Now contrast this with the amazing Pont du Gard, also in the south of France. This Aquaduct was built by the Romans in the first century as part of a fifty kilometre long system that diverted water to the Roman city of Nimes. It is one of the most popular sites visited by tourists in France today.
This week, we drove far out of our way to see and drive the Millau viaduct which crosses the River Tarn. It is the tallest bridge in the world, higher than the Eiffel Tower. We got the best advice from this young cashier at a service centre, who advised us to drive under it by driving through the town, to get the best picture, and he was right in his advice and in his driving directions. It is the most graceful structure I have ever seen and like so many large sites, a photograph just can't do it justice.
The older bridges have a certain charm, too, as does this bridge, which also crosses the River Tarn, in the city of Albi. I really like the reflection caught on the water's surface.
The Dordogne is quite rugged but beautiful and the rocky terrain is perfect for sheep and goats. This little guy was grazing outside a roadside restaurant. I don't know why I was surprised to see lamb on the menu!
While I am on the animal theme, I must include these horses who seem to be posing for us along a roadside pasture.
We were really looking forward to visiting Carcassonne. It is a walled medieval town that is quite stunning, especially at night when it is lit up.
I love this shot taken through a small opening along the ramparts, just before the sun started to set. It looks out on to the modern city, beyond the walls.
Many of the towns, in the Dordogne and surrounding areas, are built right into the cliffs. The walls of the homes are almost flush to the face of the cliff and I can't imagine how they were built that way. The top of this house's roof is flush to the surface of the cliff.
These villages look almost like mirages from a distance. This is a shot we took of Gordes, near the town with the Ochre cliffs.
We visited the hill town of Rocamadour, which is a pilgrimage site for Catholics who want to see the very old statue of the Black Madonna. The city is on three levels and by the time we reached the level of the church, also called Notre Dame chapel, we were in need of prayers.
Perhaps one of the most mind boggling sites we have had the pleasure to experience during this trip has be a place called Peche Merle. It is a huge series of underground caves which were discovered by three children in the 1920s. The opening had been sealed by a mudslide many, many thousands of years ago and when the site was excavated, drawing of animals on the wall were discovered, some of which, according to carbon dating, are twenty-five thousand years old. We booked in advance for a tour of the cave since they limit the number of people each day because of the adverse effect of carbon dioxide on the cave paintings. Hand prints adorn the drawings made from the cro-magnon artist who mixed the powdered pigment with the saliva in his/her mouth and spit it against the surface of the wall around the outline of his/her hand, as a kind of signature, perhaps. The guide explained cave formations during the tour, as well, and it was all quite thrilling, if a bit claustrophobic at times. They were really, really strict about no photography in the cave but allowed pictures of the reproductions in the museum section. This one shows one of the hand prints circled, as if it might be hard to miss.
All of our B&Bs during the road trip have been so nice and last night's was no exception. It was a renovated old mill, run by the sweetest couple. He has many interests and passions, one of which is raising ducks from all parts of the world. They have the ideal setting for it, since a river runs through their property.
So many of the B&Bs where we have stayed have been lovingly restored by their owners. They were literally ruins when they acquired them. I love the details they have added or restored, especially in the doors and windows of these gorgeous properties.
La Bastide near Albi
Moulin de Fresquet in Gramat
Toward the end of the week, we drove to La Rochelle which is on the western Atlantic coast and the scenery was, once again, beautiful. We arrived late afternoon and we decided to take advantage of a late hour closing to check out their aquarium. We had the place to ourselves from about 5:30 to 7:30. They have designed it so that it is multi-sensory and interactive. Soundtracks of music and the sounds of water are matched to the particular ocean tanks that you are viewing. They even have bamboo pipes in the rain forest area where you smell the various scents of the plants grown there.
Love the jellyfish. They always look so surreal.
Cue music from Jaws!
The harbour is very old and scenic. Some rainy weather made for some interesting photographs of the
marina, as well as the towers along the ramparts. We took a water taxi to explore the old part of town and couldn't believe how low the water was at low tide. These people on the kayaks were headed out towards the Atlantic - brave souls!
This last week we will be enjoying the chateaus of the Loire Valleu and then the Normandy coast. It sure has started to get a lot colder and I can only imagine how beautiful the Fall colours must be in Ontario. I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving Day and please...have an extra helping of turkey for Barry and me!
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