Moving on to Sommieres and seeing Les Saintes Maries de la Mer

We had breakfast a bit late today and then left our lodgings in Vergeze to move on to the Hotel Estelou in Sommieres.  We arrived pretty early as it's only a short drive away but our room was ready and the hosts kindly let us move in.  The hotel is a conversion from what used to be the railway line through Sommieres and it has been done sympathetically leaving some railway memorabilia around the building and site.

We left the Hotel fairly promptly and drive to Le Sainte Maries de la Mer where we enjoyed some bull steaks for lunch, very traditional for the area, and then visited the Church and enjoyed some great panoramic views from the roof.  After a wander around the town we returned to the car and did a drive around the Camargue, seeing lots of flamingos and egrits as well as lots of other birds.  We went to a beach called Piémanson and found it to be full of vehicles and caravans that looked very run down.  It was covered in litter and worse and really was not pleasant.  We didn't stay long and then returned to Sommieres.

We enjoyed an evening meal at a restaurant called L'Atelier, in Sommieres.  It was good to be able to walk there and thus enjoy a beer or two!