23rd - Aigues-Mortes (lit: Dead Waters)

This fortified city, built in the 12th century by King Louis IX, gave the French a Mediterranean seaport. Originally a wealthy place, based on the military and trade with other powers in the Med, the sea retreated over the next several hundred years and the river filled with sand - it took until the18th Century for work to be done to renew good access to the sea. It's only a mile walk around the walls, so it's not really possible to get lost! It's very popular on a sunny summer's day and a lovely place to be.

We started off with a really delicious petit-dejuner at the Cafe des Ramparts. 

We could have stayed there all day in the sunshine, watching the passing crowds (nice loo too!).

As you can see, Aigues-Mortes is very simply layed out within the walls. With lots of streets, boutiques, cafes and restaurants to wander around, there's a beautiful busy square at its heart.

Just outside the walls is a marina with lots of moored yachts, just waiting to set off along the Med to Marseilles, Nice and Cannes.

Of course we had to walk off our breakfast by moseying round the walls and inspecting the marina.

Pete was fascinated by the idea of chucking boiling oil and excrement on enemies when they came calling! Every gate has a purpose-made chute for that very purpose. There are also a number of toilets jutting out from the ramparts, user's bums were pleasantly cooled by the sea breezes, but, when occupied they weren't a pretty sight viewed from below...

This is the tower where they murdered a lot of the state's enemies - there were too many bodies to bury and so they were salted and stored in the tower to stop them causing disease. Really pleasant people in those days!

 The best tower of all is the Tour de Constance, first known as The King's Tower.

Its the first thing you see when you arrive and the thing you remember longest,

 along with the walls and all the gates.

The first time we were here was years ago with the kids. We arrived after a disappointing visit to the coast and we were too hot and bothered to enjoy anything. It was just a bad day, best forgotten, because it's a really excellent place!