Vic and Beth in Paris

Pop quiz: What popular fabric comes from Nîmes?
Answer: De-Nîmes (denim)

Like much of Provence, Nîmes is known for its Roman monuments, in this case, an arena and two temples. We started near the Maison Carrée, which according to our guidebook rivals the Pantheon in Rome as one of the most complete and beautiful buildings from Roman antiquity. Throughout it’s life, the Maison Carrée has served as a church, city hall, stable, and archive. Now it’s home to a cheesy video about the history of Nîmes which Beth and I chose to skip.

Maison Carrée

Nîmes Cathedral

Inside Nîmes Cathedral

Nîmes’ most notable monument is the arena. Unfortunately, however, much like the arena we visited in Orance, it’s been significantly altered over the years. In fact, in Nîmes, they even pave over the arena floor each summer to support a large concert stage used for a concert series. Beth and I agree, all the modern stuff spoils the experience.

Nîmes Arena

Arena Walls

Arena Floor

Lunch might have been the highlight of Nîmes, primarily because Beth and I both got a little loopy while sharing only a half bottle of wine. You can call us a bunch of light weights if you want, but we’ll claim it was the heat. Plus, the ice cream was very tasty.

Beth Got Drunk at Lunch

Chocolate Sundae with Almonds

After lunch we took a quick tour of the Jardin de la Fountaine and the Temple of Diana while we tried to sobber up before getting back in the car.

Jardin de la Fountaine

Temple of Diana

18th Century Graffiti on the Temple of Diana

19th Century Graffiti

Once we managed to stop slurring our words and laughing hysterically at anything one of us said, we took a drive to the Pont du Gard, an incredibly impressive Roman aqueduct. We arrived just as the sun was beginning to set and everything was cast in a beautiful shade of orange.

Pont du Gard

Pont du Gard

Pont du Gard from the Riverbed

Pont du Gard from the Riverbed

Vic and Beth at Pont du Gard

The next time you visit Pont du Gard, be sure to bring your swimsuit. And if you didn’t, don’t feel too bad… you can always go skinny dipping with your whole family just like the ones we saw.