We had lunch at a little bistro in the small town of Roquemaure on the way to Arles.
Like so many places we’ve been to, Arles has its share of Roman sites. In fact it became a UNESCO site in 1981 because of its Roman monuments. There are three main ruins, and we checked out all three.
The amphitheater, is said to be one of the best preserved Roman monuments in Provence. It was built around 90 AD and modeled on the Coliseum in Rome. It held 20,000 spectators and was used mostly for gladiator combats and bull races. It is still in use today for various events, but Russell Crowe and his competitors were nowhere in sight.
The Antique Theater was built around 100 AD and featured tragedies and pantomimes. It held around 10,000 spectators. There are excavations and restoration work going on today.
Constantine’s Baths were particularly interesting. They were once part of Constantine’s grand, imperial palace – all that’s left today is remnants of the baths. They date back to 300-400 AD. As you can see in the pictures below, they are surprisingly well preserved and restored, and it was quite easy to determine where the baths with the various levels of heat were, where the heat sources were, etc.
But, on to Van Gogh! Van Gogh arrived in Arles on February 21, 1888, and left May 3, 1889. In that short time he produced over 200 paintings and 100 sketches. He was enamored with the sunshine, light, and warmth of the place. His idea was to start a sort of artists’ community, but he couldn’t talk anyone else into joining him. We were able to visit (aka make a pilgrimage to) some of the places he painted. His yellow house didn’t survive the war, but we were able to eat at “Le Café le Soir,” walk around inside Espace Van Gogh (the former hospital where he was a patient after cutting off his ear), and even managed to track down “Le Vieux Moulin.”
Here are pictures of Van Gogh's paintings followed by our photos of the same places...
We also wanted to wade in the Mediterranean Sea while we were in the southern part of Provence, and Les-Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer seemed to be the best place to do it. As so often happens on our trips, we accidently arrived at the right place at the right time to enjoy a very unique celebration. We happened to arrive just in time for a festival that included a parade celebrating VE Day (the end of WWII in Europe), traditional dances, and the running of the bulls! (BTW-the bulls here are not injured during the bull fights. They have a small bow suspended between their horns and the matador must try to remove it.) Anyway, here are some pictures we took of the festivities and other fun at the beach.
The Amphitheater.
The Antique Theater was built around 100 AD and featured tragedies and pantomimes. It held around 10,000 spectators. There are excavations and restoration work going on today.
Antique Theater.
Constantine’s Baths were particularly interesting. They were once part of Constantine’s grand, imperial palace – all that’s left today is remnants of the baths. They date back to 300-400 AD. As you can see in the pictures below, they are surprisingly well preserved and restored, and it was quite easy to determine where the baths with the various levels of heat were, where the heat sources were, etc.
Pictures taken inside the baths:
Hot air to heat the baths circulated under false floors like the one in the back of this picture.
House built right next to the baths!
If you look closely you can see detail of designs in tiles in the floor.
But, on to Van Gogh! Van Gogh arrived in Arles on February 21, 1888, and left May 3, 1889. In that short time he produced over 200 paintings and 100 sketches. He was enamored with the sunshine, light, and warmth of the place. His idea was to start a sort of artists’ community, but he couldn’t talk anyone else into joining him. We were able to visit (aka make a pilgrimage to) some of the places he painted. His yellow house didn’t survive the war, but we were able to eat at “Le Café le Soir,” walk around inside Espace Van Gogh (the former hospital where he was a patient after cutting off his ear), and even managed to track down “Le Vieux Moulin.”
Here are pictures of Van Gogh's paintings followed by our photos of the same places...
Le Café le Soir (taken during the day)
Hospital courtyard and garden.
The Old Mill.
We also wanted to wade in the Mediterranean Sea while we were in the southern part of Provence, and Les-Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer seemed to be the best place to do it. As so often happens on our trips, we accidently arrived at the right place at the right time to enjoy a very unique celebration. We happened to arrive just in time for a festival that included a parade celebrating VE Day (the end of WWII in Europe), traditional dances, and the running of the bulls! (BTW-the bulls here are not injured during the bull fights. They have a small bow suspended between their horns and the matador must try to remove it.) Anyway, here are some pictures we took of the festivities and other fun at the beach.
Dancers in costume.
The dancers' one-man band.
Escorting the bulls (as you can see they have them pretty well surrounded).
Statue of a bull that reached legendary status through the years. (His offspring are definding the family honor these days.) You can just barely see the little bow between his horns.
Another lunch in a lovely, outdoor cafe. (We take seriously our responsibility in supporting the local economy - especially the wine industry.)
The Med! Not sure how we managed to get a picture with so few people in it - seemed like there were folks everywhere.
Anna gets her toes wet.
Now, it's David's turn.
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