Aigues Morte meet some

Aigues Morte meet some of the famous black bulls and white horses of the Camargue and the guardians, like French cowboys and cowgirls, who herd them. It was built in 1240 on the orders of Louis IX, a strange choice you might think since its name literally translates to “dead waters”, derived from the tidal salt flats on which the town sits. But it was an ideal position for trade in the south of France. It’s a perfectly preserved, pickled in the past Provençal town, with 10 gates and 14 towers, and in its heyday, it was a major port, though it’s now marooned three miles from the sea. The flower-filled streets spread out around a central plane tree filled square in the middle of which is a statue of King Louis atop a fountain in which children play. Not only is it a beautiful little town, it’s on the edge of the famous pink salt lakes which feature the largest colony of flamingos in Europe. We hopped aboard a little tourist train for a guided tour of the lakes and the salt museum. The sight of miles and miles of pink sea and in the background, shimmering like a mirage, the walled town of Aigues Mortes is astounding. You almost feel as if you’re on another planet. Mountains of salt are harvested here, just as it has been since the days of antiquity. It’s a tall order to live up to that visit but Saint- Guilhem-le-Desert, another bucket lister for A bucket list of southern France This trip ticked off several bucket list destinations for me – the first being Aigues- Mortes. We moored up under the shade of a tree, a stone’s throw from the great arched entrance to the walled city. Medieval Aigues-Mortes is surrounded by 11m high ramparts, dominated by the 33m high Tour de Constance from which you can spot Nimes – 40 km away and criss crossed by winding cobbled streets lined with boutiques, restaurants and ancient houses. Canal du Rhone a Sète 20 | The Good Life France The Good Life France | 21