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Ungrateful area at first sight, but......

Salin de Giraud-Albaron

Horses and bulls 

Stes-Maries-de-la-Mer

Aigues-Mortes

Provence-Camargue-Aigues Mortes 

Let’s leave Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer by the main route D 570. Avoid the very deceiving musee Boumian, really not worth a stop and we continue north on the D 58. The immense plain we see now is the plain of AIGUES-MORTES. This part stayed like you see it now for centuries, immobile, sweating under the implacable sun. From time to time you will spot an authentic “mas”; single storey cabins with thatched roofs. This area is a rich agricultural area producing grapes and cereals. Pay attention towards the end of the D 58, to the right a small road will lead you to the TOUR CARBONNIERE which allows you to look out over these fields, to the foothills of the Cevennes in the north west, the petite Camargue in the east and across the salt flats of Aigues-Mortes to the south.
Indeed, the area around Aigues Mortes is made up of salty lagoons and water channels where the Rhone meets the sea. The town of Aigues Mortes was built amidst these lagoons in 1241. Aigues-Mortes means “dead waters”. This location prevented the a too big growth of the city and what stands now is a good-preserved medieval town with intact remained ramparts built by Philippe le Hardi. You can visit them with a tour starting at the PORTE DE LA GARDETTE
Use you imagination, not too hard please ;-) and you can see how this town was the springboard from which Saint-Louis departed for two crusades (1254 and 1270 where he died almost instantly). The access to the port silted up already in the 14th century.
Once you’ve passed through the gateway, you’ll find (in high season) very crowded, narrow picturesque medieval patterned streets and cute squares, like the place Saint-Louis with a statue of the king and the sober small church of NOTRE DAME DES SABLONS. Notice that the roof has a wooden (thus cheap) roof, which proves that the silting was catastrophic for the financing. You will find the square lined by cafes and restaurants but better wander around the adjacent and more secluded side streets.

Aigues-Mortes (postcard scan)

 Specialty of Aigues-Mortes is “Gardiane de Taureaux”, a type of beef stew cooked with olives, or local seafood dishes.
Today Aigues Mortes has to make his living out of salt, tourists, wine and ….asparagus.
----SALT: to look how salt is being treated and retrieved in Salins - du-Midi there are visits in July and August every Wednesday and Friday afternoon starting at the tourist office.
---TOURISTS:  that’s you and me ;-)
---WINE:,that's the “Listel” and is grown commercially, known for being a “vin de sable”. This means it is made from vines that grow directly out of the sand. White wine is called “gris de gris” and the red “rubis”.
To finish this article about Aigues-Mortes here is a legend that is told to young children. If they misbehave they will be dragged off by “Lou Drape”, a horse that is supposed to hover over the ramparts at night. It is said that its body can lengthen to carry away as many as 100 naughty children on its back into the marsh, where it will then devour them. Even today, myths, legends and popular superstitions are an integral part of life in the Camargue.

Bibliography

James Henry, “A little tour in Provence”(Strauss and Giroux, New York 1983), Klingshirn, William E., “Caesarius of Arles” (Cambridge University Press, 1994), Lenthéric, Charles, “Les villes mortes du Golfe de Lyon” (Plon, Paris 1876), Maurras Charles “L’Etang de Berre” (ed. Champion, Paris 1924) Picon Bernard, “l’Espace et le temps en Camargue »(Actes Sud, Arles 1988)-« Entrees dans le Languedoc » by Marie de Kermt (ed. Beaujour-Marseille 1996)