Sian Griffiths Travel & Tours

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Sian Griffiths Travel & Tours

Based in Nimes in southern France, I'm a French Government-licensed tour guide and owner of charming vacation let "Au Coeur de Nimes".

I look forward to helping you to discover the south of France!

04/06/2024

🌿 LUNCH IS SERVED....
at this lovely little nook at the VG d'Arles vegan restaurant on Place Dr Felix Rey.

In French, "VG" is pronounced "végé" (''vay-shay") - short for "végétalien" or vegan. It's also a clever play on words, as the restaurant is in the former Hôtel Dieu complex where Vincent Van Gogh was taken when he sliced his ear off - and was treated by Dr Felix Rey!

Bon appétit!

03/06/2024

🌼 BLOOMIN' LOVELY! 🌼
The Arènes - Nîmes' Roman amphitheatre dating from the first century AD - seen from Avenue Feuchères with its lovely lawns, trees, flowers, park benches, water features, playground and carousel.

Come and discover this gorgeous historic town for yourself - and let me help you! I'm a French government-licenced guide, so can give you the history, heritage, insider access and low-down as to what really makes Nîmes tick!

01/06/2024

Jasmine is flowering everywhere across Arles at the moment - looking and smelling incredible!

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31/05/2024

⭐️ A NIGHT TO REMEMBER!
Tonight's a BIG night in my two favourite locations!

🎸 The summer Festival de Nîmes kicks off tonight with a sell-out opening concert by rock legend Eric Clapton in the Roman amphitheatre.

Insider tip - there's a row of restaurants outside the Arènes, which are always incredibly busy during the Festival as you can hear the music really clearly over a meal or glass of wine or two!

🎨 Meanwhile over in Arles, it's the launch party for this year's art "must see" - Van Gogh's "Starry Night over the Rhône" painting, on loan for a few months from its usual home, the Musée d'Orsay in Paris.

Opening to the public tomorrow until 6 September, this is a Huge Deal, as it's the first time the painting has been in Arles since Vincent painted it in 1888!

I introduce this painting to all my guests visiting Arles, so I can't wait to see the real thing! I'll also be attending some concerts too - stay tuned!

31/05/2024

🤝 GOOD NEIGHBOURS !
Today - Friday 31 May - is the Fête des Voisins, or Neighbours Day, when all across France people hold parties in their street or in their apartment buildings (as most have a communal courtyard).

Everyone brings something to eat or drink, and then digs in for an evening of chatting with the neighbours and getting to know them better.

The Fête des Voisins was first held in 1999 in Paris' 17th arrondissement, created by local municipal councillor Atanase Périfan.

Since then it's spread nationwide, with everyone getting involved - town halls hand out party kits, real estate agents too (these t-shirts were donated by a neighbour of ours who works for Century 21!) and everyone has a great time!

🤝 Just another great reason to love life in France!

26/05/2024

🤱MUM'S THE WORD!
💐 It's Mother's Day today here in France, and I really like this metal sculpture of a hand with a flower created by local metal artist Nicolas Jouas, snapped on a recent visit to the lovely little port and seaside town of Mèze nearby.

💐 Like most things, Mother's Day goes back to the Romans, who celebrated "matronalia".

💐 However while Mothering Sunday in the UK dates back to the 15th century and 1905 in the USA, and despite Napoleon initiating the idea in 1804, it didn't really become a "thing" here until 1906, when the government, concerned by the falling birthrate, created a "Fête d'Enfants"
( = Children's Day") to celebrate and encourage large families.

💐 In the early 20th century, the focus shifted to the mothers of these large families, and then in 1918 to a tribute to mothers and wives who'd lost sons and husbands in WW1, thanks to the influence of US troops who celebrated Mother's Day, American-style.

💐 Nevertheless, while "La Fête des Mères" didn't appear on the official national calendar until 1941, today it's celebrated nationwide as elsewhere in the world - flowers and gifts, lunches, treats and more for the most special lady in our lives!

26/05/2024

SPRINGTIME IN PROVENCE.....
The courtyard of the lovely Moulin Saint Jean olive farm and oil mill in Fontvieille in the very heart of Provence - visiting (and tasting!) is a wonderful experience, hosted by Anne and Magali, the two fabulous sisters - and eleventh generation! - who run this very successful olive farm 🫒

25/05/2024

❤️ THE HEART OF NÎMES..........is the super-charming Place aux Herbes, the medieval fruit and vegetable marketplace with the 11th century Cathedral of Notre-Dame-et- Saint-Castor.

