I Love Nîmes

This post will be about the city that I'm living in, which is called Nîmes. Even though I'm living here, I'm actually teaching in another city which is a bit of a commute but that's for another day. Nîmes is located in the south of France, a 30 minute train ride from Montpellier. It's a beautiful town of a perfect size--not too big and not too small. Goldilocks would approve. It's full of incredibly rich history and you get to walk past Roman ruins all the time. It's pretty awesome. Here's a map of where it is in France:

Of course when my mom and I first got here, we did all the touristy things and we bought a pass that allowed us to visit 3 ancient historical sites, Arène de Nîmes, Tour Magne, and Maison Carrée. They're all so beautiful! The Arène is actually still used today for bullfights and concerts--pretty awesome. Some photos!

Maison Carrée

Arène de Nîmes

Inside the Arène de Nîmes

Tour Magne

I actually got to go to my first bullfight last Sunday, the 14th. It wasn't a traditional bullfight where they actually kill the bull. What I saw was a courses camarguaises, where there is a team of men called raseteurs dressed in all white who try to grab a rosette off the bull's head. There are 7 bulls in total. I was really glad it wasn't a traditional bullfight!

There was a cultural show before the actual bullfight began!

The first bull!

Raseteurs leaping over the barrier

It was really interesting, to say the least. I'm not sure if I'd want to see a corrida, which is the traditional Spanish bullfight where they kill the bull. I'll definitely take part in the festivities that happen beforehand though!