Pont du Gard: Outfit 6A

  Dress: Victoria's Secret / Blouse: J Crew / Shoes: Privo / Earrings: AE / Bracelet: J Crew Factory / Watch: Skagen

You've already seen this outfit here, from my post on Nìmes, but our evening at the Pont du Gard was just too amazing not to give it it's own post. You've also already seen what I'm calling Outfit 6A here, where I modified Outfit 6 so that I could jump off a rock into the Gard river with this fab Roman aqueduct in the background. The things I'll do for a photo. Or for a cliff. You see, the Husband and I kind of sort of met jumping off of a waterfall. So if we find something to jump off of these days, we do it. It's in our rule book.

Did you know they have annual fireworks and light shows on this bridge? Can't you just see it?

In fact, that's why I had to jump in my dress. They were setting up for a show that very evening, and once you left the bridge area, you couldn't re-enter without paying the steep ticket price for the show. I even told the guards my sad tale of wanting to join my husband in jumping off the rock just one time because I'll likely never be here again and it's our tradition. And he was doing it!

No dice, though they did look a bit remorseful. So I showed them. I went back, stripped off my knickers and blouse {whilst hiding behind a rock...that takes talent, friends}, tied a knot in my dress to prevent it from flying up, and got up my nerve...

...then took the leap...

...and emerged victorious!

Then I did it two more times :) Repeat the whole nerve building and jumping scenario:

Though I still wish I had the guts to dive like the Husband. It's just so much prettier:

It would've been way neat to see the show, but we've seen the likes before on our last Europe trip in form of a light show on the Château de Chambord, and we really wanted to get to the Med that night and it doesn't get dark in France till almost 11pm so the show didn't even start till 10:30pm. So you'll have to settle for a few shots from Chambord instead.

Amaze-balls, no? I never thought I'd use the phrase amaze-balls. But there was a time I never thought I'd see such fantastic sights, either. There's a time and place for everything, I guess. Even Holly Holiday's weird lingo.

P.S. I got the most scrumptious chevre {goat cheese} crêpe with fresh greens, tomatoes, and tapenade at the café here. I highly recommend it. Goes especially well with some fresh apricot juice. I get apricot juice every chance I get, in case you haven't noticed.

P.P.S. I also recommend the museum at the Pont. It's really astounding to learn about the Roman influence and technology. At one point, this aqueduct stretched for 31 miles and carried 44 million gallons of water to fountains, baths, and homes in Nîmes. Running water in the 1st century AD. That amazes me. It's also the highest Roman aqueduct bridge ever built AND the stone blocks used to build it, some weighing up to 6 ton each, were precisely cut to fit together so perfectly that friction could hold them together without mortar.  

Amaze-balls. 

P.S. Linked up here to the Pleated Poppy's What I Wore Wednesday! 

Nîmes: 30x30 Outfit 6

Dress: Victoria's Secret / Blouse: J Crew final sale / Shoes: Privo / Watch: Skagen / Bracelet: J Crew Factory clearance

Bienvenue à Nîmes, a city full of ancient Roman wonders. We stayed pretty close to centre-ville*, on the top floor of a tiny hotel that was one pile of stacked rooms. That's our window at the tippy tip top. Once we maneuvered our car through the tiny, windy streets { Europe was very clearly not designed with the automobile in mind. No wonder they love smart cars...} we unloaded then moved our car to the garage by the town cathedral.

Very few hotels in Europe have elevators or AC, so that was fun. From our hotel, we could walk to all of the major sites, so we woke bright and early, grabbed a delicious apricot pastry and fresh juice from a pâtisserie, and headed to the Roman amphitheater arena. Which I just realized we never photographed from the outside! You really need to see it from the outside to get the awe-factor, so you can look here instead. First the brooches, now this. I'm definitely going to have to plan another Europe trip. In fact, we should just move there ;) We did, however, get plenty of shots from the inside:
  

The amphitheater is from the 1st century AD and is the 2nd largest Roman arena { 2nd to the one in Rome } and best preserved in the world.  Gladiator battles and Roman games took place here back then, and today it's used for concerts, shows, and annual bull fights {of which I am not a fan...} They have a very good audio guide that's included in the entry fee to tell you all about the rich history of this ancient city. Wow, I feel like one of Rick Steve's minions. Wouldn't that be fun? Get paid for touring the world? I'm clearly in the wrong profession.

We next headed over to La Maison Carré, a small but well-preserved Roman temple built in 19 BC. Inside the temple they show a short 3-D film on the history of Nîmes.

Then we walked to the Jardins de la Fontaine, which are gardens built around the ruins of an ancient Roman thermae, or public bath from the springs found here.

The photos up top are also from the garden. While taking them, we realized our hotel parking pass was almost up, so we had to go move our car. The Husband decided to take a nod from the Europeans, skip the pay parking, and park European style on the sidewalk of this tiny street just by the gardens...