Here it is at lunchtime today, and that's exactly why we named our penthouse vacation rental apartment "Au Coeur de Nîmes" - it's at the top of the building on the left with the (rather large!) parasol, and has a huge terrace offering stunning views over the square, the cathedral and the terracotta-tiled rooftops of the historical centre.

We had a lovely note today from our current guests - "Just to say we love the apartment, thank you so much. We spent a happy couple of hours in the market this morning, France as we remember it from early visits many years ago. Happy days!"

We also received our first booking for 2025 today (hooray!), but still have some availability for this year too, so PM me if you're planning a trip to the south of France any time soon!

We look forward to welcoming you to the "coeur de Nîmes"!

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24/05/2024

As one of the freelance guide team at Nîmes' spectacular Musée de la Romanité, I just had a training session for the stunning new temporary exhibition "Achilles & the War of Troy" (on from now until 23 January 2025)

But as Achilles was Greek, why an exhibition in a museum dedicated to all things Roman? Well yes, he was, but as so many myths and legends about him exist in many cultures - including Roman - this exhibition features numerous Roman artefacts telling his story - and what a story it is!

Celestial shenigans by the gods, bad tempers, cross-dressing, life choices and big decisions, war and much, much more, all illustrated by pieces from the Musée's collections and other museum partners, including the Louvre.

This is one exhibition where a guide is an especially good idea - and so now you know where to find one!

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19/05/2024

IT'S FERIAAAAAAA!
Three days down, one to go - it's all about Spanish traditions Nîmes-style, with music, dancing in the streets, food, horses and more, much more!

A few glimpses of Feria 2024 - from musicians wandering the streets, equestrian performances in the Jardins de la Fontaine, guitar music and concerts, giant pans of paella (seen here at one of our favourite cafés, Le Petit Moka, next to the cathedral), to more horses in the cathedral square (with my holiday rental apartment building on the left) waiting for the end of the traditional Mass in the cathedral with musicians and participants in regional costume, and more - plus glorious sunshine, making this a Pentecost weekend to remember!

18/05/2024

IT'S FERIAAAAAAA!
The Feria long weekend always starts with the traditional Pegoulade procession, which goes past my apartment building - so here's the view from my terrace!

The theme this year was the Camargue, and so here's a herd of the gorgeous white Camargue horses going past the Porte Auguste, one of the original Roman gateways into Nîmes, with the Tour Magne on the horizon - both monuments dating from the 1st century BC!

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17/05/2024

Hydrangeas are in season again - a lovely splash of colour in Uzès yesterday.....

16/05/2024

TOWERS OF POWER.....
A visit to charming Uzès today, and a look at the newly reimagined Place du Duché - formerly a busy traffic thoroughfare and car park, now transformed into a tranqil square with trees and benches.

The Duché, or ducal château, was built in the Middle Ages over a former Roman settlement. Today it's the home of Jacques de Crussol d'Uzès, the 17th Duke of Uzès, France’s oldest ducal peerage dating from 1565 and which took precedence over all the other noble houses in France.

In the meantime, the towers represent the three pillars of power - ducal (Bermonde Tower), Royal (King's Tower) and religious (Bishop's Tower).

Full of history and charm (not to mention great shopping and restaurants!), Uzès is a fantastic place to visit - let me help you explore this gorgeous little gem of a town!

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14/05/2024

💃 COUNTDOWN TO FERIA....🐃
Nîmes' Feria starts on Thursday evening and finishes Monday over the Pentecost weekend (16-20 May) - five crazy days of Spanish-themed partying, feasting, flamenco, pop-up bars, wandering musicians, dancing in the streets and more, plus corridas and course camarguaise here in the Roman Arènes amphitheatre!

This year's stunning yellow poster has been designed by Nímes-based former matador Swan Soto.

Meanwhile festive preparations are well under way, with food & drink tents mushrooming all over town - it's the biggest hospitality and tourist event of the year, with more than a million participants expected in town for the celebrations!

🎉 See you at Feriaaaaa!

14/05/2024

🌈 SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW, WAY UP HIGH... (The Wizard of Oz, 1939)

🌈 A beautiful double rainbow this evening across the terracotta rooftops from our terrace (yes, it does rain sometimes in the south of France, believe it or not!)

🌈 However did you know that the word "rainbow" originated in the 5th century? In the Old English or Anglo Saxon term "renboga", "ren" meant rain, and "boga" "arch", deriving from the earlier Proto-Germanic (500BC - 200 AD) "bugan" which meant "to bend".....!

🌈 Meanwhile, a rainbow in French is "arc-en-ciel" - literally an arch in the sky!

