Avignon, Nimes & St. Remy de Provence
By Ferne Arfin
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Avignon, Nimes & St. Remy de Provence - Ferne Arfin
Avignon, Nimes, St. Rémy de Provence
Hunter Publishing, Inc.
Web site: www.hunterpublishing.com
E-mail: comments@hunterpublishing.com
IN CANADA
Ulysses Travel Publications
4176 Saint-Denis
Montreal, Québec H2W 2M5 Canada
tel. 514-843-9882, Ext. 2232/fax 514-843-9448
IN THE UK
Windsor Books International
The Boundary, Wheatley Road
Garsington, Oxford OX44 9EJ England
tel. 01865-361122/fax 01865-361133
© 2010 Hunter Publishing, Inc.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written permission of the publisher.
This guide focuses on recreational activities. As all such activities contain elements of risk, the publisher, author, affiliated individuals and companies disclaim any responsibility for any injury, harm, or illness that may occur to anyone through, or by use of, the information in this book. Every effort was made to insure the accuracy of information in this book, but the publisher and author do not assume, and hereby disclaim, any liability or any loss or damage caused by errors, omissions, misleading information or potential travel problems caused by this guide, even if such errors or omissions result from negligence, accident or any other cause.
Introduction
• The Land: A Microcosm
• History & Pre-History
• The Economy
• Flora & Fauna
• Language & People
• Art & Architecture
• Performing Arts
• Food & Drink: The Gifts of Sun & Sea
• Shopping
• Eco-Travel
• Adventures
Hiking in France
Cycling
• Getting Here
• Where to Stay
• Where to Eat
• Travel Essentials
Entry Requirements
Customs
Tax Free Shopping
Money Matters
Public Holidays
Health Services & Insurance
To Send Mail
The Alpilles & The Garrigues
• Getting Here
• Getting Around
• Principle Destinations
Avignon
Nîmes
St. Rémy de Provence
• Worth a Side-Trip
Les Baux de Provence
Beaucaire
Eygalières
Maussane les Alpilles & Mouriès
The Pont du Gard
Uzès
• Festivals & Fêtes
• Market Days & Other Shopping
Department Stores
Sports & Cycling Shops
• Where to Stay
Camping
Gîtes
• Where to Eat
• Adventures
On Foot
On Wheels
On Water
In the Air
Tourist Information Offices
• Regional Tourist Boards
Glossary
Introduction
• The Land: A Microcosm
All of Provence could be tucked into an area one-fifth the size of New England. From the Rhône on its western edge, to the Italian border on the east, it is barely 150 miles wide. North-to-south, the region stretches a mere 100 miles, from Lac de Serre-Ponçon, Europe's largest artificial lake, to a scattering of Mediterranean islets off Hyères. Yet, the variety of the landscapes and ecosystems crammed into this relatively compact region rivals that of many countries.
Provence
Alpine peaks, hidden valleys and gorges, arid plateaus, even a stony desert, The Crau, are all part of the Provençal experience. In the Southwest, the Rhône Delta spreads and floods, forming a vast and mysterious salt marsh, The Camargue. Here sea and sky merge across flat vistas, punctuated by plantations of salt pans and mountains of drying salt. The Camargue is a naturalist's paradise, home to feral white ponies, herds of black bulls and thousands of migratory birds, including flocks of African flamingo.
Inland, much of Provence is dry and stony. Some areas are virtually paved with pale, calcareous pebbles that give the land a characteristic sun baked look. Yet the region also supports vineyards, olive and almond groves and acres of nodding sunflowers. It is the fruit basket of France and its floriculture provides a large percentage of the raw materials for the world's perfume industry. Provence boasts mountain lakes, vast caves, thick Mediterranean forests of umbrella pine and cork oak, soft hills fragrant with wild herbs and cultivated lavender and, arguably, the most naturally glamorous coastline in the world.
This is a land that supports an exceptional range of outdoor activities - from spelunking to hang gliding, white water rafting to skiing (on water or snow), cycling to rock climbing to bird watching. The French occasionally boast that they have no need to travel abroad for their vacations because they have everything they need - plus exquisite food and wine - right at home. After even a short visit to Provence, it is hard to argue.
