Aigues-Mortes

The Camargue is a region located south of Arles between the Mediterranean Sea and the two arms of the Rhone River delta. It is comprised of lakes, saltbeds and marshland and the central area is a provincial park which protects its wetland environment and natural wildlife. The rose or pink flamingoes are the most representative birds of the Camargue. Unfortunately, although I've seen many of them on my travels, I haven't been able to capture them on film. In addition, this area is also famous for the Camargue horses and bulls. Yesterday, my travels took me to Aigues-Mortes, a medieval fortress town on the western edge of the Camargue that was founded in 1240 by Louis IX, who later became St. Louis. 

On week-end days, there is one bus that leaves late morning from Montpellier to Aigues-Mortes for a grand total of 1€60. It takes about an hour and you meander through a number of towns on the way including Grande Motte which I have written about previously. En route, I snapped a picture of the salt marshes or Salins du Midi through the window. There are tours offered throughout the tourist season which describe the salination process, but they don't begin again until mid-April. The marshlands have a real rosy glow (not evident in this photo) and the salt piles resemble mountains of snow.

From the highway, Aigues-Mortes looks quite formidable with its ramparts and towers surrounding the old city. Once off the bus, I walked toward La Porte de la Gardette (seen below) which is the main entrance to the town.

The Grand'Rue, on the other side of the gate, is a cobblestone street lined with shops, cafés and restaurants ending at the main square, Place St. Louis. Just before the square, I spotted l'Église Notre-Dame-des-Sablons to my left.

The most interesting features of this church were the modern stained glass windows (circa 1960) which were very different than anything I've seen before.

According to one of the posters in the church, the colours in the windows are symbolic of a variety of attributes.

By this time, it was after one and I was getting pretty hungry. My acquaintance Martine had recommended a restaurant called Le Dit Vin (clever name I thought). I found it on a petit street off Grand'Rue. It was packed with local residents which I reckon is always a good sign. 

I ordered a house red and the table appetizer was a fish spread with petit toasts - very tasty. I also liked the bread basket which was a cloth bag seen in the background.

The plat de jour was a chicken dish with carmelized onions and pasta. I enjoyed every mouthful.

Once replete, I headed to the entrance to the ramparts.You enter beside the La Tour de Constance (below) which was completed in 1248. Initially it served as a watch tower and lighthouse to protect the town and port, but subsequently became a prison, most notably for the Huguenot women who refused to renounce their faith. The last of the Huguenots left the prison in 1768. It is an impressive structure 22m in diameter and 40m high with 6 m thick walls. 

Curved, beautiful ceilings in rooms within the Tour de Constance.

The ramparts stretch for 1650m around the old city and along the way, there are many towers you can climb to access beautiful panoramic views of the city and countryside. 

A vignoble to the south-east.

The view of the canal and city to the north.

The Salins du Midi to the south.

As I walked along the ramparts, I stopped to take photos of some of the rooftops. Here you can see the clock and the top of L'Eglise Notre-Dame-des-Sablons.

From the ramparts, you can also see houses below, their terraces and flowers. I thought this house with its painted shutters, window boxes and flower pots was very charming.

I took a picture of this balcony because of the lemon tree. We have them in Edmonton as well, but we don't have lemons at the beginning of March!

I can't imagine living in one of the houses closest to the ramparts. Tourists could see right inside your home and from what I hear, this is a very popular tourist destination. There would be a non-stop parade of people checking out what you are having for dinner.

After my tour of the ramparts, I returned to the main square, the Place St. Louis. The statue of St Louis is in the centre of the square and people sit enjoying a beverage or a meal outdoors.

This isn't a great picture, but I was rushing at the end of the afternoon. It is the Chapelle des Capucins built in the 17h century. It has been converted into an art space and the exposition I attended was a retrospective by a gent named Jean-Charles Lallement 1914-1970. There were posters of his works which for the most part were massive sculptures that now reside in different cities around France.

Last, but not least, is a picture of la Chapelle des pénitents gris. It really was much more captivating in the late afternoon light than is depicted in the photo. Unfortunately, it was not open for me to take a look inside. Besides which, I realized I had run out of time and had to make a mad dash back to the bus terminal in order to catch the one and only bus home to Montpellier. 

As the bus turned the corner to leave Aigues-Mortes, I caught a glimse of a spectacular view of La Tour Constance, the ramparts and the canal. I wish I was able to capture it on film, but it was not meant to be. Another enjoyable adventure! 

I know what's coming next, but you will have to wait. Talk to you soon.