5/27/19 Perrier / Pont du Gard / Lussan

With a forecast of partly sunny, and highs in the mid 80s, we set sail in the trusty Peugeot for a little pilgrimage I have wanted to take, Vergèze, the home of Perrier.

I’ve loved Perrier since the 80’s, and drink it almost everyday, sometimes with a little Canadian Whiskey or possibly a Mojito in the summer😜😎 sometimes by itself😳

So we drove to Vergèze (about an hour away) and took the tour. It’s only offered in French, but we were the only two visitors for the first tour. Our guide, Marie, gave us a tour in English 👍

The video above shows Marie explaining the water at the source. There are 8 sources on sight. Long story short, Perrier, had a long list of owners, starting with who else, but the Romans. After many years and owners, it came into its own in 1947 when it returned to French hands after the war. It was purchased by Nestle in 1992, and now produces over 1 billion bottles a year from this sight. I do my best to help.

We loved the tour , the movie and the museum and then ate lunch in the beautiful gardens of Perrier (notice the frogs), enjoying a bottle of cold deliciousness 😎

Then a quick hour drive returning close to Uzès, to visit Pont du Gard, the famous Roman aqueduct built to supply water to nearby, Nimes. It was built in the first century AD. The site is a UNESCO World History Sight and very recognizable.

The aqueduct was abandoned in 400 AD as it became plugged with debris and limestone deposits. The water is incredibly hard here.

The 17 century found it looted and unusable, Napoleon stepped in and repaired the sight. At that time, a roadway bridge was added, you see it in the pictures. That lead to a rise in tourism and the eventual closing of the bridge to cars in 1996. That’s right, cars were driving across this bridge until 96. Ok, quick trip through Uzès to get to the lovely small village of Lussan, located above Uzès about 20 kilometers. Walled city, built in the 13 century, newer😎 great walking, no tour buses, everything we look for😎