SAINT LOUIS'S CITY

It was NOT a happy sunny morning. After three days of sunshine and temperatures in the low 70's we woke up to a morning of drizzle, overcast and cold. Out came the coats, gloves and hats (Dave is sporting his new French look). I am showing off my new French hairstyle that doesn't even need a comb. Ha! Meghan is the smart one and has decided to completely cover her camping "do". We all decided that we were NOT camping anymore this vacation if the weather stayed cool.

After packing up the tent and gear we left Tuesday morning to explore a new city, Aigues-Mortes. This port city was founded in 1240 by Louis IX, who was to become Saint Louis. The salt works which were connected to the town in 1290, are the source of the "white gold" of the city's wealth. The ecosystem is typical of the whole Camargue area.

These tile roofs are very common in the Provence area. The colors and designs add a beauty of their own to the homes.

The tower shown above was completed in 1248 and is all that remains of the castle built in Louis IX's reign. It was probably the gatehouse tower, designed to be impregnable with its six-metre -thick walls. Dave and I climbed the spiral staircase that leads to the different levels of the tower. Meghan and Linda went for hot chocolate while Dave and I walked around the ramparts which surround this fortified medieval city.

From 1575 to 1622, Aignes-Mortes was one of the eight safe havens granted to the Protestants. In 1685, Louis XIV revoked the Edict of Nantes and no longer recognized protestant religion in the kingdom of France. Like other towers in the town, from 1686 onwards the Constance Tower was used as a prison for the Huguenots (nickname given to Protestants by Roman Catholics) who refused to convert to Roman Catholicism. Marie Durand with her unshakeable faith was imprisoned here for 38 year and is an outstanding figure of Protestantism.