13/05/2024

It's poppy time once again, and fields, meadows and verges are all aglow.

Did you know......
- the poppy traces its roots back to Central Asia in 6000-2500 BC, and spread around the world via the Silk Road
- "poppy" comes from the Latin "papaver", probably derived from an earlier language still, and imitates the sound of poppy seedpods rattling in the wind!

Come and see these stunning red blooms - but hurry, they won't be here much longer!

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05/05/2024

This weekend has certainly been a Roman holiday - Nîmes has been absolutely packed with visitors and families, all enjoying the sunshine and the myriad Journées Romaines activities and events!

It's also coincided with several French public holidays and the tail-end of the school holidays, so the town is full - restaurants, cafés, the Arènes and more - as a café owner friend remarked this morning, "just like the Feria, but without the drinking!"

As I had clients both days, I didn't get to see many of the festivities, but this morning managed to snap Roman legionnaires guarding the Arènes plus a procession of Romans and Gauls passing my holiday rental apartment "Au Coeur de Nîmes" (the pale building with the Newport shop on street level).

Tempus fugit - time flies, and so see you next year!

03/05/2024

I CAME, I SAW....
It's that time of year again when, from 3-5 May, Nîmes goes back to its Roman roots with the Journées Romaines ( = Roman Days) - games and gladiators, torchlight processions and visits, dancing, feasting, markets and more, Roman-style.....

Nîmes was first settled by the Romans in the first century BC , and was known as Nemausus. However the Journées Romaines all started 15 years ago with the first spectacular Jeux Romains show in the Arènes and has since developed into an entire fascinating three-day weekend with Roman-themed events and activities all around town, including what's now Europe's largest historical re-enactment event, with over 600 re-enactors coming from all over the continent to participate.

Nîmes isn't known as "la Rome française " ( = the French Rome) for nothing, and the Journées Romaines are now one of the town's' most popular tourist attractions, with masses to do, see and enjoy for all ages.

Come and see (and perhaps conquer too - who knows?!), and explore Nîmes' rich Roman heritage!

01/05/2024

In France on 1 May you'll see plenty of vendors selling muguet du bois, or lily of the valley, so do buy a sprig or two - it's a symbol of friendship, dating back to 1 May 1561 when King Charles IX was given a sprig by his friend, the Knight Louis Girard, and he was so charmed by it that he gave the flowers to each lady of his court.

The tradition caught on, and the rest, as they say, is history!

Incidentally, 1 May is the only day of the year that non-florists are permitted to sell flowers on the street - and you don't get taxed on your takings either!

28/04/2024

🍷GLASS CEILING.....
The exquisite gilded mirrors and ceiling of Le Napoléon, Nîmes' iconic 1813 neoclassical Empire-style café-brasserie (simply "le Napo" to the Nimois!) - the perfect spot for a glass of wine or deux, plus a very appropriate medallion directly overhead!

27/04/2024

It's pivoine or peony season in France right now, with some stunning blooms the focal point at a lovely spring lunch today chez our friends Meher and Elizabeth. Absolutely beautiful!

26/04/2024

Stunning views over the limestone hills and the valley of Les Baux from the charming Café de Lily in the medieval village of Les Baux-de-Provence.......

23/04/2024

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 BY GEORGE!
Today - 23 April - is St George’s Day, which is England’s national day (although sadly we hardly celebrate it for some reason….)

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 The patron saint of England, George was a 4th century Roman officer of Greek descent, executed on 23 April 303 AD for refusing to recant his Christian faith, and so in 1350 King Edward III chose him as our patron saint for his bravery.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 In the meantime of course, he’s best known for slaying a dragon which was about to devour a princess. Legend has it this feat took place on the flat-topped Dragon Hill in Uffington, Berkshire (two hours’ drive from central London) and no grass grows where the dragon’s blood soaked into the earth.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 In the meantime, here’s a little touch of England on Place Bellecroix, just around the corner from my apartment – a 17th century carving of St George killing the dragon (you can see the princess on the right, praying to be saved!).

@ insideraccessfrance
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23/04/2024

Springtime in the south of France, yet we're currently freezing in one of the strongest mistral winds I've experienced in my time here, with temperatures down to 8-9°......⛄️

However while the mistral lasts for several days at a time, the good thing about it is that the sun shines regardless, and so if you're tucked away from the wind, it's amazingly warm and pleasant - as we found when we had lunch at Dolce & Café yesterday, sheltered up against the café wall and with a fabulous view of the Arènes.

Another day or so of strong winds and cold, and then hopefully we can get back to some "normal" spring weather.......fingers crossed🤞!

