Aigues-Mortes

Once atop the walls, it took about an hour to walk the entire city. Not only did you get a great view of the city itself, and its layout, but the surrounding countryside was gorgeous, with large swatches of grain interrupted by water, typical of the Camargue, with fields and white horses that are a trademark of the region. The colors of the Camargue water were especially breathtaking--as was the Romanesque architecture of the towers and walls.

Walking the ramparts

The circular tower was especially interesting, as you could climb a few thousand steps (well, it felt like it), all very narrow and steep, to the very rooftop. It reminded me of the Alcazar castle in Segovia, Spain.

Marker in the Constance Tower, 1270-1970

Inside, the city was also interesting, with lots of little shops and restaurants. We got "waylaid" in a cookie store, which was way too dangerous! They were passing out free samples as you walked by the doorway, then inside the doorway, then in every aisle, then at the cashier's stand. And EVERYONE was buying tons of cookies (including us), even though we were filled by the free samples!

Then, almost before we realized, we were driving back through the never-ending vinyards of Languedoc, back into Provence, crossing the Rhone just at sunset.