We began our Discovery Bicycle tour in Nîmes, an important Roman outpost in Provence.  The major Roman structures are the Maison Carrée, a well-preserved temple; the Arena (Amphitheatre), still used for bullfights; and the Temple of Diana, originally a fountain supplied from the aqueduct.

Still an important city, we arrived from Paris via the rapid TGV train just before the start of Feria de Nîmes, the annual bullfighting festival. The streets were already lined with vendors and the evening was filled with music and dancing well into the night. We managed to sleep well enough to then begin cycling the following morning.