In Roman Times..........

March 28

Nimes

We visited the Roman amphitheater in Nimes today. It dates back to the 1st century AD and is the best preserved arena in the world. Obviously it was used by gladiators, but it's had many other uses in its 2000 years. Today it is even used for bull fights!!

Then we canoed under the Pont du Gard--a three-tiered aqueduct that was once part of a 50km system of water channels built around 19 BC. Those Roman engineers were something!!

By the way, did you know that denim originated in Nimes and that in the nineteenth century Levi Strauss bought, by chance, a batch bearing the number 501!!  The rest is history. And 'blue jeans' is a phonetically anglicized form of 'blue de Genes'.