MIREILLE'S MUSINGS: Sel de mer or sea salt anyone?

Visit Camargue, one of the most unique, original and shall I say romantic places in France and oh so under-visited by foreigners because it's a bit off the beaten path. It's often been described as a glorious sight, a "melancholy landscape of pools, sea marches and salt pans." Camargue is also the land of the bulls, horses, rice fields and salins (salt fields) and a regional park for its flora and fauna. If you are in Provence, or more specifically in the Alpilles (near Arles), and have some extra time, do take at least a day’s ride to Ste Marie de la Mer (famous for the gypsies festival each May) and/or the fortified city of Aigues-Mortes for its towers (particularly the tower of Constance, famous for the Protestant women jailed here in the 18th century), ramparts and its unique grid plan as well as the surrounding canals (that's another trip). Merci Louis IX (St Louis), king of France. In the summer, the long sunsets alone are worth the visit.

I recently went with an Italian friend who was blown away with so much beauty, particularly the salins (the size of Paris) visited by small tour trains to see the pink color of the water, the camels (mountains of sea salt) and the pink flamingos, among other species. A treat for the eyes. The photos don’t do it justice...one needs to come and see.