Arles is known as the gateway to the Camargue, marking the point where the Rhone, once a fierce alpine river, decides to take it easy, spread out and relax. Visitors to the region would be wise to follow its example. Life moves more slowly in the Camargue and the traffic doesn’t move much faster.
Luckily, there are plenty of opportunities to get out of the car during the 38km drive from Arles to the Mediterranean. Stop by a roadside stand and pick up some riz de Camargue, a nutty red rice gown in the local paddies and grab some of the local salt to season it. Admire herons and egrets as your wind your way through these protected wetlands and keep your eyes open, many of these wading beauties are actually pink flamingoes. For optimal birding, visit the Parc Naturel Régional de Camargue and neighboring Parc Ornithologique du Pont de Gau.
The lack of roads can be limiting however, so when you’re ready to get away from the crowds hire a horse and guide and spend the day pretending to be a gardian, a French cowboy. President Nicolas Sarkozy famously rode with the gardians for a photo shoot during the 2007 presidential election, a move which many have compared with President Bush’s days down on the ranch. Those who’d like to take their horsemanship to another level can sign up for a week-long stage de gardiane at a local manade (ranch) herding bulls and living in a traditional thatch-roofed house.
Cowboy culture reaches its peak during the summer when horses and riders take part in countless local festivals. May’s Fête des Gardians finds the locals parading proudly through the streets of Arles decked out in their best leather hats and checked shirts. The Horse Festival (June 11 – 14 ) features competitive riding, parades and flamenco dancing.
“Humane” bullfights are held every Sunday,, at the bullring in Saintes Maries de la Mer. Many visitors are happy to learn that bulls are not killed in the courses Camargues. Rather, amateur razeurs try to cut ribbons off the animals’ horns before jumping to safety. On November 11, the season comes to an end with the spectacular abrivado, a traditional Camargue game in which groups of gardians race to herd their bulls to the arena while men on foot try to distract the horses allowing the bull to escape.
As published at Planet Eye
Filed under: Bouches du Rhone, Europe, Food, France, Provence, Uncategorized | Tagged: abrivado, Arles, birding, Bouches du Rhone, bullfight, bush, Camargue, cheval, egret, festival, fete, flamingo, Food, France, french cowboy, gardiane, heron, horse, life, president, Provence, Rhone, rice, riz de camargue, saintes maries de la mer, sarkozy, Travel, travel tips, Vacation
