It is hardly worth while to linger at Mèze, as there is little to see, and there are many places farther east where the time would be valuable. There is a pleasant run by the side of the sparkling blue waters of the Etang, followed by a rather uninteresting stretch of country to Montpellier, which is entered through a fine avenue of sycamores. SECTION XVI MONTPELLIER TO AIX-EN-PROVENCE, 98½ MILES (158 KILOMETRES) DISTANCES ALONG THE ROUTE Kil. Miles. =Montpellier= to Lunel =22= 13½ [=Lunel= to Aigues-Mortes and back =32= 20] =Lunel= to Nîmes =24= 15 [=Nîmes= to Pont-du-Gard and back =44= 27¼] [=Nîmes= to Beaucaire and Tarascon-sur-Rhone =24= 15] [=Tarascon-sur-Rhone= to Avignon =23= 14¼] By going north from Nîmes to Avignon, and omitting the Riviera, the tour can be shortened by five or six days. [=Nîmes= to Avignon =42= 26] =Nîmes= to St. Gilles =19= 11¾ =St. Gilles= to Arles =18= 11¼ =Arles= to Salon =40= 25 =Salon= to St. Cannat =18= 11¼ =St. Cannat= to Aix-en-Provence =17= 10¾ NOTES FOR DRIVERS =Montpellier to Nîmes.=--Level, and nearly every road across the delta of the Rhone is quite flat. [Illustration: THE CASTLE AT TARASCON. On the Rhone.] =Pélissanne to Aix-en-Provence.=--An undulating road, with a long run down into Aix-en-Provence. PLACES OF INTEREST ON THE ROUTE =Montpellier.=--A cheerful and prosperous city; new streets and wide boulevards--(1) Historic School of Medicine in former Episcopal Palace; (2) Musée Fabre contains very fine collection of pictures; (3) Cathedral dates from 1364, choir and other parts 1857; (4) Tour des Pins; (5) Porte du Peyrou, seventeenth century. =Lunel.=--Small town, with a partially Romanesque church. =Aigues-Mortes.=--In the Carmargue. A very remarkable medieval walled city, founded by St. Louis (IX.); fortifications built by Philippe-le-Hardi in thirteenth century. =Nîmes.=--Has some of the finest Roman remains in France--(1) Amphitheatre; (2) Maison Carrée; (3) Porte d’Auguste; (4) Porte de France; (5) Roman baths and the Tour Magne; (6) Cathedral of St. Castor (eleventh century); (7) Pont-du-Gard, 14 miles north. =St. Gilles.=--In the Carmargue. A decayed port, with a remarkable Romanesque church.