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Chandlers Ford “Falcons” |
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The Camargue Experience: France, 21st- 28th July 2007 with Peter, David, Lesley and Coralie Hancock |
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The background
The Camargue lies in the south of France, It comprises the land that makes up the delta created where the River Rhone enters the Mediterranean Sea. It is located on the bird migration routes from Africa up through Europe. There are a wide range of habitats (cultivated areas, marshes, coastal salt meadows, salt marshes, freshwater marshes, beaches and dunes) and just behind these lowlands are limestone hills : a wide variety of birds take advantage of what the region has to offer.
Culturally the region has a complex history with evidence of its rich past present in its buildings, ruins and social activities. Amphitheatres, aquaducts, forums and fortress walls rub shoulders with narrow streets, whitewashed walls, marketplaces, street cafes, sophisticated shops. Farming, salt extraction, cyclists, wild-bull running through streets, artistic creations ( fired by the inspiration of one of the famous artists of the area—Van Gogh) and national parks are all bustling for attention. ..and, of course, we must not forget the Mediterranean Sea itself and its coastline
So this rich tapestry was just waiting for us to explore. The only problem we had was deciding on the balance between Birding and Culture.
Where did we stay?
We stayed in a little Gite (the “Gite du Pigeonnier”, Mas Medaille) ideally located at the Head of the Camargue (in the north of the region). Everything we wanted to see and do was within 30 minutes drive. Our hosts were Jean –Pierre and Cathy Guigon . They were absolutely delightful, providing us with a very warm welcome and giving us many very useful hints on where to go and what to see. They put up with our poor French with good humour. Cathy’s “guardienne de taureau” (casserole) was superb—we all highly recommend it. The Gite itself was full of character, and comfortable. The swimming pool was a major plus—with temperatures in the afternoon of 35oC; it was an ideal place to which to retreat.
Where did we go?
You’ll need a map! There was Les Baux in the limestone hills to the east of Arles, Nimes to the north west of Arles, the Pont du Gard, Arles itself, Aigues-Mortes, the delightful walled town to the west of the Camargue, Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer on the south west corner of the Camargue National Park and Salin-du-Giraud on the south east corner and ALL roads in between. So we had a little bit of everything: landscape, history, culture and birding.
Please follow the links below to get more details:
Birding list and major viewpoints Impressions of the Camargue in pictures
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