Provence and Camargue

I'm excited that it continues, but at the same time I'm a little sad to say goodbye to Quentin and Elena. Let's call it au revoir, then it's easier :). I'm going to Nîmes with a stopover in Avignon. There is the huge theater festival in Avignon, I've rarely seen so many people at once. Very impressive city, but I'm glad to come to the quieter and equally beautiful Roman "town" of Nîmes. I am thrilled with the Arena (Amphitheater), where gladiators used to fight and today the crowd goes wild at concerts.

Less impressive is the location of my hostel: just under 1 hour walk, and then up a hill, who came up with that idea?! Drenched in sweat, I stumble in, ok the fun isn't happening out here either, but a French teacher teaches me a fun card game and the evening is saved.

If I'm already in the south, then I'll do it right, I think to myself and head to the sea at Le Grau de Roi, to hike in the Terre Neuf area from there. That was a real Elena snap idea action and after hours of wandering around flamingo salt lakes, pheasants, vineyards in the sand but above all thorn bushes, I finally find a way back to civilization: A secluded nude beach. I never thought I would be happy to see burned, wobbling naked people. Here we go. The sea compensates for all the hardships.

And I have one more recommendation for the Camargue region: Aigues-Mortes, one of the largest preserved medieval fortified cities. The city wall surrounds the entire old town, with red salt lakes right at the gates. This is where the famous Fleur de Sel from Camargue is produced.

My conclusion: History fans will get their money's worth in Occitania, one Roman stronghold after another. Landscape-wise, it's too flat and too dry for me. When I think back to the first days in Switzerland, it feels like a different world here.