Les cheveux, les chevaux and Le Camargue

Notre Dame des Sablons (a statue inside the church of the same name, which is inside the fortified city of Aigues Mortes)

Inside the Aigues Mortes

This morning in class I said (in French): "My son has no horses. He shaves his head." (chevaux = horses; cheveux = hair.)

It is le weekend, and I am definitely ready for a break. My mind is in such disarray that I now cannot think of English words when I want them, and, unfortunately, the loss of the command of English is not being mirrored by a gain in the command of French (or so it seems to me).

This afternoon Jacqueline drove me out to the Camargue. It is a region along the coast, known for its salt, rice, and distinctive chevaux blancs, which are ridden by the gardians (cowboys) who rear the bulls for fighting.  And here are some of the other residents:

The Camargue is also the sight of an incredible fortress — the Aigues-Mortes — a completely intact fortified medieval city, which was  founded in 1240 by Louis IX, who was to become St. Louis. The fortification, comprised of 1,640 metres (5,381 feet) of walls, was built in two phases: the first in the reign of Philippe III the Bold, and the second during the reign of Philippe IV the Fair, who had the enclosure completed between 1289 and 1300.

The city itself is full of shops and residences. I had intentionally left my credit card at home, and it was a very good thing, since the place was full of the most tempting merchandise; however, I treated Jacqueline and myself to a panache, and Jacqueline waited for me as I paid my fare and went up the stairs and into the fortress and along the battlements. I would have loved to have spent more time there. There were exhibits explaining the history of the place over the centuries and I could have easily spent a day there, imagining what it would have been like to have been a resident during the middle ages.

Le tour de Constance

Inside one of the towers

One of the shops inside the fortification.