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19/04/2024

🌴 It's back!!! An important part of Nîmes' heritage is restored with the arrival of the new palm tree at the Place du Marché yesterday morning, and an inauguration ceremony hosted by the mayor at 6.00pm.

🐊 Nimes' coat-of-arms features a crocodile and a palm, but sadly the previous palm was diseased and died, so was removed last October.

🌴 The disease-resistant Washingtonia palm is 52 years old, 8m tall, 4 tonnes, worth €8,000 and is a gift to the town from palm specialists Palmiers Prestige, 130 miles away in Livron-sur-Drôme.

🐊 No doubt the Martial Raysse-designed crocodile statue will be pleased to be reunited at last with his palm!

10/04/2024

There's still time to see "Tintin, the Immersive Adventure" at the Carrières de Lumières before it ends next week..... great fun!

I LOVE Snowy (or Milou, as he's known in French), especially as our white mini schnauzers look very Snowy-like!

09/04/2024

🎨 Also ending soon at the Carrières de Lumières is the second show "Mondrian, Architect of Colours", featuring the work of Dutch painter Piet Mondrian (1872-1906). Don't miss it!

09/04/2024

🎨 LAST FEW DAYS.....
If you're in the area and haven't already seen the stunning "Dutch Masters : From Vermeer to Van Gogh" immersive art and light show at the Carrières de Lumières at Les Baux-de-Provence, head over there right now!

It ends soon - only another week or so to go before a two-week break when they install the new shows on Egyptian & Oriental art. I can't wait to see them!

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07/04/2024

🎨 ART WORKS.....
In addition to La Contemporaine, Nîmes' just-opened huge contemporary arts festival, this weekend is also the Journées Européennes des Métiers d'Art, an annual Europe-wide celebration of arts, crafts, skills and people - and one of my favourite weekends of the year!

The town was full of people strolling around, art maps in hand, earnestly following one trail or the other (and not forgetting all museums are free on the first Sunday of each month too!).

As La Contemporaine continues until 23 June, I opted for the Métiers d'Art route - a wonderfully fascinating Sunday afternoon stroll around central Nîmes, where 19 studios, galleries and other venues each hosted several local artists, ranging from painters, ceramicists, paper makers, milliners, blacksmiths, knife makers and more!

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06/04/2024

While Nîmes' art scene has been rather taken over by the huge La Contemporaine festival of the arts that opened last night, this weekend also sees the annual JemaNîmes celebration of the Europe-wide Journées Européennes des Métiers d'Art.

Nineteen galleries, studios and workshops across town open their doors to give you a fascinating glimpse into the inspiration, innovation and hard work that goes into creating art.

Check it out online or pick up a map at participating venues for a wonderful stroll through the world of creativity!

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Tango, Nîmes-style!

What a night! Last night all roads really did lead to Nîmes, with a huge party to launch the Maison Carrée onto the UNESCO World Heritage list in style - light shows, video mapping, concerts, illuminated giants, free drinks & Nîmes' enduring love affair with tango! The whole town was invited, and literally thousands of very proud Nimois showed up to celebrate this once-in-a-lifetime event!

IT'S THURSDAY..... ...and on Thursday evenings in July and August, Nîmes' squares and boulevards welcome "Les Jeudis de Nîmes" - stalls, music, dancing, wine tastings, al fresco drinking, dining and much more besides! Here we are at the Place de la Maison Carrée, with a Latin band and handicraft stalls in the shadow of the world's best-preserved Roman temple!

.....AND THE BAND PLAYED ON.... Today's the Fête de la Musique, an annual celebration across France with local musicians performing in every town and village, showcasing their talent and giving us the chance to wander from square to square savouring different musical interludes and styles in each. Toda's lunch at my favourite Khmer restaurant (under the blue and green parasols) in Place Voltaire in the shadow of the Arènes, the Roman amphitheatre, was accompanied by this great Latin band - a warm-up to this evening's musical offerings! #fetedelamusique2022 #arles #arles_camargue_tourisme #villedarles #siangriffithstours #insideraccessfrance #aucoeurdenimes #musicalfresco

🎄 NOËL IN NÎMES ⛸ You saw the back of the Maison Carrée yesterday – now here’s the front! ⛸ The Roman temple makes a stunning backdrop to the rink, which has been open daily from 18 December to 2 January. ⛸ It’s a real cheap skate too – just €2 including skate hire, €1 if you bring your own, with all profits going to two charities – Via Fémina Fama (supporting victims of domestic abuse) and Un Sourire Pour Tous (supporting young people in humanitarian projects) ⛸ You’d better get your skates on, though – only a couple more days to go!

