Nîmes

 Hello!

 The previous post on this blog saw my Mam, my Granma and I setting off from Avignon for a day trip to Nîmes. Now let's see how it went!

 Avignon is in Provence but on the cusp of Languedoc-Roussillon, my favourite region of France (though they're currently in the process of reshuffling all the regions). Nîmes is fully in Languedoc-Roussillon, so I was looking forward to spending some time there.

 We arrived in the rather large train station, and fortunately managed to find our way to the exit. Outside it was nice and sunny, the sky very blue.

 We set off down the pleasant tree-lined boulevard leading away from the station. There were some lovely water features and a generally modern feel. It reminded me in some ways of Manchester.

 We arrived in a sort of park. with some flowers and plants and an impressive fountain.

 There was a sort of mini tourist office - we would find the main one later. I asked about city tours and they said there was a bus we could catch on the other side of town. So we began our leisurely walk through the streets of Nîmes.

 First, though, we took a closer look at the Fontaine Pradier.

She represents Nîmes and has the temple, which we'll see later, on her head

 We frequently saw the symbol of Nîmes - a crocodile tied to a palm tree, which originally represented Rome's power over Egypt.

 We approached the amphitheatre, my feelings towards which are very mixed. The fact that it is a historical structure, built by the Romans, which has survived so many hundreds of years, I feel is something special. 

 However, it is also now one of the most famous bullrings in France, if not the world. And in my view bullfighting is deplorable, and the fact that it is still allowed to happen is ridiculous. So I really didn't know what to make of the building. It was a strange space, for me.

 We moved on into the town's shopping streets.

It looks real!

 We were mooching along when my Granma gave a cry of "Pylones!" and dived into her new favourite shop. She discovered Pylones in Avignon and loves its quirky, colourful vibe. My Mam and I followed, ready to be swamped by a host of weird and wonderful things we never knew we needed.

 We escaped from Pylones and wandered on.

Pretty

 Our next find was a shop that had a wine-cellar feel to it and which sells - I think - local/artisan produce. There were jars of chocolate spread, chocolate-and-mint spread and caramel to try and they were all so amazing, especially the caramel, that I had quite a few tries!

 Like Avignon, Nîmes has a Place de l'Horloge, Clock Square. We had a sit-down and I enjoyed some Granitas - basically Slush Puppy. We spotted the clock without difficulty!

 We got moving again.

 Before we knew it we had reached the Roman temple known as the Maison Carrée - the Square House. It would have been incredibly striking anyway, but the white against that blue, blue sky was really something.

 We made it to the tourist office, where we learnt that there has to be a minimum of four passenger on the tour bus or it wouldn't run. As we were three, we waited around anxiously until to our huge relief another two people appeared. With the five of us on board, the bus set off.

I love how the greenery is reflected in the window

 Our first port of call were the famous Jardins de la Fontaine - Fountain Gardens.

 A good chunk of the tour was essentially retracing our steps, but learning more about the places though the audio guide. Back we went past the temple...

 ...past the amphitheatre...

 ...and to the station.

 Beyond the station, though, we started to see new things.

 We saw a housing development designed to look like a ship, which is pretty cool.

 There was also a historical school...

 ... a carousel...

 ...and a church with some lovely stonework.

 As you've probably noticed, Nîmes is a very green city. The late afternoon light filtering through the trees made for many a photo opportunity.

Yet another Irish pub in France!

These dogs were doing a good job of pulling the protective tubing off the tree trunks!

 After our tour we made our way back through town to reach the station again. 

 We passed by the Fontaine Pradier one last time, having heard from the audio-guide that, like the door of the University of Salamanca, the fountain has a hidden frog. We quickly found it - it was a lot easier to spot than the Salamanca one!

Can you see the frog? Photo by my Mam

 We caught our train back to Avignon, reflecting on a day that had been long and tiring, but also educational and fun.

 Thanks for reading!

 Liz x