Sunday, 16 October 2011
A Surprising Comparison
It was a second visit to Nimes, and the place seemed even more wonderful than last time (the unbroken autumn sun helped). With its extraordinary Roman remains and 18th-century waterworks, fascinating ancienne ville, fine restaurants and beautiful shady terraced gardens rich in bird life, butterflies and red squirrels, surely Nimes is one of France's most delightful small cities. Not, it seems, to all. In one of those fine restaurants, we got talking to a young local couple dining at the next table (their English was good) and the young fellow couldn't speak too highly of London, which he'd visited just once, flying in via Luton airport. London, he declared, was the finest city on earth - he absolutely loved it. But what of Nimes? we protested - Isn't this a wonderful city? Nimes? he replied, as if surprised at the suggestion. Oh no, he declared, Nimes is like Luton.
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Ha ha! I'd thought it somewhat more beautiful than that. How curious. Does Luton now go up in our estimation? Perhaps it has hidden depths!
ReplyDeleteYes I was wondering if there's something about Luton I missed - the Hanging Gardens perhaps?
ReplyDeletePerhaps my memory plays tricks, it is now many many years since I was in Nimes but I'm pretty sure the brioche there were rather superior to my one and only visit to Luton where I played a gig where not one soul attended. But what the hell it was the Arts Council so we were paid anyway. The deep diving vehicle that can plumb those hidden depths still awaits development.
ReplyDeleteIt could be said of Luton that it has Dunstable whereas Nimes...has had
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