From one Gardon to the next

3 points of interest

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  History

  The hamlet of Arbousse

  When Tonin moved to Mas d'Arbousse in 1912, the road up from Saint-Jean-du-Gard was only a path. Without a single break, he carried his heavy cherrywood wardrobe on his back – having first removed the doors and shelves. On arrival in the hamlet, he quenched his thirst and then went back down for the rest of his piece of furniture. Thanks to the money he made by raising silkworms, Tonin paid off the purchase of his mas ((isolated farm) in only four seasons! In 1968 the hamlet of Arbousse only had three inhabitants compared to the forty-five it has today – the same number as in the 19th century.

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  Flora

  The maritime pine

  The maritime pine grows up to 30 metres tall and has a pale crown. Its needles are over 20 centimetres long, and its asymmetrical cones are the largest of any pine in Europe. The bark of its trunk is dark red and cracked. This pine is not native but was planted for the needs of the mines in the 19th century because of its fast growth. It was used to prop up mine tunnels. When the wood creaked, miners knew that a collapse was imminent.

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  Flora

  The strawberry tree

  The strawberry tree, which has finely serrated evergreen leaves, brightens up the autumn not only with its white bell-like flowers but also with its orange-red fruit. For Pliny the Elder, the strawberry tree was related to the strawberry because of the shape of its fruit, a little prickly ball, and its colour. Yet the Latin origin of its name arbutus unedo is supposedly the contraction of unum edo: “I only ate one”. However, ripe tree strawberries, while stodgy, are quite soft and do not taste bad. Nowadays, they tend to be eaten mostly as jelly.