Aigues Mortes

Off to Aigues Mortes (dead waters) a town built in the 12C by Louis IX (Saint Louis) because he needed a Mediterranean port from which to go on crusade. He left from here for the 7th Crusade – got as far as being imprisoned in Egypt – and the 8th – died of dysentery in Tunis.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aigues-Mortes

The town was incredibly busy when we got there – although it was a beautiful sunny Sunday. Turns out it was the last day of the Votive Festival, held to celebrate bringing the bulls in from the marshes of the Camargue. There is also a pétanque competition and music in the main square.

https://ot-aiguesmortes.com/en/votive-festival

Horses – cowboys.
Stupid boys trying to goad the bull into charging them.
Bulls being taken down to the start.
Interesting biscuit shop.
Statue of St Louis in the main square. Note boat – and pastis bottle!
One of the gates. The town walls are intact and you can walk all the way round.
The salt works. They reckon that salt has been gathered here since Neolithic times.
The lighthouse
Church roof seen from the walls.
Walls (more steps).
Walls and town roofs.
Lunch in the street to celebrate the festival.
Across the town to a different gate.

This is my last post for a while. No more holidays planned and I am going home tomorrow. Of course, I might add a little something if things go drastically wrong…….. x

One thought on “Aigues Mortes”

  1. Hurrah, a final flourish. Only in France could a biscuit shop look from a distance like a high-end jeweller.

    I’ve seen the Camargue riders do displays with their long poles at horse shows, planting the pole and pirouetting around it – the control is impressive and the horses are both strong, with lots of bone and muscle, and agile…and they don’t use the aggressive Spanish bits with long cheekpieces, pulling the horse’s heads in tightly.

    I’ve never seen church bells hung like that. Is that what they call a ‘carillon’? Nope, it can’t be, Wikipedia says those have 23 bells…anyway, it’s intriguing.

    Thanks for sharing.

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