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July 22, 2006
Pont du Gard
Pont du Gard is a 40m bus ride from Nimes. To get there go the the main train station (Gare SNCF) and go to the back of the train station, not the boulevard where the suburban bus stops are. If you exit from the train station, hang right and find bus #3. To get the timetable ask the information for regional bus information desk. To find this information desk ask the main Accueil (Information) desk. Phew ... that should get you to Pont du Gard from Nimes. It took me a while to find the right bus with my broken French, the smaller the city the the less likely people can speak English. The return trip should cost you EUR10.50 (ask for Aller Retour ticket rather than Aller Simple).
I went to Pont du Gard on my second day at Nimes. I'm truly amazed on how did the Romans build this thing in 19BC without cranes. I've seen the photos on my LP guide, but not until seeing it with my own eyes I realise how big this structure is.
LP says that the best view is from upstream. This needs correction, the best view of Pont du Gard is from the river Gard (or Gardon) itself. I brought my cozzie as suggested by LP. The water is not that flash, but if I can survive the Mekong River I should be able to survive this river in France. I jumped into the river upstream, and only from that angle swimming toward the Pont du Gard downstream you have the best view of Pont du Gard. I swam underneath the arch and back, typical tourist thing to do I guess.
I took the 2pm bus back to Nimes and spent the rest of the afternoon exploring the old city. Back in the hostel I once again met my accidental travel companion. We have stayed in in the same hostels at Paris, Lyon and now Nimes, none of this is planned. She and I will once again meet in Carcassonne.
Posted by vhadiant at July 22, 2006 07:35 PM
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