Le Pont du Gard is Definitely Worth It

If you know your way around the south of France, you'll know about Nimes. And if you know your way around Nimes, you'll have heard of the Pont du Gard, a huge three-tiered Roman aqueduct. This massive architectural feat that crosses the river Gard is very well preserved. It's part of the Nimes Aqueduct, a 50 km-long structure built by the Romans to carry water from a spring at Uzès to the nearby city of Nimes. Okay, enough boring details. This guide will detail how to enjoy your time at this aqueduct, assuming you ever find yourself around Nimes. 

NOTE: The Pont du Gard is NOT in Nimes. As you can see from the map below, it's about a 30-minute drive from central Nimes. The next blog post will detail sights in Nimes, which you may want to coordinate with your time at the Pont du Gard. I highly recommend making the Pont du Gard a day trip, and staying in Nimes for one or two nights. 

This map shows the relationship between the Pont du Gard and the nearby city of Nimes.

Anyway, you can approach the Pont du Gard from the Right Bank (closer to Nimes) to the Left Bank (closer to Uzès). Either way, you'll probably get lost because all the trees make everything very confusing. (Warning: In the winter season, they sometimes close the access from the right bank and you can only get to it from one side due to flooding.) There are parking lots on both sides, but if you have less time for walking just visit the left side, since that's where the museum and food is.

Right Bank: Park and walk up the path towards the Pont du Gard... it's not exactly easy to miss! If you want to take panoramic photos, this is a great spot because you can find places that don't have a lot of trees on the banks. Enjoy the views of the Gard river; they can't be described in a photo. There's not a lot of shade here, so bring a hat. 

The Pont du Gard from the Right Bank path.

After a few minutes of walking, you'll notice the towering aqueduct right above you.

It's massive-- about 250m long and 49m tall.
You can walk across it on the second level on a big bridge that was later built onto the aqueduct. (If you look closely, you'll notice that the lower arch has been supported by more recently built arches, so people can walk across without worrying that it'll collapse. Just to make sure...
 As for the lower level, you wouldn't want to walk down there. The pillars that are in the river usually have huge whirlpools forming around them, and you can watch (brave) people kayaking in the gorge.

The view from the left bank, after crossing the aqueduct.

Did you notice the top level of the aqueduct, with all the tiny arches? That's where the actual water was transported. Several years ago, they actually let you go up ON TOP of the aqueduct (which is about 1m wide, with no guard-rails or anything). The ultimate adrenaline rush! I would definitely recommend not doing this if you are afraid of heights (I haven't, but my dad told me about it). It's not open to the public anymore, but it sounds pretty awesome.

Left Bank:

Once you leave the aqueduct, you can take a longer trail uphill towards a nice viewpoint. (You might also get a view of the Pont du Gard's actual aqueduct.) 

If you went up that way, climb down and take the main route is alongside the river, you might see a very old, beautiful olive tree (if it hasn't been removed). Follow the many tourists until you get to the Espaces de Decouverte, which is basically a newly built, modern building. It's a combination of museum, information booth, small movie theatre, cafe, gift shop, and more. If you're hungry, they have excellent crepes here. The movie theatre is small, but the film about the Pont du Gard is very well done. Look up the playing times on the Pont du Gard website beforehand (link way below), because they repeat the film in different languages. If you come at the wrong time of day, you might end up watching it in German or Spanish. 

If you're into history, the museum is very informative and interesting. I tend to get really bored in museums, but the dramatic lighting and setup of the museum is actually quite captivating. There's a kids room upstairs, and you can block off different parts of the Gard river to get water in the aqueduct in an interactive display. Kids 5-11 will find it interesting. 

The Pont du Gard museum explains the history and construction of this ancient monument. 

Prices:

The $32 million project of refurbishing the space around the Pont du Gard has lost a lot of money since its recent construction because going to see the aqueduct is actually free. You only have to pay to get into the main building, and fewer people than expected have done that. I would highly recommend paying for the full experience because this is a project worth supporting, and it really is worth the money. 

This is the most visited ancient monument in France, and definitely worth a stop if you happen to be in Southern France. Thanks for reading! 

(Finally, if you are going to visit the Pont du Gard, click here for their website. Check it out for warnings about closures, information about the museum, the movie theatre, and the aqueduct itself.)

