cigalechanta

I posted this under another title but no one responded. I think it's worth reading with the suggestions where to stay and where to eat, most that I agree with after being there.

Today's New York Times, Elaine Sciolino explores what was once Gaul, covering Provence and the Gard.
A few weeks ago, someone asked where they could see the stomping of the grapes.
Two posters laughed at him saying he was 100 years too late. if he is reading this,
The article tells you that the vineyard, Mas des Tourelles, in Beaucaire organizes
"wine Harvests" showing the Roman methods for making wine are are re-enacted
by the 'slaves" (staff members of the winery) crushing grapes under foot.

http://travel.nytimes.com/2009/05/17...rance.html?hpw

traveller1959

In our youth, we have stayed about half a dozen times on the campground in Beaucaire. It is not exactly an exciting town, but it is the very best base to explore Roman provence with a minimum of driving.

The NYT article is well-written and absolutely right that Nîmes is the most attractive city in the region. Provence is indeed the best region to explore Roman history - even better than Rome itself.

When I read your first post about ancient wine-making I expected a tacky tourist thing. But after I opened Mas de Tourelles website (http://www.tourelles.com), I must say, I am impressed. It seems to be serious archeological business.

Thank you for posting.

MaineGG

Thanks for posting the link to this article. It brought back good memories, especially of Vaison-la-Romaine, a very interesting town. Its amazing Roman bridge still carries a main road's traffic.

A couple of sites in the South of France, but not in Provence, are Narbonne where you can see an excavated section of a major Roman road in the town center, and the Trophy of the Alps in La Turbie, near Monte Carlo on the Grande Corniche. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trophy_of_Augustus

justretired

Thanks, Cigale. We're considering a number of possibilities for September '09, and among them Languedoc (on the other hand, maybe Bourgogne). Flights are relatively cheap these days.

MarieVia

Thank you for the link to the Times, Cigale. Perfect timing. We leave for Gaul, I mean France, next week-- the ancient world is one of our main interests.
MarieV

justretired

<i><b>Ave</b></i>, MarieVia! Which of the three parts of Gaul will you be visiting?

MarieVia

Celtae. And more specifically: Lutetia, Narbonensis, and then further south into Iberia or you may know it as Hispania.

vale!

justretired

MariaVia, I'll understand if you don't have time to reply as you prepare to depart. But Margie and I are considering spending some time in September somewhere close to the coast in Languedoc. We don't want to go too far west, because we'd like to be able to take short trips (an hour or so) into western Provence (the camargue, Arles, Nîmes, etc.). But we'd also like to see what we can do on the coast or on the water, and to visit Narbonne and Carcassonne. We'd like to have one place to use for a base for two weeks, or perhaps two places, one week each. Perhaps an apartment with a kitchen.

Any thoughts?

Larry

cigalechanta

On the coast, we liked Sete, Collioure but stayed in St Cyprien-plage. Sete in the first Sunday of September has floodlit water jousting and on the 17th, a festive pilgrimages to the chapel at the summit of St Clair.
Mid September there is a fete de St,Ferriol, folk
dancing and bullfights.























eret

justretired

Hi, Cigale.

St Cyprien-plage and Collioure seem too far south for what we want, but Sète could be a good choice. What about Agde, or Cap d'Agde? Touristy in July/August, but I wonder what they're like in September.

What's a good way to find a place to stay? Some of the tourism offices have 72 pages of listings, without a good search engine to narrow it down.

Larry

cigalechanta

I would think less crowded. the book I used for my trip
list for agde Hotel Tamarissiere a good quality riverside hotel with an excellant restaurant specialing in seafood.
Hotel Eve, at the cap.
In Sete, Grand Hotel

MarieVia

Hi justretired;
I'm not the one to ask since I haven't been yet. I leave in a few days and will be back late June. There is a great deal of information on this forum about that area,though, and several people who know it well.

MarieV

cigalechanta

Larry, Peter who posts here has a site with lots of information. He lives in Languedoc.

http://www.the-languedoc-page.com/

pdx

Sigh. I'm so jealous. I read the article, too. Even printed it out and poured over it, mapping everything out and looked for apartments and hotels. I need to work some serious amounts of overtime to squeeze a trip in. We went to Spain in March and are considering Greece for our next trip in 2010, but my heart is wandering to France. It always does for some reason. It's subconscious, too. It's never my first thought when we start thinking where to go but it's my most comfortable and interesting destination. There is a very decently priced 3 bedroom apartment on VRBO in Beaucaire. 30 minute drives to Arles, Nimes and the Pont du Gard.

latedaytraveler

Cigale, I also read and enjoyed the piece in the Times, especially that great shot of the amphitheater in Nimes where bullfights (I believe) are still held. A book that you and those planning to explore the Roman ruins of Provence will enjoy is CAESAR’S VAST GHOST, Aspects of Provence by Lawrence Durrell.

cigalechanta

latedaytraveler, another book you will like is
"Luminous Debris" by the late Gustaf Sobin who also wrote a short haunting novel, THE FLY TRUFFLER.

http://www.amazon.com/Luminous-Debri.../dp/0520222458

grandmere

It was a super article. I was surprised to see that it mentioned the Hotel d'Arlatan in Arles; I stayed there in Dec. of '89. Great little place!

MarieVia

latedaytraveler;
We're reading that now in preparation for our trip; I believe the title has been changed to: "Provence".
It's very good.
Any other book recommendations?
Marie

justretired

Anyone interested in Roman artifacts in southern France might want to pick up the June 2009 issue of <i>Smithsonian</i> magazine. It has an article on the <i>Via Aurelia</i>, the remains of a Roman road running from <i>Aquae Sextiae</i> (Aix-en-Provence) to <i>Arelate</i> (Arles). Actually, you can see the article here:

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/histor...d-Warrior.html

(I don't know how you can sell a magazine when you give away your product on the web for nothing.)

The French amateur archaeologist fighting to preserve the road has his own web site (but it's in French):

http://via-aurelia.net/

Larry

Canada_V

Interesting articles - I've taken some notes!

Justretired - We are going to be spending a week in Agde at one of these properties http://www.med-holidays.com/ starting June 13th. I'll post a trip report when I get back in case you are still in your planning phase for your Langedoc trip