 |
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
||
|
|
||
To the Pont du GardBy Susan Avison
The choice on the menu was wide, and I was tempted by several dishes, but eventually opted for the delicious ragoût de moules (mussels out of their shells with tomatoes and green beans in a creamy sauce, accompanied by a herb soufflé), salmon fillet layered with courgette and aubergines, and lemon tart in a brandy basket topped with a fromage blanc mousse. To accompany the meal, we decided to try one of the local Costières de Nîmes whites, which was deliciously refreshing and fruity. We spent what was left of the evening in the inviting lounge, with its deep armchairs and attractive fireplace. The hotel having been converted from a 17th-century aristocrat’s house and adjoining buildings, the ceilings were vaulted and the floors were covered in stone flagging, giving the hotel a lot of atmosphere and character. The first day of the holiday is free so that you can explore Uzès. It really is an attractive town, very compact and easy to visit. Two of the main landmarks are the Tour Fenestrelle, an elegant Romanesque tower just a few steps from the hotel that forms part of the cathedral, and the old ducal palace. There are several other places of interest that are worth a visit, but we were just as happy to stroll through the narrow streets, popping into the numerous small craft shops under the arcades. Unfortunately our stay didn’t coincide with the weekly markets, held on Wednesdays and Saturdays in the Place aux Herbes, which we were told are some of the liveliest in the area.
Filled with energy, we set off again, through a sleepy village and then up onto the top of the ridge above the Gorges du Gardon, getting the odd tantalising glimpse down into the gorge itself and the shimmering green waters of the River Gardon. We arrived at the Hostellerie le Castellas pleasantly tired. This was the hotel that I had been looking forward to visiting most as I’d heard such great things about it from other colleagues. It certainly more than lived up to my expectations. It felt wrong to turn up at such a beautifully decorated and well maintained hotel in our tracksuit bottoms and walking boots, but Madame Aparis, a charming hostess, never even batted an eyelid. All of the rooms are individually decorated with a lot of imaginative touches. Ours was blue and yellow, with an attractive tiled floor and an enormous, very stylish bathroom, complete with huge shower, one of the first things we tested. The second was the food, which was excellent. I particularly enjoyed the starter of chicken breast stuffed with vegetables, and the main course of turbot à la niçoise (turbot in a ratatouille-like mixture of olives, garlic and tomato). The desserts were delicious too – poached pear, caramelised orange cheesecake, and a chocolate 'tulip' which, to a chocaholic like me, was simply heavenly.
Our final, very gentle walk took us to the Pont du Gard. We followed tracks and quiet country lanes bordered by vineyards and orchards, and after an hour and a half entered some woodland, emerging a few minutes later onto an area of bare rock for our first view of the Pont du Gard. Both of us had seen pictures of the bridge in guide books, but these had never given us any real feel for the scale of it, and seeing it for the first time it was hard not to be amazed by its sheer size. That the Romans built the bridge (and the other 50 kilometres of the aqueduct between Uzès and Nîmes) 2000 years ago without any of the technology or machinery that we have today is proof of their engineering expertise. Satisfied at having reached the target of our holiday, and safe in the knowledge that we had very little terrain left to cover, we settled down for a leisurely picnic on the riverbank followed by a short siesta.
Other Travel DiariesTo read about the experiences of other members of staff on their Inntravel holidays, visit our travel diaries archive.  |
|
||
I don’t walk on a regular basis, and when I do, I’m not one
for climbing hills and mountains – I prefer something more gentle
– which was why the 
The walk from Uzès to Collias, though I didn't know it at the
time, proved to be my favourite of the holiday as it was so varied. We
descended out of the town on a narrow lane with good views back across
to the Tour Fenestrelle. Then we followed a pleasant woodland path alongside
the River Alzon and walked along country lanes to then follow a botanical
path which identified typical plants of the garrigue, the low,
limestone hills that lie between the Cévennes and the Mediterranean.
One of the most predominant is the kermes oak, a low tree with small,
prickly, holly-like leaves and lots of acorns.We also came across holm
oaks and strawberry trees. The discovery of a solitary picnic bench at
the end of the trail came as a pleasant surprise, and we hungrily tucked
into our sandwiches.
With
two nights at Le Castellas, we were able to do a circular walk from Collias.
We started by retracing the last part of the previous day’s route
along the top of the gorge, with views to the Cévennes in the distance,
which we hadn’t noticed before as they had been behind us. It was
late March, so the thyme was in flower, creating a sea of blue and attracting
lots of large, bright yellow butterflies and smaller blue ones. After
a good hour, we started our descent into the gorge. Fortunately the path
wasn’t particularly steep, so it wasn’t hard work on our knees
as we zigzagged downhill. The further down we went, the better the views
became. It really is quite an attractive gorge, the glittering river contained
by craggy limestone cliffs. Almost immediately after reaching the bottom,
we came to a pleasant grassy spot, the perfect place for the picnic we'd asked the staff to prepare for us. The
chef had obviously thought we’d be very hungry, as he had put together an enormous picnic of bread, hard boiled eggs, asparagus and tomato
(for which he had also provided a vinaigrette dressing), cheese, dates
and dried apricots, and a huge tub of strawberries which we struggled
to finish. When we set off again, our rucksacks considerably lighter than
before, we continued quite close to the river, sometimes across expanses
of bare rock in which the river had carved holes, sometimes on a sandy
path just back from the water’s edge. The gorge shelters lots of
rare wildlife, such as bats, which live in the many small caves, beavers,
Bonelli’s eagles and Egyptian vultures, but despite keeping our eyes
peeled, all we saw were frogs! 
Le Castellas may be superb, but Le Vieux Castillon, the last hotel on
the holiday, is even better. The medieval building oozes character, and
we could think of few more relaxing places to sit with a drink than under
the cypress tree in the courtyard. There is a lovely outdoor pool that
overlooks the vineyards, and the restaurant has been awarded a Michelin
star. What a place to end this gastronomic walking tour of Roman Provence!