Cavaillon (the big stink) – part two

Our time in western Provence was filled with exciting different day trips in the area. Two outstanding places remain in our memory:

The Pont-du-Gau Bird Sanctuary (Parc ornithologique de Pont-de-Gau)

This bird sanctuary is located in the Camargue Natural Regional Park a short drive southwest of Arles. The landscape is flat, marshy and unlike the rest of Provence. The area is known for its rice growing (something we never knew about France!), as well as its white horses (one of the oldest breeds in the world) and black bulls (raised for fighting in bull rings). But, we really wanted to explore the Camargue for its wild flamingos!

As a child, A. often visited the Calgary Zoo and one of her favourite parts were the pink flamingos. When we heard about the flamingos at the Bird Sanctuary, it made our list of places to visit. We loaded up on mosquito repellent (they are present at all times of the year!) and went for a day trip.

We were not disappointed! The bird sanctuary has an unassuming entrance and parking area, with a few buildings housing a small cafe, toilets and maintenance tools. The remaining 12 hectares of swampland house an incredible variety of animals, including flamingos, herons, cranes, swans, various other birds, as well as swamp rats, snakes, lizards, carps, coypu (like beavers but without flat tails) and many other creatures (including the aforementioned mosquitos!). We rented binoculars for the kids and made our way through the sanctuary.

We took a picnic lunch and were able to eat overlooking hundreds of flamingos eating their own lunches, grooming themselves and sleeping while standing on one leg. It was incredible to see so many in one place and the variety of colours (from white to reddish-pink) and sizes. We also saw their nesting island, covered in small mounds of dirt. And most spectacular was watching them spread their wings and take off, revealing the darker colours of the feathers under their wings.

We were all surprised at how interesting we found the sanctuary; we easily spent most of the day there. We did feel somewhat out of place with our camera, though, as the bird sanctuary attracts bird watchers with their massive telephoto lenses (covered in camouflage even).

Arles and the Museum of Antiquity

We visited Arles and the Museum of Antiquity to make connections with the Roman ruins we’d already seen in Bath and at the Pont du Gard. The museum was expanded a few years ago to accommodate an incredibly well preserved barge that had been discovered at the bottom of the Rhone river. It also houses the oldest known bust of Julius Caesar.

They have done an excellent job in providing an accessible exploration of the barge, as well as context about life, trade, business and politics in the local region over two thousand years ago. 

We were impressed by the extent of the collection. Not just the barge and its contents, but a vast selection of vases, armour, amphoras, coins, statues, glass containers, jewelry, buttons/fasteners and more. It was, in some respects, a little overwhelming, but the collection was well presented with explanations in French and English.

We also visited the historic centre of Arles, with its extensive Roman ruins, including an outdoor theatre, as well as a large arena. In the arena, we were able to watch French high school students get lessons from “gladiators” in combat techniques as well as Roman relay races.

The theatre is not as well preserved as the arena, but they have installed a new stage and rigging to enable performances and concerts. At one time, the theatre was an abbey and then local residents used the stone to build their homes, so not much was left to rebuild from the last few hundred years. 

We also enjoyed walking through the old town and we followed several signs the city has posted about views/sights that Van Gogh captured in some of his paintings when he lived in Arles. There were also some great shops with unique handicrafts, as well as a wonderful organic and raw food cafe where A. was able to get a treat for herself.

Next stop — Provence – Alpes – Cote d’Azur!