Islands on the Seine

Ever heard of Île de la Cité? Thought not.
A lot of people are so caught up on visiting the big attractions in Paris (the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre museum, Sacre-Coeur, etc) that they don't realize that there are other parts of Paris that have just as much to offer as the popular tourist locations. Eating delicious ice cream while watching boats glide down the Seine river is usually more fun than waiting in the hot, crowded line for the Eiffel Tower. So today's blog post is going to be all about the two small islands in the middle of the Seine river. They are named Île de la Cité (the big one), and Île Saint-Louis. On Île de la Cité, one can find the Saint-Chappelle, the Notre Dame Cathedral, and LOTS of pigeons. The following is a guide about getting to and exploring the islands on the Seine.

A map of the two islands. The big one is Ile de la Cite , and the smaller one is Ile Saint-Louis.

Getting to the Islands:

1. If you feel like walking, I'd recommend walking across the Pont-Neuf bridge, Paris's oldest surviving bridge that crosses the Seine river. It has the best views and is a footbridge, so you don't have to worry about being run over by crazy French taxi drivers. You'll arrive at the left (on this map) side of Île de la Cité.  Then, walk past the Conciergerie towards the Notre Dame Cathedral. You'll pass Saint-Chappelle, the fabulous stained-glass chapel on the way (and if you don't see the actual building, you will see the lineup to get in). More on that later.
2. If you want an even more urban, slightly longer walk, start at the Pompidou centre and have lunch at the Stravinsky fountain. (The Pompidou centre is a modern art museum and library, built in a rather... interesting way. Look up a picture of it.) Then, walk down the Rue de Renard until you get to the Seine, then find one of the numerous bridges to take across. 
3. If you feel like less walking, take the Metro to the Cité station. The train burrows right under the river and pops up on Île de la Cité. It's not as fun as walking across on a bridge, although a wonderful feeling to pop up from underground, less than 400m from the Notre Dame Cathedral!

Once you're on the islands, note that these islands are the centre of Paris. (When people came to colonize this area, they built their village on these islands because the Seine created a moat around them for protection. Anyway, the gold marker in front of the Notre Dame cathedral is called Kilometre Zero. If you see a sign that says you're 400km from Paris, you're 400km from the
Notre Dame Cathedral.)

Walk towards the big buildings and the Boulevard de Palais (see the map). It's a lovely shaded street (although crowded) and you'll see the lineup for the Saint-Chapelle on the right side of this photo.

By the way, don't try to take this photo unless you want to get almost run-over by crazy French motorcyclists.









Moving on... the Saint-Chapelle is the most beautiful stained glass cathedral I have ever seen. On the outside, it looks... cathedral-ish, but from the inside it is absolutely a fabulous experience. Nothing can describe floor-to-ceiling stained glass windows in intricate patterns, held up only by the wood and stone of the cathedral. When you exit the claustrophobic stairwell and emerge into this room of light, the silence only enhances the colours. No matter HOW LONG you wait in line for the
Saint-Chapelle, you will never regret the time you spent waiting.

Once you leave the Saint-Chapelle, head for the Notre-Dame cathedral. I don't blame you if you find it very hard to find, because it's easy to get lost with all the tall buildings. Just walk facing the traffic to the end of the Boulevard de Palais, then charge down the Quai des Ourfèvres (don't worry, I have no idea how to pronounce it either). You'll see crowds of people and lots of morbidly obese pigeons. Do not feed the pigeons here... they are already well-fed by the tourists. (One pigeon really seemed to like me, and I nicknamed it Fluffy. If you find it, you'll know... this pigeon probably weighs as much as me.)

Push through the crowds and enjoy the awesomeness of the Notre Dame Cathedral, one of the most famous cathedrals in the world.

The Notre Dame Cathedral is... BIG!

By now, you're probably getting tired of waiting in line (like I was) so you might not want to stand around in the massive line for the Notre Dame Cathedral. If you do decide that you want to go inside, bring food for the line wait. I've seen pictures of the inside and I'm sure it's wonderful (although I've never been).
Note: If you have more time in Paris, make Notre Dame a separate trip, which gives you more time to look inside.

After you've been to these major attractions, take some time to wander around. Watch out for pickpockets around Notre Dame, but walk around it quickly and find the bridge to Île Saint-Louis. This island is one of the less crowded parts of central Paris, yet it is in the middle of the city. Find some ice cream and walk to the very edge of the island. There will be people, but it's less well known about than Île de la Cité.
In the bottom corner of Île Saint-Louis there's a little park, and this is a good spot to eat your ice cream and watch the boats on the river Seine.

This is the view from the Quai de Béthune in the morning.

Early morning on Ile Saint-Louis. The Notre Dame Cathedral can be seen in the distance.

