After the Pont du Gard, we made our way to Nimes, another intimidatingly ancient city--the wiki site starts talking about habitations in 4000 BCE. The city’s emblem is everywhere, now an alligator beside a palm tree. It was originally, in days of a different political correctness, an alligator chained to a palm tree, to symbolize the recent victory of Octavius Caesar over Mark Antony and Cleopatra.

We made a quick stop near Les Quais de la Fontaine, the ‘canal’ for the early city’s spring water.
And to visit another Temple of Diana, which I didn’t get to, alas. I wandered into the gardens, “the first civic gardens of France, [which] were laid out in 1738–55,” today hosting a kind of combo Renaissance festival and Earth Day.
and
and

oh, this one, too--

Back on the bus [it had parked on the street, just beside a small amusement ride, with not-quite copyright violation Mickey Mouse and Donald cars, and a very scary clown on top], we traveled more into the city center, beside another Roman temple and the modern building meant to “echo” the temple’s effect. Liz told us the modern building was designed by a famous British architect, who was much acclaimed for his work. Um, ok:
facing off with...
Then on through the modern city…
To the Arena…

bob