Brenn in France - Cassis & Nimes

Week 4 - Cassis

Our excursion for today took us to the city of Cassis.  The bus ride down from the train station teased us with glimpses of the landscape and the ocean.  When we reached the bottom, Dr. Toubiana treated us to lunch since we had not had time to get any and make it to the train on time.  The majority of us tried a sandwich made with merguez, a sausage with North African origins, and were rewarded by its rich and distinct flavor.  We then boarded a boat to take us to various inlets around the area.  The beauty of the cliffs and the clear blue sea merging together is unfortunately beyond my capability to describe in words or to capture on camera.  All of the students embraced the brief voyage and we seated ourselves at the prow of the ship to better enjoy the trip and the view.  Of course, our position did cause some ocean spray to splash amongst us, and eventually cause our good professor to decide it might be more comfortable on the inside of the craft. Upon docking at the port, we then were treated once again, this time to some exquisite ice cream.  From there, we parted ways to meet later at the nearby beach.  Some of the other students decided to go into the water, whereas I declined the opportunity, even though I did come prepared for such an option.  They were later to describe the water as being quite refreshing, and by that they meant very cold.

Week 4 - Nimes

Today’s excursion was to the city of Nimes, home to the most well preserved Roman arena, which has a very interesting history with its evolved uses throughout the years.  From the top of the arena, we were able to get a very good view of the city.  We also visited the Maison Carrée, an extremely well preserved Roman temple.