Saturday markets and the Pont du Gard

On Saturday we had to travel to Apt to our apartment for the next week.  We couldn't check in unto late so decided to visit a local market before we left Carcassonne.

This one was held in the town square, in the middle of the newer section of Carcassonne.

Mainly fruit and vegetables, but also fish, bakery items and flowers.

This guy was a very happy cheese seller, he sang the whole time he was serving people.

Strawberries are definitely in season here, and they are really really good, very sweet with no bitterness.  We have shared a punnet or two. 

Lots of beautiful flowers

After the market we headed off again, with the plan of seeing 

the Pont du Gard 

This structure is really cool, it was built almost 2000 years ago. The Pont du Gard was part of a 50km long aqueduct, built to carry water from the city of Uzes to Nimes.  The majority of it stands held together by friction without any mortar to hold it together. The only section where mortar was used was the very top, where the water was carried and that was to prevent the water from leaking out. It was apparently used for almost 100 years however the water source was high in calcium and calcium deposits continuously built up along the aqueduct , which was mainly underground, also plant matter grew into the duct as well, contaminating the water.

Fortunately for the Pont du Gard , not long after it ceased being useful for water, it was altered so that it could become a bridge, a toll bridge so it payed for its own maintenance.  It is now listed as a world heritage monument by UNESCO.

More to come

Au Revoir

Googy Girl