After my late-night arrival, I got up early the next morning and hopped a train from Arles to Nîmes.
Nîmes was an ancient Roman city of some importance. It’s two major sights (an arena and a temple) are both notable for being among the (if not the) best preserved examples of their respective types of Roman architecture. And, the arena is still in use today for bull fights (apparently very popular in Provence) and other events.
While not nearly as large as the Colosseum in Rome, Nîmes’ arena was neat to visit because you can walk around just about everywhere (the “field” being a notable exception). The arena survived to our time because in the middle ages it’s portals were walled up and it was transformed into a fortified city. There were residents living in houses incorporated into this arena until the time of Napoleon.
The Maison Carrée is slightly less exciting. It’s amazing to see a complete Roman temple, but it’s really only available to be viewed from the outside. The inside hosts a corny-looking 3D movie (“Heroes of Nîmes”, spoken in big, dramatic voice) that I opted to skip.Nîmes also has a fairly elaborate city gardens built around some canals that originate at an ancient Roman spring and temple. The garden was modeled after Versailles and was the first such garden built for the public rather than a King or nobility.
Nîmes is also a lovely city to wander. Lots of cafés. It’s old city center is extraordinarily intact. But, as opposed to so many “tourist” cities, it seems almost entirely focused on daily life rather than souvenir shops. And while very urban, it’s also very clean. I’m rather wishing I had decided to get a hotel here for a couple of nights.
Palm trees are common in Nîmes. The city’s emblem is a crocodile tied to a palm tree, symbolizing Rome’s victory over Egypt (Egypt is the crocodile and the palm tree symbolizes victory). The emblem can be found all over the city.