Day 57: Salin de Giraud to Albaron

April 15, 2025

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The slightly annoying BnB came up with an above average (for France) breakfast, that included some melon and three kinds of cheese. The owner also set off on his red bicycle (with red fenders) to go the bakery for the baguettes ands croissants. I thought he looked iconic. The bakery was also iconic, as it was named Le Fournil Camarguais. After breakfast we went there too, to buy lunch.

We had our bikes loaded before time for breakfast, so we could hit the road quickly.

In the square opposite the bakery is this further example of a local house. The rounded bit always faces the wind. The wind seems to always be there, coming from the sea.

IMERYS is a minerals conglomerate that bought the Solvay plant, shown here, in 2015.

"Solvay has shaped the landscape and architecture of Salin-de-Giraud since its establishment 120 years ago. The Belgian group, which is making way for Imerys , is leaving an industrial heritage to which all salt workers are attached.

The Solvay brand, which dominated the Salin-de-Giraud plant, was removed to make way for the Imerys brand. The takeover marks a new industrial milestone for the salt-producing village.

" The PCC we manufacture is their core business. It's a good sign for the future of the plant ," says a source familiar with the matter. The PCC (or precipitated calcium carbonate) developed at Salin-de-Giraud (the plant houses the group's research center) is a high-value compound. Made from pure limestone—currently sourced from a quarry in Châteauneuf-les-Martigues—it is used for papermaking, silicones, inks, and even plastics."

We had earlier planned to head up the main road, to Le Sambuc, where there was possible birding at Marais du Verdier. But we weren't keen on that road, so we went directly to our next thing, the birding trail at La Capeliere. La Capeliere is at the huge Etang de Vaccares, which is a feature that occupies about a quarter of the Camargue, at least in our conception of the region.

If you turn left here, you immediately get a warning sign about the Digue. We are happy to turn right, and we also get the tail wind!

The wetlands we are passing by have a lot of somewhat distant Flamingos. I passed on photographing them, because I thought I would have better shots at La Capeliere. It turned out there were no Flamingos there. So readers are spared Flamingo photos today!

However we did get these in this area:

The Snake Eagle is often described as having an owl-like face.

The visitor centre at La Capeliere seems to be the main one for the Camargue. There are several rooms of displays, covering the evolution of the wetlands - from creation by the Rhone to changes in level and salinity over the years, the creatures that are found here, and the workings of the natural systems. There is a room that portrays the desk and some artifacts of the founding researchers as well.

The etang is a big proportion of the Camargue, and it seems to comprise the entire official Camargue Preserve area.

There were graphs showing water levels and salinity.

Just about the first thing one notices on entering the Camargue are the tall reeds. This is of course a "thing". The reed beds are known as Roselieres, containing the Roseaux - reeds.

The trail from the visitor centre is about 1 1/2 km, circling some ponds. They say lots of birds can be seen there, but we are rotten at seeing things on forest or reed lined trails. They are inspiring, though, as we get to walk on them in the out of doors.

A pair of Mute Swans, with their new offspring.

We took to the road again, and were able to see more iconic Camargue scenes. The black bulls, of course, are famous:

We would not propose any birding strolls in this pasture!

The Camargue horses are often semi-wild, like these.

We arrived in Albaron, which is not Alderaan, because this Blog is reality, though it may sometimes seem stranger than fiction. (Alderaan, located in the Core Worlds, was a terrestrial planet covered with mountains. During the waning decades of the Galactic Republic, it was ruled by Queen Breha Organa and represented in the Galactic Senate by her husband, Senator Bail Prestor Organa. Alderaan was regarded for its natural beauty, its tranquility, and the sophistication of its arts and culture.)

The thing about Albaron is that is has no grocery and no bakery. If you search for these in Google, you are directed to Arles. Yeah, with a car, Arles is very close! Rather than pay big bucks for a restaurant meal tonight and breakfast tomorrow, we are mainly conserving what we picked up in Salin de Giraud. We did also get some poor bread and cheese at some sort of shop here in Albaron. Our plan, then, is to get going as early as possible, and to hurry on to Arles. Wednesday is their secondary market day (the main day is Saturday), but it can still be really good. We will look for either rotisserie chicken and potatoes, or tagine. Stay tuned!

Today's ride: 43 km (27 miles)
Total: 1,695 km (1,053 miles)

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