Day 115 – Heading for France

I drove up la Costa Brava, which has nothing to beg from our own California coast. The views are fantabulous, but the going is hard, with as many curves as twisted noodle. I finally made it to France about 1 pm, and with panic realized that I was still 200 km from my planned destination. Reluctantly I took the Autoroute, which is expensive and doesn’t let you see much of the country, to Petit Camargue, where I made a stop at the cute town of Lunel, and then proceeded to the real Camargue, who cousin Arto had emphatically recommended as a must-see.
Camargue is the delta of the Rhone River, and is indeed beautiful, in a delta kind of way. In other words, it is flat, full of wetlands, and packed with birds. Normita and Evan would have a lovely time biking through here, looking at flamingoes and other flying beasts. It is also famous for its small but sturdy white horses (you have seen them in several movies, running along the shore against the sunset). I enjoyed myself thoroughly, got lost in the maze of canals more than once, and eventually found a nice camping place by the Little Rhone. After settling down I visited Aïgues-Mortes (which stroke me as a boring fortress until I realized that the village is inside the fortress, with the buildings packed like sardines!), and Les Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer (which is a totally cute but totally touristy village). I seem to have arrived before the flood of tourists, however, so I got to enjoy these villages as the locals would.
Of course now is my chance to enjoy good cuisine, so I feel the need to tell you that tonight I dined on Lapin Chausseur (rabbit), with a very good local wine.