And here's a map of Île Saint-Louis. The dot marks the place where the photo was taken.
In general, this island is just a nice place to explore. Walk on the cobblestone streets and immerse yourself in the French lifestyle.

WARNING: Beware of bad weather! Even in the summer, Paris can get rainy. Very rainy. Last year, my dad and I were walking around
Île Saint-Louis after we had finished our ice cream when it started raining. The few drops that materialized from the sky quickly turned into a full-scale downpour. Huge, grey clouds rolled overhead, and darkness covered the city. We ran down the slippery streets and hid in a doorway (many buildings on Île Saint-Louis don't have awnings because there isn't much space). Of course, we were probably the only people in Paris without an umbrella or a raincoat, so we sat down in our doorway and waited for the rain and thunder to stop. Only it didn't. My dad rummaged in his green pack and found some croissants, which were rather squished. From this day on, squashed croissants are known to us as "squassionts". Arcs of lightning laced the sky with brilliant flashes, and still the rain continued. Finally, we decided to make a run for the other side of the Seine, where we could find somewhere better to hang out until the downpour stopped. It was actually pretty fun, running around the island looking for a bridge and dodging puddles. Finally, we ran across the Pont Marie bridge and enjoyed the Pompidou Center until the rain stopped. Overall, not a bad afternoon in Paris. What I learned from this experience: Bring a map that doesn't need a WiFi signal to work.

Anyway, I hope this has been interesting reading for you, even if you're not going to Paris! If you are, stop by the next time you're on Île de la Cité, and maybe you'll find Fluffy the Pigeon.

Flying Cats au Sud de France

You probably read the title and decided this was going to be an interesting post. This is a travel story, not travel advice, but I hope you find it amusing.

It's summer, and I'm in the south of France. I'm two weeks into a four week vacation in Servian, a small town in the Languedoc-Roussillon region of France (you probably have no idea where that is though). My (bad) French is improving, and I've made friends with some of the kids living here. I've learned about the best cheese at the Thursday market, picked up on town happenings, and hung out with everyone in Place de Marche on Bastille Day (French independence day). Today, I'm eating a baguette and olives on the table outside.

 We don't have a yard, because the house is essentially a 3-storey block made from stucco and concrete. It's like a cave, and there aren't many windows. The road we live on is too narrow for a car, and not exactly Ferrari material. The streets that are paved are bumpy and uneven, and telephone wires criss-cross in the air. Yet Servian's simple, idyllic setting creates an atmosphere you can't get anywhere else. There is a small garden on the sloping lot, and we grow grapes and parsley in the planter boxes. 

 Well, we're not eating the parsley tonight, since Minette has decided that she will sleep in it.

The house is close to a demolished property (aka Municipal Gardens) and plants have grown up there, along with several generations of Servian Cats. We get a lot of feral felines here, and over the last two weeks I've learned all their names and favourite spots to be scratched. One of them I have become especially fond of: A black and white cat, with green eyes, small paws and a long tail. I named her Minette. I knew that Minette was agile, but I had yet to learn the extent of her leaping abilities. 

Anyway, I finish eating my baguette and take the plate inside. The house isn't air conditioned, and each level you go up is about twenty-five times hotter than the last. On the main level is a kitchen/dining room/living room, and a bathroom off a hallway. (It's not really a bathroom; more like a one metre space with a sink, toilet, and shower the size of an iPad basically crammed on top of each other. It's impossible to shower and not get the laundry machine wet, which is located in the hallway that leads to the bathroom. You actually have to squeeze yourself around the washer in order to get to the bathroom. Back to my story...) The bottom level has barely any windows and a fan, so it's only about 30° in there. Take the (dangerous) stairs to the second level, and you'll find no fans and still no air conditioning. This is where the bedrooms are, and it is nearly impossible to get to sleep on hot nights. On the third floor is a spare bedroom and living space with a sofa and desk. The room is bright, but there aren't any windows except for some skylights that you can open. It is absolutely ghastly in here during the summer. The temperatures must be almost 40°, and it has gotten so bad lately that my brother, Stefan and I actually started PAYING each other to go up there for a set amount of time as a dare. Five minutes? One euro. (You're probably wondering how this is relevant to the story. Here it is.)

 The view of the Servian skyline (you need to stick your head out the skylight for this lovely panorama).

