Apologies to those that may have read my last Camargue post but here’s another one 😂 It’s two years since we first visited this fascinating area of France and last weekend we headed back again.
The purpose this time was to look more closely at everything Camarguaise from (obviously) the white horses, the bulls, the flamingos through to the costumes of the gardiens and the colours and flora of this River Rhône delta on the edge of the Mediterranean. An opportunity to celebrate my birthday and to be inspired to continue with my Camargue Collection of artworks which will pop up over the next few weeks on Sue Tufnell Art Facebook page.
Why travel South in February?? For blue skies and sunshine after what seems to have been a grey, wet winter this year. Also a good time to avoid the crowds and the mosquitoes 😂 Although Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer was rocking as the annual festival of Camargue horses known as Camagri ran from Friday through to Sunday.
(Hope the video below loads ok)
A few details which may be of interest??
With an area of over 930 square kms the Camargue, western Europe’s largest river delta was designated a Ramsar site as a Wetland of International Importance.
Approximately a third of the area is lakes or marshland
Home to more than 400 species of birds, the natural sanctuary at Pont de Gau is the place to go!
The area is steeped in history from Greek and Roman times through the Crusades to the exploitation of the 17-18th centuries by rich landlords from Arles.
The northern area is agricultural land with cereals, grapes and mainly rice as the Camargue produces some 95% of French rice.
Near the seashore salt is the major product with some one million tonnes of salt extracted annually and stored in ‘camelles’ mounds more than twenty metres high and easily visible from the roadside.
Today there are around fifty manadiers and gardiens still breeding bulls and horses. The black Camargue bull with his lyre shaped horns lives in a manade, a semi-free herd, alongside the grazing herds of white horses.
Anyhow enough of the facts and figures! Below are some of our photos from a memorable weekend.
Another video clip
And look who we saw in the crowd, an Aussie Heeler! Although we understood from the owner she was a cross.
And then it was time to check out the flamingos 🦩 we spotted small groups in the lagoons bordering the road
but when we entered the Pont de Gau Parc ornithologique it felt like we had stepped into a film set!
Just a few more flamingo shots 😊
They are just fascinating to watch as they stretch down to the bed of the lagoon to feed then lift their rather grubby heads after filtering the mud out of their beaks. They are also quite vociferous!
And then of course there were the other birds.
Chris took some fabulous photos but until I work out how to download them then this will have to do!
After a couple of incredible days it was time to point ‘Tonto’ north again for the 7/8 hour drive,
Au Revoir Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer.
Fascinating to see the vivid colours on the top of a flamingo’s wings, I generally think of them as being a light pink bird and of course one never sees that top surface when they are flying above.
Sue, that is just terrific. It is an area I have always wanted to visit – probably won’t now – but your story and photos have brought it to light so well. I think the next step for you is to write a book on your travels – just so interesting. We think and talk about you so often!
Never say never Liz 😊 Glad you’re still enjoying these intermittent ramblings!
No way I’m a book writer but do like to put my impressions on canvas.