Not everybody is satisfied by a beach
vacation. Even though lounging around on the sand can be a great way of washing away the stress of home and work, it doesn't always stimulate the mind in the way some
vacationers would wish for.
If you are the type of traveler who likes to be stimulated in mind as well as body, then there are a number of options open to you. One of the most interesting is to take a history vacation, spending a couple of weeks exploring an area with a knowledgeable guide and learning a little of what has happened there in years gone by.
One of the most interesting parts of the world to do this is the South of France where it adjoins northern Italy. A little more then two thousand years ago, this area was in the process of being colonized by the ancient Romans. Rome itself was going through a period of great turmoil and strife at the time, with the old Republic slowly giving way to the absolutism of empire. The guy who perhaps did more than anyone else to speed this process was Julius Caesar. He made his reputation fighting barbarians in what was then the savage land of Gaul, and is now the rather more civilized country of France.
Following in the footsteps of Caesar can be a fascinating and a rewarding experience. Several tour operators run expeditions that retrace at least a part of Caesar's decade of campaigning in Gaul. Starting the journey in Rome - or possibly a more northerly Italian city such as Milan - you move northwards over the Alps, which on a couple of occasions Caesar and his men had to cross in the most terrible winter weather in order to put down rebellions. The weather can be just as bad today, though as a modern tourist you don't have to trudge through the harsh snows of winter in open-toed sandals.
Over the Alps, you pass ultimately into the region of south-east France known as Provence - a corruption of the Latin name 'Provincia', which the Romans bestowed on it on account of it being the first province of their empire established outside the natural borders of the Italian peninsula.
This whole area is one big monument to Roman expansion, and offers huge opportunities to anyone enthusiastic about Classical history. If you make if as far as the town of Nimes, be sure to visit the Maison Carrée, an ancient Roman temple. Most Roman buildings have disappeared not because they fell down, but because they were demolished for building materials in the Middle Ages. The Maison Carrée survived because it began to be used as a church. Its amazing preservation - considering it's over two thousand years old - is one of the best exemplars of the truth that the Romans were some of the best architects the world has ever known.