The mountains of Provence
Geology has been almost artful in Provence. Caught between the Pyrénnéan and Alpine folds, the land mounts toward the Alps from the broad alluvial plain of the Rhône. Most of Provence east of the Rhône is criss-crossed by a complex system of small, east-to-west mountain ranges, high or enclosed plateaus and dense mountain clusters, called massifs. Glaciation, rushing rivers and Mediterranean downpours, have carved and shaped the underlying structure of soft, sedimentary rock, limestone and bauxite. Today, millennia of erosion show in the precipitous slopes and deep ravines that give an awesome appearance to mountains barely 3,000 feet high. Snow-capped Mt. Ventoux is one eccentric exception. Although, at 6,263 feet, it is surpassed by a number of Provence's Alpine and Pre-Alpine peaks, its splendid isolation on the plains above Carpentras gives it a particular grandeur.
The River Durance and its tributaries, including the green Verdon, were tamed by a series of dams about 30 years ago. Today, they often seem like nothing more than sluggish waterways as they snake through the region. But they were once wild seasonal torrents flooding their valleys with Alpine melt. Depending upon the time of year (even the time of day) and the operation of the hydroelectric dams, they can still be counted on for white water adventure. The evidence of their past is visible in several kinds of geological formations.
Most mysterious are the cluses (clues in Provençal), deep, transverse valleys. These are often so narrow that they are virtually hidden beneath arid, highland plains. Thousands of years of rushing water have undercut their vertical walls so that, at the bottoms, they often widen into cool, moist secret worlds. Deep pools, waterfalls and shaded microclimates that harbor lush ecosystems are not uncommon.
Water has also riddled the Provençal hills with networks of caves. Some of the best show caves in Europe are here, many open to the public. Some feature prehistoric cave paintings. Others can boast history of a more recent and daring kind. During World War II, local caves provided excellent cover for the French Resistance and Allied soldiers.
The Grand Canyon of Verdon, shown below, is worth a trip all on its own. Thirteen miles long and between 1,000 and 2,000 feet deep, it is one of Europe's outstanding natural features. Access to the bottom has only been possible since the late 1970s when a series of dams reduced the flow of the Verdon. But even with the flow cut 100 fold (from 800 cubic meters per second to eight cubic meters per second), the canyon is an exciting place of rocky, white water straights and challenging hiking trails for fit travelers.
The Mediterranean Alps traverse the entire eastern border of Provence, separating France from Italy with a thick wall, 5,000 to 9,500 feet high. The Pre-Alps, along the coast between Nice and Menton, are nowhere near as high but their position, crowding the coast, makes them equally dramatic. Most Pre-Alpine peaks are about 3,000 feet high, then fall away abruptly and plunge toward the sea. Looking up, snowy peaks dotted with perched villages, form the backdrop for the chic yacht harbors of Villefranche, Beaulieu and Monte Carlo. Looking down, the prospect from the famously vertiginous Riviera road, The Grande Corniche, encompasses the golden beaches of Cap Ferrat and Èze-Bord-de-Mer beside the teal blue waters of the Mediterranean. It is impossible to say whether up or down is the better view.
• History & Pre-History
500,000 BC
Until relatively recently in geologic terms, a land bridge at Gibraltar provided a route between Europe and Africa for Stone Age hunter-gatherers. Some of the earliest European evidence of human habitation has been found in Provence.
At the Terra Amata sitenear Nice, the remains of shallow huts, made of wooden poles supported by stones, have been found. Some of the huts, which date between 450,000 and 380,000 BC, had hearths which are believed to be the earliest evidence of humankind's controlled use of fire. A dwelling of animal skins draped over a wooden framework, found inside Lazaret Cave, may be even older; at between 500,000 and 400,000 BC, it predates Neanderthal man. These finds, which can be viewed nearby at the Prehistoric Museum of Terra Amata, include axes and stone tools as well as the bones of elephants, rhinos, red deer and giant oxen.
The first visitors were probably seasonal nomads. For many years, archeologists believed that poor local hunting precluded any long-term, early settlement in Provence. As proof, they cited the absence of early cave paintings of large game animals such as those found at Lascaux. But in 1991, a remarkable discovery by a local diver, Henri Cosquer, changed everything.
Diving in