Day 3 June 21

This was a full day of travel and sightseeing. I was super excited because we were going to all new places. Some I had seen 25 years ago and did not mind returning.

Stop 1 

Pont De Gard located north of Nimes. This triple decker aqueduct has stood the test of time. 

We skipped rocks and wadded in the river on both sides of the structure. We walked along the pedestrian bridge admiring the details. All of us found something to be happy about at this stop.

Stop 2

Our next stop was Carrières de Lumières, near Les Baux-de-Provence. Christina, Stephen, and I were trying to figure out how to experience Van Gogh without the kids complaining. This stop hit the spot on so many levels. We arrived just in time to watch great masterpieces of art come to life on screen projected on the walls of a cave. The two main artists featured wereVincent Van Gogh

and Piet Mondrian.Secretly this was on my French bucket list.

The venue was absolutely unique and amazing. We walked around while the movie was playing, finding different angles to watch. The air was cool and welcoming. Cam, Mazie, and Kellen even enjoyed the show. We grabbed French sandwiches to go and continued on to our journey through Aix en Provence.

Stop 3

Our drive to the next stop reminded me and Mazie of our time in Greece. The landscape was less green, very hilly, and speckled with big cream colored rocks. This was the hottest stop of our day. The sun was bright and beating down on us. We walked through ancient Greek/Roman architecture Site Archéologique de Glanum near Saint-Rémy-de-Provence.

I joked there was no need to go to Greece after visiting here. In this location we were allowed to walk among the ruins, touching whatever we wanted, very different than in Athens.

The beating sun and parched mouths drove us to end our journey here quicker than expected. We spent 16 Euros on 8 bottles of water and were thankful.

Stop 4

Touring a Roman coliseum was our last adventure for the day. Mazie and I had been in a coliseum in Nimes so we decided to visit another one nearby, in Arlés. The short drive there allowed our bodies to cool and rest. The traffic, directions and parking aspects in Arlés were crazy. We came in between the end of a work day and the beginning of a Wednesday night downtown festival! Finally, after round and round the town, we landed in a parking spot that was not in a last minute tow-zone. The coliseum was tucked in a fun little part of town with narrow streets and old French decor.

Again the kids enjoyed being here, wondering about gladiators and bull fights.

We wandered through town square seeing the famous café that inspired one of Van Gogh’s famous paintings. After a long day, well behaved kids, and still a drive home we opted for ice cream to help with the walk back to the car. What a fun day for all of us!