VACANCES EN FRANCE: PARTIE HUIT / HOLIDAYS IN FRANCE: PART EIGHT

VACANCES EN FRANCE: PARTIE HUIT / HOLIDAYS IN FRANCE: PART EIGHT  

One Hotel Room at a Time

Our next destination was Vers-Pont-du-Gard. Vers-Pont-du-Gard is a commune in the Gard department in southern France. The reason for this stop over was the Pont du Gard, which is located on the territory of the commune.

The Pont du Gard was built shortly before the Christian era to allow the aqueduct of Nîmes (which is almost 50 km long) to cross the Gard river. The Roman architects and hydraulic engineers who designed this bridge, which stands almost 50 m high and is on three levels – the longest measuring 275 m – created a technical as well as an artistic masterpiece.

Pont du Gard is so very imposing as soon as you see it. The scale is grand and the condition is superb, considering it was opened in AD 60. It is an amazing engineering feat. You would think that after 2,000 years, buildings and structures categorized as Roman ruins would have been destroyed or supplanted already. Not with the Pont du Gard. The stable monument is partly due to the massive stones used in its construction. Built completely without mortar, the structure is held together by six-ton stones with iron clamps.

There are countless hiking trails leading from Pont Du Gard, but we just climbed up one small one to get a look over, call me lazy but lugging Jarvis, camera equipment, food and drink supplies turned me off too much hiking. After crossing the bridge we climbed down and walked to the water. The water of the The Gardon, or Gard, river was beautiful, so much so I made Justin wade out into the middle with Jarvis so I could get some photos.