The Camargue Horse
The horses roam free in the
grasslands of the Camargue.
Their presence brings
questions.
Are they really free and
where did they come from?
SoftSeatTravel,
Camargue Provence The South of France, Rhone River Delta
In the Camargue you will see  
White Horses roaming the
flat grasslands and the black
bulls within a unique lifestyle
On the Rhone River Delta
In the vast pastures of the Camargue the
Guardians raise the fierce black bulls used
in the bullrings of southern France and
Spain.  
The Camargue of Provence in the
South of France  brings To mind
images of Gypsies, salt, white
horses and bulls.
You can find them all in the
Camargue along with the intriguing
legend of two Marys related to
Christ, the Saintes Maries de la
Mer.
The horses of the Camargue are an
indigenous breed, some say, once wild
and now protected by the government
to keep the breed pure. They do roam
free as a breeding stock and mate
without intervention.
Caravans head for the Rhone Delta and
Camping in the Camargue
Vacation cottages in St. Maries de la Mere the
homes of the gardians the "Cowboys" of the
Camargue
Camargue Salt Works: looks like sand but it is
Camargue sea salt harvested from Mediterranean Sea
water in huge evaporation pools, continuing a tradition
that goes back to Medieval times.
The Gypsy spirit takes over in the Camargue as
campers head for the tip of the Rhone delta.
The French serve the salt at the table.
Called Fleur de Sel, by some packagers,
this finishing salt is  sprinkled lightly on
food to give the food a blast of salt (tingle)
without salting the whole meal.  
The Camargue cottage, home of the Gardians,
the tenders of the Camargue horses and bulls,  
is a unique stucco and thatch dwelling that hints
at a Celtic heritage with a north African influence
Arles is the gateway to the
Camargue
The Gardians raise the bulls for the
bullrings of Southern France and Spain
One source claims they are a
millenniums-old breeding
stock used by Celtic people,
Greeks,  Romans, Arabs, and
others who lived along the
Rhone or would come by ship
to the mouth of the Rhone to
cull out the young for war
horses.                
Others believe the breed is
pure and indigenous to the
Rhone Delta and stems from
a  primitive breed found  
locally as fossilized bones.

Others link their traits to the
Spanish war horse, their
small size at  13 hands would
have made them excellent
shipboard travelers and their
stamina and strength would
have made them an ideal war
horse.
The immature Camargue
horse is black or brown in
color but upon reaching
adulthood at about four years
will turn to the familiar white
color.
In the vast
pastures of
the Camargue
the Gardians
raise the
fierce black
bulls used in
the bullrings of
southern
France and
Spain.
The Camargue, Provence
The horses of the Camargue are an indigenous breed, some say, once
wild and now protected by the government to keep the breed pure.
Non lethal bullfighting of
Provence
The homes of the Guardians of Camargue
The horsemen and women of the Camargue harvest them regularly,
culling the young ones for saddle horses and gelding those unfit for
breeding. They are a gentle and intelligent horse possessed of
stamina and agility and a liking for people
The Camargue Guardian or cowboys uses the Camargue horse to manage
the black Camargue bulls that you will see roaming in the Camargue.
Often they will pasture a Camargue horse with a herd of young bulls.     
The Camargue Guardian uses the Camargue
horse to manage the black Camargue bulls
that they raise in the vast grassland of the
Camargue.      
Do You need an International Driving Permit to drive in Europe.
In France and Italy you can rent a car and do not need to show an International Permit, only your drivers
license from your home country and perhaps your passport.  Italian law requires that you carry an IDP as does
Spain, Portugal, Greece, and several of the former Soviet Union countries. The International driver's permit is
issued by the American Automobile Association AAA in the States and the CAA in Canada. The cost is $15
and not a bad bit of insurance against running into trouble while driving in Europe.
No Passing for
commercial
vehicles
No Passing
zone ends
Highway or
Expressway
Intersection
with right of
way to right
road
showing
right of way
Rotary
with yield to
traffic in
rotary
Speed limits will be clearly marked and the Rotary will be a welcome site with its directions to various
towns.  Gassing up is similar to US with credit card and automatic shut-off at modern pumps. Car rental are
available in all large cities and at many TGV Train Stations..
Information for those renting a vehicle in Provence
For Camargue holidays in France you can find Provence holiday homes for the Province
vacation.  Hotels in Saints Maries de la Mere are available within Camargue horse
country or find luxury Provence hotels in Arles, the gateway to the Camargue.
Camargue holidays homes for the Province
vacation.  Rental homes in Saints Maries de
la Mere, the Camargue cottage
For Camargue holiday rental in the south of France you can find Provence holiday homes
and hotels in Saints Maries de la Mere.  Base in Camargue horse country or find luxury
Provence hotels in Arles, just north of the Camargue. Vacation rentals above in the
Camargue cottage.