Theater, anyone?

Today, we took a quick jaunt over to Nimes to visit "les Arenes" (or amphitheater) featured on this blip. Otherwise we lounged around the pool, ate home-made ratatouille and went out for an amazing dinner.

Some quick facts of (maybe?) interest on les Arenes de Nimes:
- it was completed at the beginning of the 2nd century AD. Yup, that's old. Within its structure, you can see the many layers of different construction materials over the next few centuries.

- it is the best preserved Roman amphitheater in the world. Don't anybody ever again complain about French workmanship...

- it's 133m long and 101 m wide (that's like 520 feet or almost two football field long, for those of you who are alrady into the new NFL season)

- it could hold about 24,000 guests (Gallo-Romans in those days) who could enjoy gladiators or animal fightings -- or both.

- "gladiatorship" began as a full-fledged profession, with trainers, pay and benefits. Then, as people got more and more demanding for gore over technique, gladiators became entertainers, lost their skill and that spelled the end of that profession. Sorta like what happened to documentaries in favor of 'reality TV.' Will we ever learn?

- there were women gladiators too! Now that's something I've never seen on any movie remake of that era. Imagine that...

- in the 4th century, it became a strategic military defense post. In the 11th century, it became a fortress and a refuge for the 'knights of the Arena.' Finally, at the beginning of the 18th century, the arena was used for 'corridas'. Today, it's a tourist trap. ;)

(ps: I have a tenuous internet connection, so I'm not doing much commenting on your journals: I do try and keep up with them though!)