lives alongside horses, bulls, birds, the sky and water. The magic of this region lies in the preservation of it natural spaces. It is a fragile sanctuary for fauna and flora, uncommon in Europe; protected by the Camargue regional park and natural reserve, it forms a unique landscape. Moreover, it is as a natural space of world interest that Arles is classified by UNESCO as a World Heritage site. Situated between the two arms of the Rhône (it is a delta with the Grand Rhône towards the south-east, and the Petit Rhône towards the south-west), the Camargue is a vast wetland of approximately 100,000 hectares, the largest in France and also one of the most secret. It is divided in three distinct zones: cultivation north of the delta, salt banks in the west and east and lagoons in the south....
The guidebook's section on Arles/Camargue sounded interesting...even more so when it suggested a 4X4 safari tour! Sign me up! The city of Arles also was of keen interest. So, I put on my "travel agent hat" and found an interesting hotel (a converted convent) within an easy walk into the old/historic part of Arles. We set out for the 2+ hour drive and we were so pleased when we saw the hotel; it was full of charm, history and elegance of a bygone era. We checked in and immediately booked lunch at the hotel and enjoyed a relaxing meal, expertly served on the terrace - and it was superb.
After a quick unpack (it was only a 3 nite stay), we ventured out to the old town. Some of the best preserved Roman ruins are in France, and the arena in Arles was testament to that fact. Then there was the "hospital" where VanGogh took refuge and painted - a reprint of his famous painting "Courtyard of the Hospital in Arles" is posted and it still looks the same. There are churches and museums, restaurants and bistros, cafes and bars; so many wonderful choices.
A stop into the Office of Tourism and we booked our "safari" ride to the Camargue. Sure enough, next morning, right behind our hotel, a rough looking 4x4 picks us up, along with a few other tourists and off we went. In less than 30 minutes we were in the Camargue. Pictures can best describe what a great experience we had - highly recommend it. And they speak a "different" kind of French here: Occitan. Sound familiar? The bath and body shop? Well, Occitan is a form of Catalan (Barcelona!) and it is the language of the people from the region of Languedoc. In fact, Languedoc is a variation of the words "language of the Occitan" (langue d'oc). There is a strong Spanish/Catalan/Basque influence here: bulls, bullrings, and bull fights; there were flamenco dresses being sold and many of the horse and bull ranches had Spanish (owners') names. I felt right at home!As I was cooking the other day, I went looking through the pantry for some of the goodies we brought back from France that may have been hidden from sight. I came across the small container of salt from the Camargue. It brought back a flood of memories of our trip to the Camargue. What is a/the Camargue? (I asked the same question!) Here is an excerpt from the Arles Tourism Board (http://www.arlestourisme.com/the-camargue.html)
The Camargue, a magic word, is a place where man lives alongside horses, bulls, birds, the sky and water. The magic of this region lies in the preservation of it natural spaces. It is a fragile sanctuary for fauna and flora, uncommon in Europe; protected by the Camargue regional park and natural reserve, it forms a unique landscape. Moreover, it is as a natural space of world interest that Arles is classified by UNESCO as a World Heritage site. Situated between the two arms of the Rhône (it is a delta with the Grand Rhône towards the south-east, and the Petit Rhône towards the south-west), the Camargue is a vast wetland of approximately 100,000 hectares, the largest in France and also one of the most secret. It is divided in three distinct zones: cultivation north of the delta, salt banks in the west and east and lagoons in the south....
The guidebook's section on Arles/Camargue sounded interesting...even more so when it suggested a 4X4 safari tour! Sign me up! The city of Arles also was of keen interest. So, I put on my "travel agent hat" and found an interesting hotel (a converted convent) within an easy walk into the old/historic part of Arles. We set out for the 2+ hour drive and we were so pleased when we saw the hotel; it was full of charm, history and elegance of a bygone era. We checked in and immediately booked lunch at the hotel and enjoyed a relaxing meal, expertly served on the terrace - and it was superb.
After a quick unpack (it was only a 3 nite stay), we ventured out to the old town. Some of the best preserved Roman ruins are in France, and the arena in Arles was testament to that fact. Then there was the "hospital" where VanGogh took refuge and painted - a reprint of his famous painting "Courtyard of the Hospital in Arles" is posted and it still looks the same. There are churches and museums, restaurants and bistros, cafes and bars; so many wonderful choices.
A stop into the Office of Tourism and we booked our "safari" ride to the Camargue. Sure enough, next morning, right behind our hotel, a rough looking 4x4 picks us up, along with a few other tourists and off we went. In less than 30 minutes we were in the Camargue. Pictures can best describe what a great experience we had - highly recommend it. And they speak a "different" kind of French here: Occitan. Sound familiar? The bath and body shop? Well, Occitan is a form of Catalan (Barcelona!) and it is the language of the people from the region of Languedoc. In fact, Languedoc is a variation of the words "language of the Occitan" (langue d'oc). There is a strong Spanish/Catalan/Basque influence here: bulls, bullrings, and bull fights; there were flamenco dresses being sold and many of the horse and bull ranches had Spanish (owners') names. I felt right at home!
(Watch the video of the Camargue and Arles!)
(Watch the video of the Camargue and Arles!)
No comments:
Post a Comment