Nimes

Got up early to catch the 9:10 bus. It was a smooth ride and pretty quiet. The driver was a friendly grump who would grumble when another driver was too fast or slow. He tailgated other busses and honked at other cars that he decided were driving poorly. Meanwhile, an anxious lady was seated right behind him with 3 large bags stuffed with heavens knows what. She looked dressed up for a nice day out in her Sunday best even though it was a sunny Friday. She piped up first the first 30 mins to answer questions from boarding patrons – including me! – and provided unsolicited supplementary commentary to the cranky driver’s moody opinions. Uneventful and entertaining ride in to Nimes.

Gorgeous town that had very smooth streets – No cobblestone paths unlike Avignon. It was a balmy day but perfect for walkabouts to keep you cool. I went to the Tour Magne and purchased a discounted ticket to see the Tour, Maison Caree and Area of Nimes (Amphitheatre of Nimes). I would recommend getting this as it is good savings.

It was cool to see such an old tower and learn more about this history where it was made as an example of the Roman’s power, rather than for an actual defensive purpose. It provided a stunning view at the top. I normally do not like to pay to just go see a view. However, when it’s on top of a monument or historical building, I really enjoy it as I try to picture what people saw hundreds of years ago and how they would feel if they saw this current view. It’s extremely humbling.

Next, the Maison Caree was a temple built nearly 2000 years ago! So cool to see such a well maintained piece of history. Amazing design and it always takes away my breath to think of how it was created piece by piece by people with minimal technology and equipment. Astounding. You only get to see a movie inside. There isn’t a way to see the internal structure or design. The movie was rather boring and not that interesting. I wouldn’t recommend. Just read about the history of Nimes online.

The amphitheatre was very cool and it did remind me of the Colosseum. It was fun listening to the audio guide and it was very informative, interesting and succinct. I spent longer than I intended there, 1.5 hours, and enjoyed the views and history. As it was close to the end of my day, I tried to do some stretching and ended up accidentally popping off my shoe when I propped it up on a bar! :p Needless to say, it was hilarious! The audioguide assistant laughed along with me and asked a groundskeeper for assistance, who chuckled when he located my sad, lonesome shoe looking very out of place on the edging of the wall. Other tourists giggled when they observed the groundskeeper with his claw-on-a-stick rescue my shoe. What a funny day!

After that, I walked around the city a bit more to soak in the history and architecture. And then it was off on the bus. Lovely view for the first few minutes before I fell asleep for a nap in the warm sun.