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squiz Member Member#: 6644 Location: Registered: 27-05-2007 Diary Entries: 3378 |
7th May 2012 Hiking - Walking: Carmargue Wind Direction: Wind Stength: Surf / Sea State: Air Temperature: Sea Temperature: Weather: sunny Max Speed: Distance Covered: Sunday 6th May 2012 – sighseeing, shopping and Wi-Fi at Mc Donald’s – sunny periods We packed up, left the beach and actually managed to find a way out that didn’t involve going through water that was too deep or scratching the van through a width restriction (lots of strategically placed rocks making a narrow entrance/exit which seems ridiculous when there are hundreds of cars, vans and campers on the beach and they can drive on in any number of different ways but nearly all involve going through water. The only dry way is through the rocks!). The road back was just as bumpy but we did spot several birds we hadn’t seen this holiday. Some of the flamingos were really close and we saw a flock of about 200 take off - it was a real sight – a pink cloud! As we are nearly out of fresh food and it is another bank holiday in France either tomorrow or Tuesday we thought we would go to Arles. French supermarkets are a bit hit and miss on a Sunday but some stay open until 12.30. We got to Arles at about 12.15 (it took lots longer than we expected) and although there were signs to all the major supermarkets they all disappeared once we were in the town centre! Eventually we found an Intermarche open and ran in. Got all we wanted and were at the checkout at exactly 12.30. Phew! Got some diesel and as McDonalds was next door went and used their internet and electricity to do the usual computer stuff. Drove to a good spot beside the Grand Rhone River and had our lunch. Moved along a bit nearer town and walked over the bridge into the old town. We were really surprised about by the number of Roman historical buildings and even paid to go into the Amphi theatre which is still in use for Bull fighting! This means that there are some ugly racks of new seats at the top of the building but other than that it is a real spectacle. With arches all round the top and tunnels and corridors running round the outside and inside it is virtually perfect. You could really feel the history and imagine gladiators etc.. We made sure we went round the whole thing. There were some bits you couldn’t visit because they are in the process of restoring it but this meant we got a reduced entrance :) We walked back through the old streets and past the Roman theatre antique to the van. Drove to Van Gough’s bridge which is on the outskirts of the town (apparently he was in hospital in Arles and painted the bridge). We had a cuppa, a quick walk and saw a fantastic red kite (bird not kite kite!). We thought about staying here but it didn’t feel quite right so we drove back to the Etang du Vaccares which we passed earlier in the day and watched the sunset before parking up and having tea :) Monday 7th May 2012 – walking **** sunny Bit of a disturbed night because there are bird scarers around the Etang to stop the birds eating the rice crop – the Carmargue is the biggest producer of rice in France and there are crops at various stages all around the main Etangs. Some fields are just flooded with nothing to see but water and some plants are about 2 feet high so they must stagger the planting. We did lots of birdwatching before breakfast and saw a Sardinian warbler and a red backed shrike – both new to us :) There were two coypu in the dyke we were sitting by too :) After breakfast we drove round the Etang and stopped at the Domaine Mejane where there is a ranch with a bull ring and corrals for the bulls, lots of Carmargue horses saddled up ready for people to ride, bigger horses pulling old fashioned caravans and a train which gives tours round a track next to the Etang. We thought it would be a bit Disney and expected to carry straight on but it was very tastefully done and they had a brilliant loo too - we took advantage and filled up our water tank :) Walked their sentier to the Etang du Vaccares and were treated to a great display by a coypu who was sitting munching his way through a reed as if we weren’t there. He was moving the reed round and round in his little feet and gnawing away :) Walked further and saw some beautiful birds with virtually see through gold wings flying with the swallows. We didn’t have a clue what they could be but took notice of all the markings and beak to have a look at the book when we got back (they were bee eaters! They have the most amazing colours on their body and we wished the sun had been at a different angle so we could have seen that properly – we hope to see them again to have another look!). We also saw a reed warbler – another first. Carried on past lots of ranches with horses ready to take you for a ride, and had a quick look at the petit Rhone River. Got to Stes Maries de la Mer where we assumed (wrongly!) that we would be able to park on the beach again. It is obvious really because this is the only town on the coast in the whole of the Carmargue so it is very popular, has its own bull ring, and a nice little town. Everything has again been very tastefully done and we were impressed with it. Unfortunately it also means that they don’t want camper vans cluttering up their view and have even worded their signs to say ‘no habitable vehicles’ so our usual defence of not being one of those huge ugly camping cars will not work here! They have provided a really good aire (which had over 60 vans in it packed in like sardines!) and you can also drive on past that part of the aire to park really near the beach further up but you still have to pay 9.50 euros. We parked up at the other end of the town and had lunch then spent a couple of hours on the beach reading and dozing in the sun:) Walked into the town along the beach, past the marina and bull ring and out the other side to see the camper aire. Came back through the narrow streets and shops to look in the church which had a crypt underneath with hundreds of lit candles – you could feel the heat as soon as you went through the tunnel! Returned to the van along the Etang and past some of the traditional houses which have half their roof thatched. Had a cuppa and saw a shepherd bring his sheep up the beach road to graze on the grass by the side of the main road! Left there and had a bit of a ride round and finally found a great place to stop down a track which you are not supposed to drive on but everyone appears to anyway! It is a link road from the town to the ranch we were at this morning. It has a great view over the Etang towards the town and a field of bulls with bells round their neck (hmm could be another disturbed night lol) which looked great in the sunset :) http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.3406950485187.2141982.1012660562&t ype=3&l=bcd167dd5c http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.3318687598670.2140694.1012660562&t ype=1&l=112c704a5a http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.3245995981425.2139602.1012660562&t ype=3&l=1bf5305e7c http://www.facebook.com/#!/media/set/?set=a.3129837677540.2137243.101266056 2&type=1 |
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