[Summer in Grenoble] Nimes - Day 2: Esplanade Charles-de-Gaulle, and Arenes de Nimes

June 13th, 2015

After having some breakfast and checking out of the hotel, we gathered our stuff and started looking around Nimes.

Thanks to the nicer weather, I was able to appreciate the historic architecture of the city a lot better than I did the day before.

I was anticipating what the old-roman city has to show.

Following the same path that all of my friends and I walked the day before

we arrived at the Arenes de Nimes (Arena of Nimes)
this time, without the pouring rainstorm.

Right beside the arena, there was this place called 'Esplanade Charles-de-Gaulle'

and beside that was this memorial monument.
'Square du 11 Novembre 1918'

Then we returned to Esplanade Charles-de-Gaulle.

It was quite a beautiful plaza.
Nice harmony between the old architecture and the modern architecture.

After a moment in Esplanade Charles-de-Gaulle, we made our way to the arena.

Many were here for the Arena visit.

Oh no... not these again.
I really don't like sitting or standing at one place listening to audio guides.
I'd prefer just viewing, experiencing and capturing the moment.
I think it's better to learn about the background through another time with a documentary of some sort.

Anyway, that's that

Through this gate,

We cam out to the lowest seating section of the arena.

Then we took the stairs

saw the un-restored portion of the arena.

and saw the panorama of the arena from the middle seating section.

There were people setting up the stage for a concert.
It was cool to see this, because the most well-known ampitheater, Coloseum in Rome, is at a horrible shape, while the arena in Nimes is so well-preserved that it is still used for concerts and shows these days.

I mean, in 2009, Metallica performed here...



As you can see in this video.

Actually, many modern pop artists hold concerts in this Arena quite frequently.

It also says in this poster that Arena of Nimes is "the most well-preserved Roman ampitheater."

We also went all the way up to the top section.

Where we could have a peek of the city (barely, though)
The view wasn't amazing because all of the other buildings were built at a similar height.

This is the view of the Arena from the top section.
The ceiling of the stage was already brought up to where it needed to be.
Although seeing concerts at a newer venues is still nice in its own sense, it might be very cool to see a concert of a rock band in this arena some day.

By then, we saw all there was and made our way back down.

Posters with various description of background.

and there was a construction site of a Roman-era museum nearby.

Lastly, my friends and I saw the room full of replicas/props of the shows they held back in the past.
Then we left the Arena and made our way to some other place.

This is just her because I saw it on the way to the next destination, and I had never seen Pringles being sold like that.