Castles & Coliseums

“Our battered suitcases were piled on the sidewalk again; we had longer ways to go. But no matter, the road is life.”
~ Jack Kerouac

Our Correspondent today is Courtney Cline:

Today we left Barcelona at 8:45 am for a 4 hour long ride that would eventually lead us to  Nimes, France.  Though saddened to leave beautiful Barcelona, we were happy to start a new adventure... even if the ride on the bus would be long. The journey on the coach was beautiful; the verdant countryside is breathtaking.  The earth is so lush all around: green fields that go for miles only broken by sunflowers and lavender, green trees that cover  the Pyrenees, green bushes that seemed to follow us everywhere. Crossing the border from Spain to France took longer than normal because it was a Saturday and this time of year is the peak vacation period in Europe according to Susannah.  But after three long hours we finally arrived to our first destination: Carcassonne. I did not expect what would greet my eyes.

Carcassonne is a medieval fortress town that will take the breath of anyone who looks at it. Stone block go up and across for hundreds of feet to make this beautiful castle-like fortress. The multiple arch ways that we had to walk through to get inside the fortress were towering over us. This walled city is truly immense. We had to park in a car park and take a local bus up to the city gates because it is mainly pedestrianized.  When we got off the bus we were greeted by a strong rushing wind that is famous in this region.  Even though it was sunny, there was a sustained wind that thankfully dissipated inside the walls.  Thinking we were destined to just going to tour an old fortress, we were pleasantly surprised to find a beautiful French village veiled within the imposing walls.  Many streets are filled with little boutiques, hotels, and restaurants.  The air is filled with music coming from street performers that seem to occupy any open space in the city.

We set off on our first mission: lunch!  Hungry and famished, we jumped in the first café our eyes spotted with the word “crepes.” "Combien ?" the hostess asked us. "Uh table for 6?" we responded hoping that what she said was another word for 'hello'. She nodded while we thought we were lucky that she didn't say anymore. We expected that since it was a tourist area, everyone spoke English and found out these parts are off the American tourist track.  "Uh, un crepe Nutella, s'il vous plait," we each asked.  "All Nutella crepes, oui!" The waitress responded with her beautiful red lips and matching glasses.  "Well, we look stupid," one of the girls added. After a delicious and filling dessert that followed a hardy meal, we were ready to do important business: shop. Pamphlets were handed to us as we passed storefronts, trying to get our business. There were soap shops, clothing shops, antique shops, hat shops, watch shops, jewelry shops, candy shops, macaroon shops, smoothie shops, carpet shops, souvenir shops – I am sure you get the idea. However, the most surprising thing we saw was a Best Western Hotel in the middle; but it looked like a medieval structure on the exterior.  But the brand name seemed so out of place.

After three hours of exploring, shopping and eating, we met up with the whole group in the front of the fortress. We all shared what we bought and Mr. Bizga showed off the princess costumes he acquired for his little nieces who are obsessed with princesses. Making our way back to the bus, the group exchanged stories of their adventures in this town.  Finally we made it back to the bus, and we left the fortress to make our way to the hotel in Nimes, France.

I did not know what to expect with Nimes The hotel we are staying at is quite modern.  In the lobby were cow skinned chairs and colorful decorations. The girls doubled up in rooms while the only three boys tripled... “Quelle surprise.”  We rested for about an hour and got ready for dinner at a cute café. There was a vote for an 'inside or outside' dining, but 'inside' won by a landslide in the 90+ degree weather.  We had a choice for the starter, entrée, and dessert as well. The starter was a choice between a tomato mozzarella salad and a Nimes salad. The Nimes salad was a bed of lettuce with a cod fish puff pastry on top. The entrée was between a delicious steak with herb butter and frites or a roasted pork roast. However, the vegetarians got a whole thin crust veggie pizza. The dessert was a choice of a chocolate lava-like cake and an almond walnut tart. The meal was finished with an assortment of 3 different types of artisanal cheese. Full and content, we decided to end the night with a walking tour around the city of Nimes. 

The walk was filled with many sights. "La Gare," the city train station, was on the immediate right of the café. Walking around, the city was filled with many ornate streetlights and fountains.  The city in some ways looks like it could be a neighborhood of Paris.  France is so beautiful and clean.  Nimes is regal and elegant; but peaceful and quiet.  Moments later, I was to discover another more ancient part of the this city.   Amazing Roman ruins dot the architectural landscape of the city.  As our walk continued, one the largest and best preserved Roman amphitheaters greeted me in the heart of the city.  It was so weird to be honest and I was shocked to see it.  It looks so much like the Roman coliseum; but is in better shape.  Today the coliseum is called the “Arena” and is still used for concerts and bull fights.  The arena is very old, faded, circular, with many archways. 

We finished the walk around town at a little entertainment area.  Some of us women went on a ride on a merry-go-round about 500 ft from our hotel. It was the perfect ending to a perfect day.