{"id":15159,"date":"2015-07-06T02:00:00","date_gmt":"2015-07-06T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rivercruiseadvisor.com\/?p=15159"},"modified":"2015-07-10T01:09:36","modified_gmt":"2015-07-10T07:09:36","slug":"barging-in-the-south-of-france-croisieuropes-anne-marie-day-2-exploring-arles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rivercruiseadvisor.com\/2015\/07\/barging-in-the-south-of-france-croisieuropes-anne-marie-day-2-exploring-arles\/","title":{"rendered":"Barging In The South Of France: CroisiEurope’s Anne-Marie, Day 2, A Surprise Trip To Uzes"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\u00a9<\/a>

At the airport in Marseille, a map depicts the region where\u00a0we have 10 days \u00a0to explore. \u00a9 2015 Ralph Grizzle<\/p><\/div>\n

Because of the challenges of posting while traveling (and hosting the trip), my hotel barging\u00a0reports\u00a0are delayed. The trip took place on CroisiEurope’s Anne-Marie June 17 through June 26, with pre- and post-trip overnights and activities. This post picks up\u00a0on day two of our adventure, June 18, when we\u00a0explored Arles and Uzes.<\/em><\/p>\n

In my previous post about our barge trip from Arles to Sete, I wrote about\u00a0missed connections and lessons learned when flying transatlantic from the United States to Europe<\/a>. The challenges that the airports (particularly the U.S. airports) throw at us can be disheartening. Of course, Mother Nature plays a role, especially during the hot summer that we\u2019re having, which makes for more frequent thunderstorms than under milder conditions and, correspondingly, delayed flights.\u00a0The lesson: Plan accordingly and be prepared for interruptions to your trip.<\/p>\n

And so it goes that I made it to Arles a day late and a few hundred dollars poorer (because of a hotel room I had to pay for in the U.S.). It is lovely to be in Arles, though, well worth the minor hassles that airports and delays pose.<\/p>\n

I arrived around mid-afternoon yesterday and\u00a0checked in to the H\u00f4tel Jules Cesar,\u00a0a five-star property housed\u00a0in a former convent dating back to the 17th century. Our group would be here for two nights before boarding Anne-Marie on Friday.<\/p>\n

In the early evening, I welcomed the members of our group in a lovely courtyard where we toasted with glasses of French wine and introduced ourselves. We were comprised of seven Americans, two Australians and one Swede.\u00a0We talked about the days ahead and all that we would see, beginning with\u00a0a full-day tour Friday when we’d explore Avignon, Ch\u00e2teauneuf-du-Pape and Pont du Gard, followed by our voyage along the\u00a0Canal du Rhone-\u00e0-S\u00e8te on the barge, and then a post-barge night\u00a0in Montpelier.<\/p>\n

Tomorrow was to have been\u00a0a free day to explore Arles, but I\u00a0had\u00a0a surprise in store. I had rented a van for anyone who wanted to make an excursion. We had\u00a0many\u00a0choices but two came to mind. We could go to Aix-en-Provence, a favorite of mine (read more about Aix-en-Provence<\/a>), or to Uzes, a gorgeous town that\u00a0lies at the source a river\u00a0where a\u00a0Roman aqueduct\u00a0was built in the 1st\u00a0century BC to supply water to\u00a0N\u00eemes, 50 kilometers\u00a0away. The consensus was that we would go to Uzes.\u00a0Who wanted to go?\u00a0All hands shot\u00a0up, and so with our plan for the next day set, we went our separate ways to seek out dinner.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>

On our first night, we dined al fresco<\/em> near Les Ar\u00e8nes d’Arles<\/em>, the Roman arena, built between the first and second century B.C. and featured in the 1998 Robert De Niro film Ronin<\/em>. \u00a9 2015 Ralph Grizzle<\/p><\/div>\n

Monica and I dined\u00a0near the walls of the ancient Roman arena in Arles. We could have been in Rome, such was the setting. It was a lovely summer night as we sat outside. She had risotto with mushrooms, and I opted for\u00a0steak-frites. <\/em>We\u00a0ordered a half-carafe each of the house red and white. The food, wine, company and setting \u2014 all delicious.<\/p>\n

The next morning, after a hearty breakfast at\u00a0H\u00f4tel Jules Cesar, we prepared for our trip to Uzes. The van would only hold eight. Luckily, George and Connie, our token\u00a0Australian couple, had rented a car. George volunteered take two guests and lead the way. The rest of the day is best said in\u00a0pictures.<\/p>\n

\"\u00a9<\/a>

Loading up for a surprise trip to Uzes. \u00a9 2015 Ralph Grizzle<\/p><\/div>\n

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About an hour from Arles, the central square in Uzes. \u00a9 2015 Ralph Grizzle<\/p><\/div>\n