...which led us to the Tour Magne, or Great Tower. It is the only watch tower still standing that was part of the ancient wall that Julius Caesar Augustus, the first emperor of Rome, had built around Nîmes. 

The tower offers a spectacular view of the city, and was used to monitor the Via Domitia, the first road that connected Italy to Spain and an important route for the Roman empire.

While looking below us from the top, we found something far more pleasant than any invading Goths, or Huns, or Franks. We found a wedding party! I was fascinated, and the Husband came to my rescue, pretending to take shots of the tower while sneaking photos of the wedding party. I'm pretty sure they noticed. Oh, bonjour! I promise we're not stalkers. Just American gawkers, snapping photos of every bit of quaintness we cross.
.

But seriously, how darling is this elegant French bride and her family with their lovely fascinators? Love, love, love. I just love weddings. But somehow they seem even more lovely when in France!

On our way back to the car, we also passed a gladiator re-enactment. Check out these guys. They speak French, too :) This one's for you, friends sans mate.

 
We left Nîmes and headed about 15 miles away to the Pont du Gard. This marvelous Roman aqueduct bridge, the tallest in the world, merits it's own post, so stay tuned for Part Deux of Outfit 6!

P.S. As we traveled through France, I kept watch for a rue Cerisier, completely forgetting to type it into the GPS. Happenstance was not with us and we never came cross one, but now I've found that Nimes has a rue du Cerisier just a few blocks from where we parked to visit the gardens! Quel dommage*!  Anyhow, it turns out that the Frenchies like to have that of before Cherrytree when naming their streets. I could find rue du Cerisier and rue des Cerisiers (plural) but not simply rue Cerisier. Which strikes me as odd because they don't put the of before people names for streets like rue Jean d'Arc. Oh well, rue du Cerisier it is.

P.P.S. Have you ever seen a dog like this? That lady was not short, people.

Neither had I till I visited Nîmes!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

*centre-ville = town center; Quel dommage = What a pity!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Carcassonne: 30x30 Outfit 5

 Capris: J Crew Factory / Top, Headband: J Crew / Shoes: Clarks

The old walled Carcassonne is something out of a fairy tale. I was certain I'd find a princess inside. Or at least a damsel in distress. You can see the medieval fortresseed cité from afar from a belvedere along the auto route. 

Once we got inside the cité's double walls { they're serious about that fortress part }, we had a crêpe lunch at a delightful medieval café, which I'm positive I photographed, but Mr. Camera seems to've had his own lunch.

Afterward we toured the old castle...

...where I taught the Husband how to pose while I took a turn behind the camera...

...and then we explored the ramparts with their superb views...

...complete with 52 towers, which I used to play out my fantasy of being a princess locked in a tower. Except my Prince Charming took photos of me rather than rescuing me. How romantic. And my princess wave wasn't even very good. Whole lot of good that time working at Disney did me.

  

We also explored the city, where citizens live in darling homes with very green shrubbery and gardens...

 ...and quaint little shops line the curvy, mixed up streets. 

I even got the Husband into one of these. 

I've been waiting for this moment for years, people. He put his finger to his chin and said in his best Frenchy accent, "Is zees vat you've been vaiting for, chérie?" Ha! I kid. He never calls me chérie. I'm still waiting for that one :) 

Can you imagine living in such a place? Storybook living, friends. Too bad tourists would drive you a bit batty in the summer.

When leaving we headed to Nîmes, a city of ancient Roman ruins. By the time we arrived, we were really tired, so we took a nap and woke up at 10pm. Fortunately for us, people in Europe eat late { a lot of places don't even open till 7pm } so we were able to find a delightful pizzeria where I got white cheese with the best tapenade and tomatoes I've ever tasted and the Husband got a curry pizza. No photos, because we forgot to take the camera. But it was scrumptious, I assure you. Turns out tapenade really is better by the Mediterranean. We even learned that it originated in this area of France. Yet another reason to love la Douce France*:)

Linked here to The Pleated Poppy's What I Wore Wednesday {to a Medieval Village}

P.S. Do you see all those vineyards in the photos above? It's so neat to see all the variation in the landscape and vegetation here, from the lush green Normandy to the vineyards in central and southern France and we're starting to get into olive groves as we move further south and closer to the Mediterranean! This will be my very first trip to the Med and I'm sooooo excited!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

* Douce France = Sweet France

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Independence Day Weekend: 30x30 Outfits 18, 19, & 20

 Outfit 18:  Top, Capris, & Belt: J Crew Factory / Shoes: Sperry / Scarf: France / Bracelets: Lucky

Road Warriors are notoriously bad at taking photos at the end of their sojourns. In fact, they kind of sort of need a break from photos by then. So they capture memories in their minds instead, and only snap a few quick shots for a 30x30 challenge. Though I do wish we had photos of all the fun we had with the Husband's family this past weekend. We just love love love our Utah trips and family :)

Above you see Outfit 18, which I wore on Thursday/Friday for the 12 hour drive to Utah. We left Thursday as soon as the Husband got off work. Which was later than we hoped and we were too tired to drive straight through. So we pulled off and slept on the side of the highway somewhere in Nevada for 3 hours to freshen up. And you thought I was exaggerating this whole Road Warrior thing, didn't you?

