Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Our Last Post for this Summer Blog
 So, We went to a place called the Camargue. It's a massive wetlands in France. And we came upon this laughing white horse.
 The horse just kept laughing.
 And laughing - We couldn't figure out what was so darn funny.
 All over the Camargue we saw hundreds of Flamingos. Really.

 Here we are walking the streets of Arles. It's a wonderful artistic town.
 This picture was taken in Arles looking out from an old Roman Colosseum where they now hold bull fights.
 Arles has the best Graffiti.


 There was a fun Graffiti set up to take photos.



 More Lovely streets in Arles - Ol' Van Gough was here many years back.
 The Roman Colosseum.  And below - Ice cream break in summer.
 The Bull Fight Spectators.
 The Bull Fight introduction.
 Young Bull Fighters in training out to do their thing.



 One guy got hit by the bull, but he was OK.

 This was the guy who was hit by the bull, back in action.
 We left after the second bull was killed. Even though it is a UNESCO protected event - it's still pretty gruesome.
 Camille started to feel bad for the bull...
 And cried.
 Here is a poster on the Colosseum for the fight. I'd say it's less of a fight and more of a set-up that comes out of farming in-which the males must be killed.
 Dead bull leaves the arena for the butcher shop.
 The matadors out in front of the arena after the show. This as one of the "coaches".
 This fellow was the most skilled of the young bull fighters.
 This is the guy who was hit buy the bull. The ladies really loved these guys.
 See, the ladies loved these young guys.
 Another one of the coaches.
 The streets in Arles were wonderful as night fell.
 We stopped at massive salt works out in the Camargue. 
 We snuck out to the salt works up close for photos.
 Coke with salt.
 The edge of the salt ponds.

 We went to an amazing Photography Exhibition held by a photography school in Arles - the exhibits were in many different location around town. Oh, and it was hot hot.
 Here is one of the exhibit halls.


 And what a surprise to see some Romans running around town. All we could find out was they were part of a festival.

 More Photo Exhibition in Arles.



 More Great graffiti in Arles.




 Yea, more Arles
 We at dinner there -------- in Arles.
 Coke loves Tin Tin and Pierre had them all in French - including this book.
 This is the cemitary in Greasque where we have been staying. It was just beautiful.
 They put these pictures of the people on the crypts.
 This was such a beautiful heart remebrence. As you can see - very old too.

 Around town we would pick raspberry. They tasted good, but they had more pit that berry.
 The family in Greasque.
 Now in Cassis - a coastal towm known for Les Calanques - a beautiful coastal white rock area with crags - you see photos soon.
 Every town has a logo - this one is Cassis' logo.
 These are Les Calanques.
 We took a boat tour to see them.










 Afterward we went to the beach at Cassis. As you can see it was a bit of a crowded zoo.

 Marian has a good friend Jules Simon.
 Cassis logo.
 Cassis horbor.
 A beautiful chateau overlooking the Cassis horbor. 
 We also checked out the largest Roman water bridge at Pont du Gare



 The trails around the aqueduct were smoothed by footsteps.
 And the aqueduct was covered with old graphite.
 Every downtown just about has a merry go round in summer - here we are in Avignon.

 This is a road out to the beach through that swampy area - the Camargue.



 The beach was remote and wonderful.We had a great time and the kids loved the wave action here.
 We could drive the car on the beach.



 Dinner at home.
 The white horses of the Camargue.

 We went to a nature preserve. This sign was on the bathroom.
 It was so hot. We put water on our bodies.
 Grave yard in Greasque.

 Wonderful Graffiti in Arles.
 Marian in Arles.
 Coke with Salt.

 Arles.
 Aren't the houses just amazing.