South of France, but not as we know it: exploring Nîmes and the Gard

Unesco listing for the city’s Roman temple put this city on the map last year, but there are uncharted delights in the surrounding towns as wellThe director of a newly refurbished boutique hotel in the old town of Nîmes tells me he has gained and lost a star recently. The hotel’s restaurant, Rouge, run by Benin-born chef Georgiana Viou, recently won its first Michelin star. But the hotel itself, the Margaret Chouleur, has been downgraded from a five-star to just four.Here&rsquo