Pont du Gard Unesco Heritage – France

History proves itself

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Impressive architecture

No eye can miss this from a far distance

Exceptional man made bridge

The website says “masterpiece of human creative genius” 

Without a doubt, I agree with that statement

It weighs 50,000 tons. Everything is done by hand.

That is something that makes me feel in awe of this world. Knowing that around a thousand people worked for five years to complete this is fast work. It’s powerful to stand in this place on a hot October day.

In fact, it was by pure chance that we ended up here. Our eldest daughter had read about the bridge at school and mentioned it when we were on vacation in France. We looked up special bridges in the country and this one was the closest and even better was that it is a World Heritage Site. At short notice we decided to drive there and the journey took just over an hour.

We left our rented vacation home surrounded by vines for the day and looked forward to taking part in something historic. No vacation without seeing and being part of something cultural, unique nature or historical. All three are ticked of here, what a wow effect.

Today, the bridge is a shining example of Roman construction and technology when it was built in 50 AD.

I feel small as a human being when I stand here and it is important that we reflect on how important the history is behind the building of society. The transformation of how I feel when I am in places like this is really hard to put into words.

“You tell me time has done changed me. That’s fine, I’ve had a good run. I know I used to be crazy
That’s ’cause I used to be young”. This part of the song “Used to be young” sung by Miley Cyrus puts my finger on how I have changed over the years. A couple of decades ago, I would not have appreciated this visit in the way I do today.

Over the years, I’ve seen the value of seeing places with different eyes and that’s exactly what’s changed after these hours spent here. Maybe it’s a side track when I refer to a song lyric. The reason for that is that I feel experienced, not old at all. But in comparison to this building, I have so little experience because I have never in my life come close to building something this impressive.

The thought of how many tons or little water has flowed here since the bridge was built is completely impossible to calculate and estimate.

As befits a tourist, I feel the stone of which the bridge is made and it is sun-warmed now in the morning. The sun is reflected in the water and the still green trees frame the place.

There is a path through the forest that we climb to see the bridge from a different angle. The only angle missing is standing in the water and looking straight up. Then I would have been silent for several minutes and just let time stand still. Because time feels hard to define right there and then.

World Heritage sites are important to take part of. The following is on UNESCO’s website;

“Every historical site has a story to tell, and these stories connect the past, present and future. World Heritage sites are vital sources for our culturally and socially sustainable development. As outstanding witnesses to our connected past, passed down to us from our ancestors, we need to protect and preserve them for the generations to come.”

A whisper in history’s gran, small yet eternal.

It is time to leave so we say good bye. The likelihood of us coming back again is very small. But it is engraved in my book of memories now. 

Conclusion; I summarize my experience in three words;

Silence. Reverence. Respect.

Why visit this place

* History ought to be studied since it is from that we learn about the future as well 

* The nature is part of our natural habitat and feeling that we belong here in this surrounding offers a peaceful mind

“Exploration is really the essence of the human spirit.“ – Frank Borman