So many things to see, and if we hadn't come into to Uzes by bus from Nimes when we got here, we might not have gotten here at all. But we'd seen just enough of the Roman arena and other buildings to want more. Plus we knew the bus route, which is a lovely tour on its own. Cheap, too. So here's a nod to France's seemingly comprehensive public transportation. It took us a while to stop feeling naked without a car, but we've been able to get almost everywhere we've wanted without one. Now, if we really need one for some reason, we will just rent for the day.
Nimes was an important Roman colonial outpost, so it got the full organizational and institutional treatment. The arena is enormous. The water delivery system from Uzes via Pont du Garde supplied a large city. Roads were constructed to link local commerce to the empire. The city today is modern in that wonderful way that incorporates the ages. It's the French Rome. As with several other larger French cities, Nîmes only feels large. It's really quite modest in size—about 150,000+. At its Roman Empire zenith, it was around 60,000.
The Roman arena is now an outdoor concert venue. Perfect. And rehabilitated so that it can be seriously explored. I had a great time wandering the labyrinthian tunnels and stairs. Sections of Roman buildings are treated as sculpture. There is plenty of recent public art and walking around town is quite inviting.
Sometimes we watch people and sometimes we're watched. Outside of the arena is a statue of a bull fighter. Bronze, we figured as we walked up. Bronze, indeed, in an inventive creation from bits and pieces of scrap bronze and mostly brass—nuts, bolts, screws, and formed metal. We noticed that there were three large hand-polished spots on it: one in front and two behind. We watched as a steady parade of folks polished away. Brassy! Women were polishing quite selectively. Everyone, especially kids seemed to touch the hands and kids touched the cape. We watched. We photographed. We laid hands on the statue's brass.
The modern city is also attractive. Playbills and marquees enticed us. We wished we'd had a second day. It deserved more. And we'd have enjoyed spending an evening. We'd walked the core thoroughly, and some neighborhoods beyond would have been good to also see. But we had a bus to catch; they may run all over but some routes are not frequent.
When we got to bus station for the last bus back to Uzes, we were the only passengers. There was still plenty of daylight, so we figured we could move around in the empty bus to see more as it wound through mountains. It was even better than that. As we rode through this rural route of tiny villages and rugged terrain, the driver was happy to chat and Linny got to exercise her French. He started pointing out things to us, which Linny related to me, and we joined him up front. At one stretch of the road, cresting a steep hill, he told us that we'd just passed an incredible view to our rear. Then he stopped and backed up so that we could see an awesome view of the sinewy valley we'd climbed from. The deep valley of the Gard. He was right and he was generous. It was a fine finish for a lovely day.