Today, there was nothing else to do, and we were bored, so for some reason Stefan and I decided to go up to the attic and see how long we could survive in there. Gasping in annoyance as we entered the room (who's idea was this?), I stand on the sofa and reach up to open the skylight. I pull the latch open and swing it towards me slightly, so there's a gap between the roof and the skylight. Fresh air whooshes in, and it's still hot and stuffy, but better than before. I plop down on the couch, and am about to get up to see if there's a fan hidden anywhere when Stefan yells, "Angie, Minette is flying!" I follow his pointed finger to the skylight, where a (flying) Minette is coming down for a landing, right on the skylight. 

"Minette, NO!" I holler. This is a cute cat, but it's feral and I don't want it falling through our skylight.  (One time, she got in my open window at two in the morning and we had to chase her out of the house. Since my room window is at least two metres off the ground, I don't know how she got up.) Even if the glass of the skylight doesn't break, Minette's momentum will probably cause the skylight to flip inwards when she lands, and she'll fall in. In a split second, I jump on the couch and push the skylight closed, just as our FLYING CAT lands on it with a whump. I stare at her, and she stares back at me with this rather quizzical look, like "seriously, I was about to make a perfect landing!"

I never will figure out exactly how Minette managed to get onto our roof, but I will remember my Feral Flying Cat experience for a long time. 

Make the Most of Le Tour Eiffel

The Eiffel Tower is one of the most famous buildings in the world, and an icon of France. (I've been there twice.) This post will detail the best way to spend your time at the Tour de Eiffel, and where to approach it from.

The first year I went to the Eiffel Tower, I came from the Champ de Mars side. If you come from this side, I recommend getting off at the Ecole Militare metro station and finding your way towards the gardens. It's quite beautiful (and huge!), but unless you're very far away from it, you have to crane your neck to see the whole thing because you're right at ground level. There are lots of people here, but it's still a nice way to walk to the tower (and a great picnic location).





The second year, I got off at the Trocadero metro station and walked from there to Palais de Challiot, where you'll find a huge esplanade with better views of the tower. (This is where you take all the dramatic photos.) Then, walk toward la Seine river and the Eiffel Tower. You'll pass some nice gardens after you take the stairs down from the esplanade. After the gardens, you'll cross the Seine on a bridge (beware of pickpockets) and end up at the Eiffel Tower. It's more urban than the Champ de Mars gardens, but lots of fun.

Once you arrive at the Eiffel Tower, get into line right away. There's going to be plenty of time to look around. These lines can be ghastly, and it can get quite congested. If you're travelling with more than one person, trade off the line waiting. Make the most of your time, because you'll have a lot of it.
 (A year ago they had this really funny sign with warnings about the Eiffel Tower telling people not to parachute off of it. I'm not sure if it's still there, but you could try to find it.) Although rainy days might keep the crowds away, it's way more interesting to walk to the tower on a sunny morning instead of getting a taxi to take you right to it.
Tourist Tip: Do NOT pull out your phone and start looking for good restaurants on Tripadvisor, or opening Google Maps. The pickpockets that hang around the tower will find you and start trying to sell you plastic Eiffel Tower keychains and other junk, all while trying to steal your money. Try to look very purposeful, and research the area ahead of time so you know where to go. 

Once you get to the Eiffel Tower...
Skip the tourist shops on the first and second floors of the Eiffel Tower. Everything is ridiculously expensive (four Euros for a bottled water? I don't think so). The best souvenirs of the tower are photos and your own memories. The views are absolutely fabulous, and if possible, bring a small pair of binoculars with you. You will get some beautiful pictures, especially on the second level.

View of the Champ de Mars from the Eiffel Tower.

A lot of people who haven't been to the Eiffel Tower think that they have to go all the way to the top.
Reasons to go to top of the tower:
• You get to brag to all your friends
• The lift is sorta fun... I guess
• You get to feel the wind on your face as you look down upon the majesticness of The City of Lights in all its splendour et cetera et cetera.
Reasons not to:
• It's more expensive
• It means more line waiting (for the lift)
• The view is similar to the one on the second level, but everything looks smaller.

 View from below the Eiffel Tower.

 I can honestly say that there is very little difference between going to the second level or taking a lift to the third (top) level of the Eiffel Tower. I'd highly recommend spending less money and just going to the second level, because the only reason I went to the top (one year) was for bragging rights.

This guide should give you a good idea of how to make the most of your few hours at the Eiffel Tower. (You should probably give yourself a morning to do this, there's no way you can enjoy the tower in an hour. Start early, and allow lots of time for a picnic lunch at the Champ de Mars if you want.)

I hope you go to the Eiffel Tower the next time you find yourself in Paris, or at least enjoyed reading this!