Thursday, February 9, 2012

Nîmes, France

Nimes Pont du Gard Roman aqueduct
Nimes.  (Neem).  A strange city.  It had a very Spanish feel for a French city.  Bizarre. The city derives its name from that of a spring in the Roman village. The contemporary coat of arms of the city of Nîmes includes a crocodile chained to a palm tree with the inscription COLNEM, for Colonia Nemausus, meaning the 'colony' or 'settlement' of Nemausus, the local Celtic god of the Volcae Arecomici. Veterans of the Roman legions who had served Julius Caesar in his Nile campaigns, at the end of fifteen years of soldiering, were given plots of land to cultivate on the plain of Nîmes. The city was located on the Via Domitia, a Roman road constructed in 118 BC which connected Italy to Spain.
                                    
I sit under an old olive tree which is around 500 years old.  The morning starts off cool, but warms quickly by the early afternoon.  Birders, students, and general tourists visit this beautiful city.  By the afternoon, it becomes a little hot and people start jumping into the nearby river.  It is one of my favorite places to visit while I'm in France. 
While at the Coloseum in Nîmes, I spot a cat.  I love cats.  So I took his picture.  But the Coloseum will evoke images of bullfights or Roman Gladiators fighting one another.   But I just love the Spanish feel of this town.  The French rail system passes through this town and it's a great place to stop and visit.  You shouldn't miss this highlight.  Do your visit to the Coloseum earlier as it gets rather hot during the afternoon. Definitely bring sunblock.
Regrets?  None.  But I will say that I wish I had a better camera during this trip.  When you think of France, this is one of the cities that appears on postcards or in magazines.  Flowers, outside cafes, really lovely shops, and fresh seafood restaurants are some of the attractions here. 
This trip was a lot of fun and I wish I could've spent more time here.  I could have easily gotten lost in photography for several days.  This pic was taken back in 2005 when pink was in:)  I'm standing with our friend and guide Alex.  She really had a heart of gold.
I placed these pics of shops here because they really are cool looking. Plus we get to see the French and their addiction to dogs!!!  Dogs really live the life in this most excellent country!
Of course, I found a shop with my name on it and couldn't resist the photo opt.
Arena of Nîmes(This pic courtesy of Wiki)
Built around 70 AD, it was remodeled in 1863 to serve as a bullring. The Arenas of Nimes is the site of two annual bullfights, and it is also used for other public events.

Whether it's sipping on a coffee or going on an adventure, this city will surely delight.  French tip for my American friends.  Remember to watch your voice levels in France.  We tend to talk loudly and if you watch the French, note how you can barely hear their conversations.  Also note how they don't always sit facing each other at a cafe, but out....facing the sidewalks or streets watching people walk by.  Life is good.  Sure it has it's challenges and sad moments, but it's during times like these that I am reminded how life affirming travel can be.  Take a risk.  Leave your comfort zones.  It doesn't matter if it's international or local, travel can make you feel like you can soar to new heights.  It's just how we approach it all:)  More on France soon..... 





14 comments:

  1. Oj zachwyciło mnie, zachwyciło, bo też tam była. Pozdrawiam.*** Oh impressed me, amazed, because I was there. Yours.

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  2. Thanks for the lovely tour of Nimes. The Arena is a fantastic shot, what a beautiful place. I love to travel and I really enjoyed this post and your photos. Have a great day!

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  3. In my younger days I used to think I wouldn't care to travel to Europe. Now I dream a lot about going to France but especially to Italy. (I am so sorry I got behind reading your blog. I had good intentions of keeping up but life just crept up on me. I will try and do better.)

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    1. Tracy, no sweat:) Life comes first. Everything else is second....well except cleaning....sometimes that comes first. I hope you have a great Thursday. The weekend is almost here!!! I'm going South this weekend on two trips. Somewhere in there I've got to do laundry and some landscaping:)

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  4. Hi Chris :-) I have never been to France but have always felt an affinity with all things French (a previous life perhaps and maybe that is why I love dogs so much). I have dabbled from time to time with attempting to learn the language, it always sounds so musical to me.

    The photos are lovely and really bring a flavour of the place, I particularly like the one of the olive tree

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    1. It's so beautiful. The olive trees are majestic. Thank you for taking a look. Southern France is enchanting. Go in early summer when the lavender fields are purply lavender:) Southern France smells so wonderful with the windows down in your car.

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  5. I loved the narration...and the Chris shop!
    you are too funny
    I would travel in a heartbeat..but the old grizzly I live with..not so much..oh well..I have no complaints..I just enjoy your trips...and I would love to have hugged that old olive tree...and the cat

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  6. the area w/ bullfights does seem strange for france... and a crocodile chained to a palm tree? :)

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  7. Great shots from a beautiful place.
    Thanks for sharing.

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  8. Perfect photos, and, who's that man, lol.

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  9. Wow, that is an old tree.
    Thanks for the tour!

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  10. So nice to read your views... and one day I'll visit Nimes. It is pretty close to Toulouse...
    I left France a long time ago and came back for vacations pretty often. Now that we are living here everything seems so different. I have to adjust and, I presume, I'll feel like a stranger for a long time in my own country... :-)) but one thing I must say is that everything is far more positive than I expected :-) people are very welcoming and helpful.
    P.S. I heard the wind, called Mistral, is a real problem in Nimes as it is here too...

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  11. Nice to meet you! I came by via Giga. I’m so attracted by the European landscape. In my understanding, there is a blending of European cultures, and I can’t identify what is Spanish or French style, so it’s interesting to hear your impressions on the city. 500 year-old olive tree is awe-inspiring. Thank you for sharing your lovely experiences.

    Yoko from Japan

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  12. It is very interesting to read how you felt about Nimes, especially when you write that it has a Spanish feel. Spanish and French cultures are very similar in a way, but for us Parisians, therefore "north" people:)), Nimes would be felt as "italian" because it is basically what we think of the whole south-east of France. This is a great post!

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Thanks for stopping by!