Day 17, Villeneuve-lès-Maguelone, Arles, Nimes

In Sete, a large market awaited us this morning. Before that, we had to quickly go to the optician because Kevin fell out of our mini bed during the night. Since there was no nightstand either, his glasses were under him. Luckily, the French opticians are super nice and were able to put the lenses back in within 2 minutes. We continued towards Villeneuve-les-maguelone, Camargue: Mission Flamingo. Neither of us believed it, but there were actually these super cute pink birds on every corner here. Also white horses and black bulls in marshland between the sea and farmland. However, here by the sea, in the middle of nowhere on gravel and marshland, our car failed again. After some convincing and patiently waiting, we were able to start our journey back. Our little Peugeot survived the trip with minor injuries from various shrubs and trees. We have now also reached the 3700 km mark. Maybe we just don't give our vehicle enough rest?

Next stop: Saintes-Maries-de-la-mer. Honestly, we didn't expect anything in THE pilgrimage city of the Roma. But the beach was so beautiful that Svenja had to walk barefoot into the sea. We were all alone, could collect seashells and enjoy the powdery sand. Until...

...that one wave came and caught Sveni. Soaking wet up to her knees. But since our car is also our wardrobe, we could continue directly to Arles. Here, we were greeted by many Roman buildings and even more shops. Our last stop for today was Nimes. Again, truly remarkable Roman buildings, many shops but no cafes or bars. Half-starved and parched, we stumbled upon the 'Gard o vin'. Only French people -everyone knows the two landladies- and us. 86 open wines on 10 standing tables, but welcoming and loving. Everything could be tasted and then ordered as a glass or bottle. Additionally, there was ham, cheese, bruschetta, carpaccio, vitello. All super delicious and cooked behind the bar in front of everyone's eyes. As a souvenir, we bought 2 glasses, even though this place is already unforgettable.