Nîmes et Pont du Gard

Well, we found the cold weather.  It doesn't just show up and stick around like it does in the states.  It blows in from the north in sharp gusts.  In the sun, if it's not too windy, it can be really nice, but it can also be cold.  Today I think it's about 40.

But Yesterday was a lot of fun (despite some cold winds).  The excursion to Nîmes and Pont du Gard was planned by the program so just about everyone went.  First they brought us to Pont du Gard (by bus) which is really awesome.  Pont du Gard is a Roman aqueduct, famous because the gradation of the thing is only about 25 cm, yet it still was very effective in supplying water to the city of Nîmes.  I got some great photos of it (check them out by clicking on my dog on the right side of the page).

Then we went to Nîmes.  First we had lunch.  A couple of friends and I just went to a small lunch cafe and had sandwiches but it was good to get out of the cold.  Then we did a two hour tour of some of the historic parts of the city.  Nîmes is older and smaller than Montpellier (Nîmes being a Roman city and Montpellier being a Medieval one).  We started at the Arena/Amphitheater used for gladiator fights.  We had a great tour guide.  She was very knowledgeable and, even though she spoke French the whole time, everyone understood her because she enunciated a lot and spoke slowly and simply.  Some really cool facts about the amphitheater:

- It was the sight of gladiator fights, typically gladiator vs gladiator (gladiator vs lion really only existed in Rome because only the emperor was rich enough to host such a spectacle)
- All of the "doors" (the arches) were totally open because it was free to watch and paid for by the local government.
- Seating was organized by rank (Romans first level, Greeks second level, and women/slaves/children third level).
- The amphitheater had several uses after it was no longer used as an arena.  I believe she said it was a fortress and used to house people.  When they left, they took a lot of stones with them to build houses elsewhere (same is true with the aqueduct).

She also explained the symbol of Nîmes: the crocodile on a chain with a palm leaf behind it.  This is based on the coin created by the Roman emperor after he conquered (the chain) the Egyptians (the Nile crocodile).  The palm leaf symbolizes victory over.  So all over the city there are palm trees and references to crocodiles. 

Then we saw the Maison Carrée (square house, even thought it's a rectangle).  It started as a Roman temple to the emperor's sons (you can tell the difference between Greek and Roman because a Roman temple has different columns), is on a raised platform with a lot of stairs, and has different columns).  Then it was someone's house.  Now it's a movie theater.


Finally, we went to Jardin de la Fontaine.  There were big statues and the landscape was kind of carved up by staircases, which the guide said was a theater.  On the side was the Temple de Diane, but it wasn't really a temple; it's thought to have been a library.  There was also a lake with a natural source of water.  This source and the water god of the peoples before the Romans has shaped the contours of the history of Nîmes.

Last night was quiet.  I was tired so didn't want to go out (it can be a hassle to go out living in a homestay, but I'm sure I'll figure out the system).  Today I'll probably just relax and get ready for classes tomorrow!  Yikes!

Stay Tuned for... La Fac and other adventures in the French Education System