Salinelles....Uzès ...Sommières and points in between

Back in the fall, I met a woman from Ottawa, Canada, who was also in Enio's class. We would chat together at coffee breaks and she would tell us stories about her beautiful rented gîte and village. Unfortunately she left our school after a couple of weeks, but occasionally I would get an email from her. A few weeks ago, she invited me to spend the weekend with her and her daughter, Moira, in their gîte in Salinelles. I jumped at the chance to see her place and some of the French countryside and villages that are not accessible by train. I met her shortly after noon on Friday at Paul Valéry University in Montpellier where she is now studying French. It took us a couple of hours to get to her home only because we stopped en route to see some of the sights and pick up some groceries. 

My lovely hosts, Rebecca and Moira, in front of the gîte.

Here are pictures of their beautiful gîte which is situated on the banks of the Vidourle river.

The Vidourle River is fed by the Cevennes and the water level can change dramatically within a very short period of time. The gîte is to the left.

This wonderful old Roman bridge crosses the river in front of their gîte. In these pictures the river seems quite calm and the water level is relatively low. However, as I write this blog, Rebecca has been sending me pictures that show the swirling river and the water level has risen past the arches. Apparently, there have been several floods here and in other areas bordering this river. 

The weekend was filled with wonderful food, wine, conversation and of course sight-seeing. Rebecca has explored much of the area and took me to see many of the nearby villages. We would just pass through one and then we'd be in another. The landscape was dotted with chateaus (les châteaux) French country farm houses called les mas and vineyards (les vignobles).

Un mas 

Below is a picture of a vineyard or un vignoble in Dions.

The villages, for the most part, had beautiful stone homes with colourful shutters, charming streets and interesting walls. These pictures were also taken in Dions.

On Saturday morning we drove to Uzès, a lovely medieval village north of Nîmes. In the "Place Aux Herbes" there is a market which is famous for its produce and the various cloths made in the region as well as tourist souvenirs. Rebecca managed to "bang out some bargains" while I exercised remarkable self restraint.

Mimosas are in season right now and this was a beautiful bouquet for sale at the market.

After the market, we wandered through the charming streets of Uzès...

past the Château du Duché....

to the Cathédrale Saint-Théordorit d'Uzès.

The tower you see behind the cathedral is an iconic symbol in Uzès because of the unique paired windows. The cathedral has been rebuilt and the tower is the only part to survive from the original medieval structure. The tower, La Tour Fenestrelle, dates back to the 11th century. It is reminiscent of the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

After Uzès and a quick trip home to unload the purchases and grab a bite to eat, we headed out again - this time to Sommières. It is another interesting medieval town centered around a large Roman bridge with an historical centre of vaulted passages, fortified portals, ancient ramparts, shops and homes. Below is a picture of the Vidourle River and the Roman bridge.

I just happened to have my camera ready when a trio of riders came by along the banks of the river. I wonder if that is one of the Camargue horses?

A couple of black swans in the Virdoule.

On Sunday, we drove to another beautiful village called Villevieille to pick up one of Moira's friends. As it turns out, this is where Rebecca will be moving to at the end of April. They will live in a delightful, albeit smaller home, just below the chateau. We had coffee with a charming couple who have lived in France for the past five years, but were originally from Australia and Ireland respectively. Their daughter, Katelyn, accompanied us for our afternoon adventure to the Ambrussum which is a Roman archeological site. This is all that remains on the site of the original bridge Ambroix. It is thought that the bridge probably had between 9 and 11 arches and was built around the time of Jesus Christ or perhaps even earlier. It was partly destroyed by 14th century inhabitants, but the rising Vidourle River also destroyed several arches. 

We walked up the main paved road called the Via Domitia which is the oldest Roman road built in Gaul. It had deep ruts created by primitive vehicles and along the sides of the road, there were  remains of buildings and homes. Katelyn and Moira exploring some of the ruins below.

Once we reached the top, about 56m altitude, there was a panoramic view of Pic Saint-Loup, the foothills of the Cevennes and the village, Gallargues-le-Montueux, seen here.

At this point, you could see the rampart or surrounding wall, the oldest visible remains on the hill. 

A picture of Rebecca, Katelyn and me taken at the peak by Moira.

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end and it was time for me to return to Montpellier.  Rebecca and the girls kindly drove me back to the city. It really was a delighful week-end and I am so grateful to Rebecca and Moira for their kindness and generosity. Un autre bon week-end!