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Charming streets in Uzes. \u00a9 2015 Ralph Grizzle<\/p><\/div>\n

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Uzes is famous for its pottery. Monica and I stepped into a pottery shop to admire some of the local handiwork. \u00a9 2015 Ralph Grizzle<\/p><\/div>\n

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An impromptu lunch for our group at Bec a Vin. \u00a9 2015 Ralph Grizzle<\/p><\/div>\n

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We stepped inside the cave-like structure. \u00a9 2015 Ralph Grizzle<\/p><\/div>\n

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Our lunch venue. \u00a9 2015 Ralph Grizzle<\/p><\/div>\n

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Looks like chopped beef, but it was actually a delicious eggplant starter. \u00a9 2015 Ralph Grizzle<\/p><\/div>\n

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The creamy\u00a0frozen dessert, mousse-like, was\u00a0wonderful. \u00a9 2015 Ralph Grizzle<\/p><\/div>\n

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Two of our group, Patty & Charlene left their husbands at home for some girl time in France. \u00a9 2015 Ralph Grizzle<\/p><\/div>\n

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On the way back from Uzes, we stopped to admire Pont du Gard. \u00a9 2015 Ralph Grizzle<\/p><\/div>\n

We were off to a good start. The trip to Uzes provided a chance for us to get to know one another and to have a lunch that we raved about. Plus, we got a bonus, really a double bonus. We weren’t planning to do this trip at all. Today was to have been a day to explore Arles on our own. And our visit to Pont du Gard was to have been tomorrow, but as we would\u00a0pass right by it, we decided to stop to visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site leaving\u00a0Uzes. It was a good decision.<\/p>\n

\"Pont

Pont du Gard soars to nearly 50 meters (more than 160 feet) above the Gardon river. \u00a9 2014 Ralph Grizzle<\/p><\/div>\n

The Romans were known for their incredible mastery of architecture and engineering. One of the most impressive samples of this mastery is the absolutely gorgeous Pont du Gard. This bridge, crossing over the Gardon River, is one of the most-well preserved legacies of ancient Roman architecture in France, and in all of Europe, in fact.<\/p>\n

\"Pont

In the distance, underneath the arch, Castillon-du-Gard, a commune in the Gard department in southern France. \u00a9 2014 Ralph Grizzle<\/p><\/div>\n

During the Roman Empire, the bridge was built as an aqueduct to provide water to the town of Nimes, which, because of its geographical location, formerly had complications getting a steady water supply. The water was taken from a nearby spring, traveling 31 miles to get to Nimes. Once in the town, the water\u00a0was used for bath houses \u2014 which were popular in the Roman Empire \u2014 fountains, and in the houses of the wealthy.<\/p>\n

\"Pont

The pre-Christian era bridge was part of the aqueduct of N\u00eemes, which runs for 50 kilometers. Roman architects and hydraulic engineers designed the bridge, creating a technical \u2014 and an artistic \u2014 masterpiece. \u00a9 2014 Ralph Grizzle<\/p><\/div>\n

Luckily, the bridge did not suffer the fate of most Roman structures, which is to say that Pont du Gard was not left abandoned and in ruins. Though Romans used it mainly as an aqueduct, after the Roman Empire fell, Pont du Gard\u00a0continued to be used as a bridge, which ensured its preservation.\u00a0The bridge\u2019s incredible beauty and awe-inspiring architecture also played a role in its preservation, as it became the object of visits by the French court, including several kings. Paintings of it can be found in palaces, such as\u00a0Fontainebleau.<\/p>\n

It is not surprising, then, that the picturesque qualities of the bridge have also inspired writers such as Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Henry James. Nor is it a surprise that it has been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and that it is now one of the most popular sites in the entire county of France.<\/p>\n

Tomorrow, a full day visiting Avignon and Ch\u00e2teauneuf-du-Pape.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Because of the challenges of posting while traveling (and hosting the trip), my hotel barging\u00a0reports\u00a0are delayed. The trip took place on CroisiEurope’s Anne-Marie June 17 through June 26, with pre- and post-trip overnights and activities. This post picks up\u00a0on day two of our adventure, June 18, when we\u00a0explored Arles and Uzes. In my previous post […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":17236,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"full-width-content","footnotes":""},"categories":[507,542,377,171,22,25,24,41],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/rivercruiseadvisor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15159"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/rivercruiseadvisor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/rivercruiseadvisor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rivercruiseadvisor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rivercruiseadvisor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15159"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/rivercruiseadvisor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15159\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rivercruiseadvisor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17236"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rivercruiseadvisor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15159"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rivercruiseadvisor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15159"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rivercruiseadvisor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15159"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}