Travel France – Pont Du Gard

A spell relief for the weary vacationer

A peculiar malady often afflicts travelers in the final days of an all-too-hectic trip through France. The symptoms are blurred memories and shortness-of-patience. A diagnosis suggests too many galleries, museums and cathedrals squeezed into an insufficient timeframe. Prescription: a day at Pont du Gard.

In 19 B.C., brilliant Roman engineers completed work on this magnificent aqueduct situated halfway between Avignon and Nimes. Back then, it carried 44 million gallons of water daily. Today, vacation fatigue floats away, disappearing into the tranquility of the green Provencal countryside. Don’t look for billboards to point you to fast food or cheap hotels. A lone refreshment/souvenir stand and a small lodge are the only reminders that you are still standing in the twentieth century.

Early mornings are best for photos. The sun paints the three tiers of stone into a warm honey color. That suggests picnic time. On each side of the Pont, large flat rocks are perfect tables for lunches or serve as seats to lie back and gaze upon this well-preserved wonder. The stone was cut from still visible neighboring quarries, then snugged into place without need for mortar.

Climb onto it, and just like the Eiffel Tower, you can scale any one of three levels. The higher you go, the bigger the thrill. Step towards the edge and you could join the victims of past centuries. History tells us some have been swept over the side by the force of the Mistral wind. Unattended children or those fearing heights should be cautioned about the fifty metre (over 150 feet) drop to the water. As an alternative, the timid can step inside the 2-metre high trough and cross the Gard within it.

Water played a large role in Roman lives. Their love of bathing meant they used three times as much as we do. That explains their persistence in shuttling water for 56 miles from Uzes to Nimes where Augustus permitted his senior soldiers to live after their campaign in Egypt.

Although it’s a tad inaccessible for tourists today, it’s been appreciated for centuries. Jean-Jacques Rousseau referred to a visit as “vanishing like an insect in this boundless edifice”. Britain’s Tobias Smollett compared it to Westminster Bridge.

Today, Pont du Gard can only be reached by bus, car, or bicycle. Eight buses daily out of Nimes include it on their route, although you can expect to be dropped off a kilometer away. The walk is more than worth it. After busy days of sightseeing, when kings, centuries and wars all begin to blend together, it will be a few hours visit at Pont du Gard that will spell relief for the weary vacationer.

Author: Barry Thompson