Day 1 Paddling beneath the Pont du Gard
Wayne and Melissa approaching the Pont du Gard on the Gardon river, Gard, France
Here we are in the Ardeche/Gard regions of France picking up our guests from the Papal city of Avignon. It takes some manoeuvring to get around the narrow streets and one-way system of the inner city of Avignon but finally we find our guests and are on our way to the first river. Today we will paddle on the Gardon river under the legendary Roman Aqueduct of Pont du Gard. It’s almost 2,000 years old and was build to deliver spring-water to the city of Nimes 25 miles away.
The papal church at Avignon, France
Our guests are Melissa & Wayne and Vonda & Ed, who hail from the Dallas part of Texas, USA. It’s only a short drive from Avignon to Collias where we are to start our days canoeing. Ed & Vonda have brought collapsible canoes and these will have to be constructed prior to departure. Whilst we wait for that we paddle about at the put-in and practice a few strokes.
Ed and Vonda start to build their canoes on the bank of the Gardon river at Collias before our first canoe, Gard, France
Here we are getting ready ready for departure. The sun is already beating down and hot.
Melissa, Steve and Wayne getting the canoes ready for departure at Collias, Gaard, France
Before long the canoes are ready and we are on our way. Here we can see the collapsible canoes as we pass the flowering Water Crowfoot which is a weed which flowers early in the season. It’s almost finished now. A closer look reveals that it is very popular with the dark winged damselflies called Beautiful Demoiselles. The males have glittering iridescent blue bodies as well.
Vonda & Ed in the canoes they built on the Gardon river, Collias, Gard, France
The females, on the other hand, have green bodies and golden wings.
Water Crowfoot flowering on the Gardon river, Gard, France
The water is often shallow but we have enough water to get by and this stretch of the river doesn’t really have rapids – just the slightest of riffles and faster water. We cool off by hanging our feet in the cool stream.
Melissa and Wayne on the Gardon river, Gard, France
Melissa and Wayne on the Gardon river, Gard, France
We are in limestone country here and we will get familiar with the geology as it is very much the same on all these rivers which flow down from the Cevennes, into the Rhone river and then south to the Mediterranean.
Melissa and Wayne on the Gardon river, Gard, France
After a couple of hours gentle canoeing we approach the Aqueduct of the Pont du Gard.
Approaching the Pont du Gard aquaduct on the Gardon river, Gard, France
Wayne and Melissa approaching the Pont du Gard on the Gardon river, Gard, France
It’s astonishing that this is still standing after 2,000 years and was still used to irrigate the frm land up until 300 years ago. A remarkable piece of civil engineering.
Wayne and Melissa approaching the Pont du Gard on the Gardon river, Gard, France
After passing under the Pont du Gard we continue downstream for another 30 minutes or so before reaching our take-out. Our driver Steve is here to meet us and has our lunch ready on the river bank.
Melissa, Wayne and Vonda on the Gardon river, Gard, France
We now have time to visit the Pont du Gard on foot and have a look around the museum site and find out all about it.
The Gardon river from the Pont du Gard aqueduct, Gard, France
A 1,000 old Olive tree at Pont du Gard, Gard, France
After this we drive to where we are staying the evening over in the Ceze valley. Although normally we stay in the Prieure D’Orniols in La Bastide, this time we are staying in a small house in the upper village of Cornillon. We have time for a short walk around the village before returning to La Bastide for dinner.
The view from the village of Cornillon, Gard, France
The view from the village of Cornillon, Gard, France
Green River Canoes 