LEST WE FORGET…. As today is Remembrance Day, I thought I’d share this video I took of Nîmes’ celebrations commemorating the centenary of the end of WW1. With original footage from the time, the backdrop is the Maison Carrée - the world’s best preserved Roman temple - together with a small military band playing on the pronaos, the temple’s vestibule on the far left. I love it that our Roman monuments are still such a part of our everyday life here in Nîmes, and play such a vital role in linking history and heritage through the centuries.

🍂 HEADING FOR A FALL... 🍂 So summer's officially over, with today the First Day of Autumn..... 🍂 Luckily here in southern France, the weather continues to be gorgeous - warm, sunny and glorious blue skies - and with stunning settings like Nîmes' Jardins de la Fontaine (Europe's first public park, created in 1745), heading for a fall has never looked so good!

🐾 INTERNATIONAL DOG DAY 2021 🐾 Created in 2004 and celebrated on 26 August every year, International Dog Day focusses on promoting dog ownership, pays tribute to service animals who bring comfort & independence, keep us safe and save lives, and also recognises dogs sadly languishing in shelters around the world and waiting for homes. 🐾 I couldn’t resist this little fellow when we saw him living his best life during a recent heatwave in Béziers! 🐾 These 50 "dancing fountains" are at the new Place Jean Jaurès, part of the regeneration of Béziers' city centre and bringing a new sense of place to the historic heart of the city. 🐾Look out for the evening music and light shows with the "performing fountains" - a fantastic addition to a wonderful French city! 🐾 Take care of your canine companions, and remember - adopt, don't shop!

🕺TANGO DANCER FOR A THOUSAND YEARS....💃 When I was living in Hong Kong pre-1997, one of the more baffling insults hurled at former Governor Chris Patten by the Chinese Government was that he was a "tango dancer for a thousand years" - well, it could be worse! Here Nîmes' tango lovers dance in the Place de Chapitre, behind the 1,000 year-old cathedral and the Bishop's Palace (today the Musée de Vieux Nîmes), which you can see in the background. This was part of the International Tango Festival, but tango al fresco was a much-loved feature here every Thursday evening in summer, pre-covid - fingers crossed it's back next summer! Fancy dancing in the streets in the south of France? Let's talk! #nimes #nîmes #nimestourisme #gardtourisme #tourismeoccitanie #vivrenimes #nimesmaville #nimestour #nimestours #laromefrancaise #touslescheminsmenentanimes #crocosensemble #siangriffithstours #aucoeurdenimes #tangodance #tangolove #tangotango #tangofestival #nimesbesttourguide #tangomania #dancinginthestreet #dancinginthestreets #tangoalfresco

DANCING IN THE STREET…. It’s Thursday, which means Les Jeudis de Nîmes - every Thursday evening in July & August sees fabulous night markets, local wine & beer tastings, restaurants, cafes & bars open late, plus live music all around town – and I mean ALL around town! This was the view from our terrace tonight, with a great band playing 80s disco hits in the square below..... (oh, and between the band and the church is the Porte Auguste, one of the original Roman gateways into the city, plus the small illuminated dot above the Porte Auguste is the Tour Magne Roman watchtower – Nîmes isn’t known as “The French Rome” for nothing!) Come and spend a fun Thursday evening, Nîmes-style, soon!

Dancing in the streets (and on the monuments!) - music everywhere each Thursday in summer with "Les Jeudis de Nîmes", plus shopping, eating and tasting of the local Costières de Nîmes wines......what's not to like! Come join us and check it out one Thursday soon!

❤ HEART TO HEART.... A relaxing morning on the terrace of Au Coeur de Nîmes, our charming rental apartment - literally and metaphorically in the very heart of Nîmes! Large and completely private, the terrace is high above the hustle & bustle below, yet you can still enjoy the life going on below - and with views over the 11th century Cathedral, medieval rooftops and cafés (plus the world's best-preserved monuments just steps away and one of France's finest covered food markets across the street), what's not to like?! Interested? Let's talk!

A little light music for a Saturday night - the first of 2021's intimate garden concerts under the trees in a green oasis in central Nîmes, with a sonata for harp and flute by Scottish composer John Reid (1721-1807), and complete with feline fans! #nimes #nîmes #concertsinthegarden #concertinthegarden #saturdaynightmusic #musicunderthetrees #musicunderthetree #tinyconcert #tinyconcerts #tinyconcertsathome #catsandconcerts #catsandmusic #musiclovingcat #

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