The Camargue is a region of wetlands at the delta of the Rhone River as it drains into the Mediterranean Sea. You could be mistaken for thinking that you had arrived in Spain as the Camargue is famous for bull fighting, Spanish style houses, paella, flamenco, and has a different language. It was where the novel “Chocolat” began. Wild white horses roam the salt marshes as well as many birds. We are staying in the small town of Les Saintes Maries de la Mer named after the 2 saints who brought Catholicism to France.
As well The Camargue is the Spring / Summer home to 20,000 flamingos who raise young before returning to Africa. I haven’t seen them all but have seen plenty. There are also many other migratory and sedentary birds in this area (e.g. stilts, red shanks, knots, little egret, gulls and terns of numerous varieties, grey herons, storks, cattle egrets, avocets, ducks, bee eaters, kingfishers etc) The canals also provide a home for otters, European beavers and the coypu. We saw one coypu.
The following video (14 sec long) shows flamingos feeding. (Charlie Z requested some video).
The next is of flamingos flying (9 sec long).
Ron says I need to liven my blog up a bit and suggested adding some sex, drug or rock n roll. Also, after the great excitement shown by some of you boys at the mention of great tits and blue tits, I have included the following picture.
Again showing great restraint I have just a few more photos. All my twitcher friends should come here.
Rose Flamigo
Gravity defying
Pied stilt
Avocet
Ron says if I ever dress in camouflage, acquire a foot long lens and tripod then there will be a divorce. I said I would need him as a caddy and it wouldn't be a good time to divorce me. Check dude below, he even has camouflage on his lens. His white arms are enough to startle all the birds. What do you reckon Charlie Z we could get some gear like that. I have already outgrown my camera!!
For those of you who think that maybe this blog is too focused on flora and flora I suggest you try to imagine what Ron may do. (Think old machinery, roads, geomorphology etc) A bridge on the way to Nice.
A bridge on the way to Nice
Travelling in Europe in 21st Century.
The Camargue was busy with many tourists mostly Italians. I’m not sure what the attraction was for them, probably not the birds or horses, as they are not known to be great wildlife enthusiasts, nor the beaches or climate as they have better at home, and probably not the food. I suspect they may find France to be cheaper and no doubt we will find out as we head in the Italian direction.
Europeans have taken to the mobile home (campercar) like the Aussies have become grey nomads but there are a lot more of them. In The Camargue numerous large car parks were set aside for them to stay for about $12 and these had no facilities. There were row after row of these feral campers going on for kilometres in some places. We are not sure if this was because of the May Day holiday or if it is always like this. Whilst we may be cursed for towing a caravan at least most of the time we travel without it in just a car, but these mobile homes are everywhere congregating at the smallest lay bys, more numerous than the flamingos. The following video gives you some idea. (1min 24 secs)
Everyone keeps telling us that Northern Italy is too crowded with tourists. After our Camargue experience our new strategies are:
* look for places not mentioned in the Lonely Planet Guide
*get lost and hope we find something off the beaten track
*avoid large towns, instead of Florence, Rome, Venice try Gubbio, St Egidio, Montecorice and other such unknown places.
*maybe go to Croatia instead.
Aigues Mortes ( means dead water)
This little town is surrounded by a town wall that was built in 1200’s by Louis 9th. The wall is still totally intact and preserved beautifully. You can walk the whole way around. The words of Dylan song “All along the Watchtower” kept springing to mind, - a truly gorgeous place. We had no idea of how nice it would be until we got there. Our new travel motto is “you never know until you go” .
Ron walking on the wall
Aigues Mortes the wall town
A Lolly shop in Aigues Mortes
Into Italy and then Cademario Switzerland
Following one our new strategies for travelling ie getting lost, we found the quaintest, quietest and more importantly cheap caravan camping ground in a totally unheard of place near Milano. Real Italian countryside and no one there and no mobile homes, not one. The shower block was not too pretty but the people were nice. (think Macca’s camping ground Italian style but with a great bar). We ditched the caravan there for the next week or so at a very cheap rate. We are so pleased we didn’t bring the caravan into the Swiss alps as we head off stay in David’s (Ron’s brother) totally gorgeous renovated ancient home with the best views in the world.
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