Next we have Outfit 19, which I wore on Sunday to church and for a trip up the Timpanogos canyon...

Outfit 19:  Top: Buckle / Skirt: J Crew / Shoes: Clarks / Sunnies: NY & Co

...where the Husband dared me into scaling a tree { always up for a good climb, I am }...

...and my mother in law talked me into a Sound of Music-esque spin before heading to play games with family. 

And finally, there's Outfit 20, which I wore Monday, the 4th, saying goodbye to the horses below. We tried to catch a golden chicken too. I thought it would be a nice accessory, but they're a wily bunch and gave a good chase. I also wore this same top with my J Brand cut offs on Friday after we arrived and then again Saturday. That top was was just too convenient over a swimsuit and for camp outs and was also the most patriotic of my 30x30 items. But that was my outfit for biking Lake Como, so you'll see it soon.

Outfit 20:  Button-up: J Crew / Shorts: Old Navy / Shoes: Sperry / Bracelet: Lucky

Now we're going to work our way backwards a bit, all right? Starting with my last outfit from Europe, and working our way back to where I left off at outfit... 4, was it? Not sure. I'm still a bit travel lagged. And I thought I'd be back to blogging when I got home last Tuesday. Poh! What a crazily ambitious little idea that was. Someone didn't check her schedule. Clearly.

Anyhow, I've just changed my mind about that whole backwards nonsense. That's slightly too much disarray for my Type A brain. Instead, I think I'll start back where I left off and work my way up to 17, my return from Europe which I just posted, then continue on with outfit 21. If I post twice a day, perhaps I'll catch up somewhat reasonably. Off I prance to work on it like a good little blogger...

That was way boiteux*, I know...

P.S. We did break out the camera for a quick shot of the Hound in her festive Independence Day wear. We're calling her Tron-Hound, since we didn't have appropriate red, white, and blue glowies for her.  

Tomorrow I'll begin playing catch-up from the Europe trip with Outfits 5 in Carcassone and 6 in Nîmes!

--------------------------------------------------------

*boiteux = lame

---------------------------------------------------------

Road Warriors: 30x30 Outfit 17

Top: J Crew / Blazer: F21 / Shorts: Old Navy / Shoes: Privo

You can call us Monsieur and Madame les Road Warriors { Guerriers de la route? } from now on. Road warriors do crazy things, like drive all over France and Italy with crazy streets and forever long tunnels and even crazier drivers. They take taxis in Marseille at 5am after only 3 hours of sleep to catch a flight to Frankfurt, where they sit on a tarmac for 3 hours before a 9 hour flight to Philly where they sit another 1/2 hour. But rather than curse the fuel gauge and medical emergencies, they just possibly may have secret weapons in their arsenal, such as a magic pill leftover from a minor surgery that made Madame quite nervous.

They scour terminals for seats without dividers on which to sleep during layovers and suck down fruit smoothies betwixt flights. After customs, they fly to Phoenix and then to Reno. And when the park-&-fly hotel shuttle finally gets them back to their car, they scoff at the fact that they've been traveling for 30 hours now and only slept 3 hours before that and drive the 5 hours home, where they can still manage a maniacal smile for the camera.

Then Madame le Warrior finally gets to sleep, but Monsieur decides to go into work to check on a few things and finds he's been scheduled for the day. Because someone forgot to ask for that last day off.  At this point, Monsieur le Warrior turns to Diet Coke, while Madame thinks she'll be back to blogging by the next day. But then they decide to take a 12 hour drive to Utah for the 4th of July. So instead of blogging, Madame unpacks and cleans and launders and repacks. And sleeps. A lot. Then proudly helps Monsieur le Warrior drive half the way to Utah, where they spend a blissful extended weekend with family and campfires and fire crackers and panning for gold and slip-n-sliding nieces and nephews and puzzle races and card games and feeding horses and chasing chickens and yummy food everywhere you turn.  

And that is how Road Warriors do the summer.

P.S. That's 30x30 Outfit 17 up there. It's what I wore on that ridiculously long journey home from Europe. Photos in one of the 5 airports I went through on my way home would've been nice, but I was so tired I didn't think of it. I do realize the last outfit I posted was number 8, and before that number 4. I've clearly got some holes to fill. Tomorrow I'll start playing catch up.