Port-Saint-Louis-du-Rhone

7 January 2007

Port-Saint-Louis-du-Rhône

We left Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer with regret and headed off through La Camargue where we finally saw a herd of the illusive Camargue bulls.







and a Camargue horse unencumbered by tourists.

We continued down the west side of the Rhône River to Salin-de-Giraud, a town whose main claim to fame is a large facility producing sea salt. From there we replayed that inimitable historic scene of “Marie-Claire Crossing the Rhône” -

unlikely to replace the more famous painting of “Washington Crossing the Delaware” or Wolfe sailing up the St. Lawrence.




Port-Saint-Louis-du-Rhône is the connecting point between traffic on the Rhône and the Mediterranean. One lock controls the flow of barges and other traffic from the river into the port where barges unload and freighters from the Med take on or discharge cargo.


Some pleasure craft are also seen on the Rhone. Here a Polish-registered sailboat, with her mast unstepped, passes through the lock from teh river and under the cantilevered bridge into salt water again.


The port is also the meeting place of la camargue and the industrial sprawl that seems to flow westward from Marseilles.





A small and free “aire de camping-cars” on the Rhône created a camaraderie that included 3 other Belgian motor homes, one from Ireland, 4 from France and a couple from Germany.




A beautiful view from our tiny home, excellent cycling paths











and a huge beach some 10 km away provided us with an enjoyable break.

Next stop, Arles a well preserved roman and medieval city.