Pont du Gard and Cotes du Rhone

Another reason we left Carcassonne early, other than the bad hotel, was the opportunity to experience more of Provence. Choosing Isle-sur-la-Sorgue as our base for 2 nights gave us the ability to check out two places Rita and I wanted to visit. One of the true ancient marvels, the Roman built Pont du Gard and taking a tour into the Cote du Rhone wine region. I am sure you can figure out which was Rita’s favorite tour.

Pont du Gard

Have seen pictures and Chris Jones also really talked about how great this place was. But until you see it for yourself, you cannot grasp the massive achievement it took to create this aqueduct. It is regarded as one of the most remarkable surviving Roman ruins anywhere. The structure is about 160 feet high and was originally 1,100 feet long. Today, 12 arches are missing reducing the length to 790 feet. The structure was part of a 30 mile long aqueduct that supplied 9 million gallons of water per day to Nimes, one of ancient Europe’s largest cities, for 150 years. To me, the most amazing part about this structure is that there is no mortar holding the stones together. Each stone weighs 4 – 6 tones and is held in place by gravity. You can walk across a bridge built by the French in 1743 that uses part of the Aqueduct for structural support to get different views of the structure. It was the 2nd tallest structure the Romans ever built just 6 feet shorter than Rome’s Coliseum. The setting is also very beautiful as it is surrounded by forests and the River Gard. If you are ever close to this place you have to take the effort to see it.

Pont du Gard

Pont du Gard and Rita sitting on rocks next to the Gard River

Cotes du Rhone Villages Tour

This is a totally different experience than the Pont du Gard and we truly enjoyed the day touring this beautiful area. It’s very green with lots of vineyards and forests. It starts in the valley and ends in the mountains with each village offering its own unique personality. The circular tour we followed is from the guide book we received from Chris Jones and it was excellent. Rita and I both liked the wines from Gigondas and Seguret. Not sure if they export to Canada but if you see them would recommend you give them a try.

Gigondas Village is a quaint village and its Church is from the 11th Century. It boasts the best wines from the Cote du Rhone and I agree.

Seguret Village is said to be one of the most beautiful in France. Its set on a hillside and overlooks its vineyards. Spectacular setting and a very beautiful place.

Romain la Romaine is a fortified villages on top of a hill. Its very quaint and the largest of the villages on this tour. This is a typical street in the village. The houses are beautifully kept with lots of plants and flowers.

Suzette is the smalest village with about 20 homes and one restaurant, but it has the best views as its situated at the top of the valley with increible views such as this of the cliffs of St. Amand and the vineyards below.