Week 9: Where the wild things are
They rode fast in through the arched gate on a white stallion wet with sweat. The rider was a man in his forties, holding a trident in his right hand and had a black hat on his head. Sitting behind him on the horse a young woman holding on to his waist. In a single movement she slid of the back as the horse turned and stopped. Her white frilly breeches and dusty brown boots showing as she lifted her black trousers to slide off. Just as she had both boots on the ground, she started tapping on her mobile phone.
We were in the town of Aigues-Mortes in the Camargue (Rhône Delta), southern France. I never imagined that such a wild place even still existed in France. It is an evocative place where pink flamingoes wade calm and effortlessly in the delta wetlands and gardians (cowboys) with their black hats and tridents on white horses raise and look after fighting bulls – the famous semi-wild black bulls of the region. We went to Aigues-Mortes to witness their annual fête. With such a short time in the region it was an ideal opportunity to get to see the Camargueiens in their traditional outfits doing what they do best, ride their horses and showing off their skill handling the wild bulls.
Earlier in the week, as we were heading out of Antibes, I realised I was still too tired to drive after all the excitement surrounding the flooding and we decided to stay a bit longer on the Côte d’Azur. In week 9 we spent a few nights in Ramatuelle near Saint-Tropez and our route then headed further west to Remoulins, Nîmes and the Camargue after which we headed towards the Atlantic coast of France via Carcassonne.
Ramatuelle offered us time to relax under the pines and enjoy strolls through the vineyards down to the famous Pampelonne Beach. Even in the off season the weather was great and it really is like all the stereotypes promised: white sand, clear water, Citroên Mehari’s (beach buggies), super yachts, and exclusive beach clubs (which were mostly closed and gave us access to some prime beach real estate as a result).
Feeling reenergised, we hit the road again just as the weather around Ramatuelle turned wet. Our next stop was a great campsite right next to Pont du Gard, an ancient Roman aqueduct completed in 60 AD! It is just completely mind boggling that something over two thousand years can be in such great condition.
Our next stop, the town of Nîmes, has some of the best preserved Roman sites in the whole of the Roman empire. Nîmes is a vibrant city and we enjoyed a lazy Saturday wandering around the old town and stopping here and there for a drink and to noisy about the shops.
On our way to the Atlantic coast, we stayed over in Carcassonne, a medieval citadel.
We’re currently in San Sebastian on the Atlantic coast of Spain and we’re slowly making our way back to England before heading off to Namibia.
Trip stats (Week 1 – Week 9):
- Current location: San Sebastian, Spain
- Days on the road: 63
- Distance travelled: 7183.8 km
- Countries visited: Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, Lichtenstein, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Italy, The Vatican, France, Spain.
- Cups of coffee: 138
- Pitched the tent 5 times.
- Camper awning pitched 19 times.
- Number of campsites: 32
- Number of B&B’s: 1
- Average weekly cost for camping: £133.98
- Average weekly cost for diesel: £35.70
- Average weekly cost for food & groceries: £78.67
- Average weekly cost for ferries, tolls, parking and public transport: £71.38
- Average weekly cost for entertainment, museums, and other attractions: £40.40
