Pont du Gard was the starting line for the Tour de France on the day we watched them cycle. Located about 35 miles from our villa, this perfectly preserved Roman aqueduct was built as the critical link of a 30-mile canal that supplied 9 million gallons of water per day (about 100 gallons per second) to Nimes - one of ancient Europe’s largest cities. At Pont du Gard, the aqueduct spans a canyon on a massive bridge - one of the most remarkable surviving Roman ruins anywhere. Its construction was completed in 50 AD making this 1970 year old structure a real feat of engineering. The French have done a beautiful job with the site, including a state-of-the-art museum where you walk through a rock quarry and learn how they moved those huge rocks into place and how those massive arches (80 feet wide) were made. The exhibit shows the immensity of the undertaking as well as the payoff. Imagine the excitement as this extravagant supply of water finally tumbled into Nimes. A relaxing highlight is the scenic video helicopter ride along the entire 30-mile course of the structure from its start at Uzès all the way to the Castellum in Nimes. We walked the structure, put our feet in the river below it, enjoyed a cold beer on the river bank and hiked around before jumping in the car for a drive to Uzès for lunch. Afterward, on the drive home we stumbled upon the Haribo candy factory in Uzès with its outlet boutique, and the Haribo Candy Museum It was a frenzy of adults and kids buying Haribo candy by the sack full. If you like gummy bears, this is a heaven for you! The Museum has displays on the history of the production of the candy’s brand which dates back 170 years!
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