Gallo-Roman Ruins, Here We Come

A theatre, which originally had 15 M high walls at the rear, with seating for 3000 people.

The first time we tried to visit the Gallo-Roman ruins near La Lude, the serpentine belt on the car started fraying, so we returned home instead.  Now, with a new belt in place, we were ready to venture forth.  Bill looked at Google Maps to find a direct route on larger roads, so the trip there would go quicker.  Unfortunately, it didn't show the road construction deviations.  One was so awkwardly signed, that a policeman was standing in the middle of an intersection talking to each car and sending them in the correct direction.  We showed him our map, to which he pointed with his key,  "C'est la, la, a la"  We answered "D'accord" and went on our way.  Driving in France is always an adventure!

Always fun to imagine how it must have looked when new.

The site included a forum, theatre, large temple and baths.  You could also see the underground aquaduct that fed the baths from a spring 3k away.  Archaeologists have been working this area for 35 years.  The ruins are surrounded by farmland, some in hay and some used for grazing.  Since this was someones farm before being dug up, the farmer still has use of the land. The hay had been cut and baled.  On the other side of a fence from the site, the owner was separating his cows into two fields, with much yelling and running.  The cows were very interested in what we were doing.   One field included a bull who was more than ready to do his job of insuring a new generation of cows.

I am the Bull!

Since we had no plans other than going to the SuperU in Descartes on the way home, Bill programmed BiB to take us there, by any way she wanted.  We traveled on small roads, past fields of wheat, bales of hay, sunflowers, tree farms and onions.  The villages were small and deserted, since it was lunchtime; everyone was eating except us.

A field of onions grown for seed.

While in the SuperU in Descarte, there was a tremendous downpour.  By the time we had finished with our shopping, the sun was shining again.  Our weather for the past few days has been this way.  So far, we have missed getting wet.