ORANGE SOLVED TWO PROBLEMS FOR THE ROMANS. It was a perfect place to pension off loyal Roman officers and their presence would be a deterrent to those pesky Gauls who continued to tweak the Roman nose. The main sites are the city arch, not officially an “Arc de Triomphe” but the model for the one in Rome, and the Roman theater, one of the few with the acoustic wall still standing. We’ve seen many a Roman theater and the €10 entry seemed exorbitant (as do many of the entries in France) so we hiked through the park for free views from above.
Roman theater from above
The Romans left other evidence of their presence in the area, the most spectacular is the Pont du Gard aqueduct. Its three tiers stand 50 meters high and 275 meters long, almost exactly as it was in the 1st Century AD. Wonder if Sir Norman’s bridge will stand the test of time as well.
Clos les Olives, just like home
We are staying at Clos les Olives in the tiny village of Comps near Nimes, convenient to Arles and Orange and even Avignon. It is the kind of place we could actually live in, wonderful kitchen, big bathroom with washer and dryer and a pool.
