The Wild Camargue

Trip Start Feb 01, 2005

Trip End Ongoing

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Flag of France Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, France
Saturday, September 22, 2007

One place I often visit which is only an hour from Montpellier is the Camargue. Here amongst the marsh land you can find wild horses, bulls, real cowboys, flamingos and gypsies. I'm not exaggerating. The only town in this small region is Saintes Maries de la Mer which lies on the beach. While not a lot of English is spoken, this is a welcoming town where we can go to bullfights and drink sangria. While having paella, bull steak or a seafood dish typical of the region we can listen to live gypsy music. Yes, I'm still talking about France and I think this area could quite possibly be one of my favorites.

There is the option for horseback riding, cycling, birdwatching, kayaking or just hanging out on the beach. Its a cross between, New Mexico, southern Spain and a typical beach town along the Mediterranean.

Outside of summer weekends, this town is quiet and cheerful which is why many times I go by myself for contemplation. It's easy enough to rent a bike and traverse the marshland where many small roads are inaccessible by car. As the Camargue is a protected bird sanctuary, there I can watch the flamingos as well as other birds. I can hear myself think. Its cool. The only downside? The mosquitoes are relentless here...No place is perfect.

The last time I was there, I took two friends along with me who were just visiting. I thought it might be a good idea to sign us up for a jeep tour in the marsh land and the range. I don't think they believed me when I told them about cowboys, bulls and flamingos.

The tour was a half day and cost about 40 euros per person. We were seven people all together and our guide was a older worn out cowboy in a previous life kind of guy. While he was quite knowledgeable on the area, he didnt speak a word of English and made no apologies for it. So I translated for my friends. This is definitely something that occurs often here in the south.

However, fun was had by all and by the end of the journey, we had gotten our fill of bulls, horses and flamingos. Now it was time for food and merryment! Bring on the paella and, yes of course, sangria.

While we are still in France, one of the things that makes this town and region so special is that the cultural influences of France, Spain and the Gitans(gypsies)who live there, have shaped this region which is still evolving even as we speak.