France, Hidden Provence 4

4/18/13

More on Hidden Provence #4

       Undoubtedly, one of Provence’s greatest attractions is the Pont du Gard built by the Romans sometime around the birth of Christ, 2,000 years ago. The perfectly proportioned three tiers of arches support this amazing aqueduct, which spans the Gard River. In those ancient days it brought fresh water from Uzes to Nimes—about 14 miles.

     The Duchy of Uzes is another place very well worth visiting. The Ducal Palace is open for tours.  A climb to the top of a palace tower, too steep and narrow for my comfort, gave a great view of the medieval town clustered below, including the quaint main square. (I am not sure if they still allow visitors to do this.) I was impressed by the duke’s history—the Uzes family lineage, descends—or should I say ascends—from Charlemagne who ruled in the 7th century.

      After a few days of exploring this area, I drove my trusty

Renault north to Le Barroux, a village in the Vaucluse countryside

to stay for four days. After walking around in the hot Provencal sun,

it was nice to get “home” to Les Geraniums Hotel in Le Barroux. (I check it in

TripAdvisor.com to find out if the hotel has maintained its charm. It has three stars)

….. more next week