Provence, Day 2

On this day we went northeast of Avignon to the Gorges l’Ardéche and the Vallon Pont d'Arc. It was beautiful drive through the Cote de Rhone region. We didn't stop at any wineries, but we certainly saw tons of vineyards, and they were all being fruitful. Well, starting their springtime leafing out anyway. All the colors and the flowers in Provence were just gorgeous.

We drove along the rim of these gorges which are amazing in their variety. The landscape is quite spectacular. There are several of these valleys throughout Provence (the most famous being the Gorges du Verdon, the "Grand Canyon" of Europe), and each one has its own drama and beauty. We had picked up some sandwiches in a little town nearby, and found a great spot for a picnic on this sunny day. Here are pictures of the gorge and the lunch spot:
There were some goats of the region on the road and they were pretty cute! This one was the clear leader:
After we left the Gorges at Vallon Pont d'Arc we headed slightly southwest to go the the famous Roman acqueduct, the Pont d'Gard. It's the second tallest Roman structure (the Colosseum being 6 feet taller), and it was really something to see. (The second picture is Nancy and Eileen waving to Larry and Wally!)We had another beautiful drive through forests and farmland. The geography of Provence is very diverse, and each turn of the road brings another wonder.