Nîmes took me completely by surprise. It started as a one-night stay at a hotel after arriving at the airport, but it turned into more than that. It became more of a love affair after visiting it one late August evening and discovering the charm and ambiance of the city.

We ate our meal outside in front of the completely intact Roman arena, alongside cafes of the south of France on a warm and balmy summer evening. Further up the road, and around the corner is a startling, intact Roman Temple dominating the square.

Across from this is the marvellous Norman Foster Carée d'Art, which is a modern masterpiece of architecture, where one can see fantatstic art exhibitions, or take a biere and people watch the squares below. It has beautiful gardens, with the remains of a Temple to Diana, and palm tree-filled places and squares tucked down litttle alleys.

It is down in the south of France, bordering Provence, and its buildings gleam with the startlingly bright summer light you get here. Its people are tanned, slim Mediterraneans who descend from the Greeks, the Romans, the Spanish, and the Arabs.

In feria season this city is like Milan for fashion sense and chicness. Everywhere in this city is its unique history. They have a little crocodile emblems which date from the Emperor Augustus, who rewarded Nîmes with a crocodile after they had contributed to his victory over Cleopatra. The crocodile is tied to a palm tree. 2,000-plus years later and Nîmes still bears this emblem wherever you go.