October 12, 2022
Saint-Rémy-de-Provence
Toro!
Today is our last day in Arles before we move on to our last stop of the trip in Avignon. We're excited for another ride through the Provence countryside. This time we’re going east, to Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. It was here that Vincent Van Gogh created some of his most beautiful paintings while he was hospitalized during the last year of his life. Tops on our list is a visit to the Musee Estrine which has an interpretive exhibit about his life and work in Saint Rémy.
Back to Arles station we go, to catch the short train hop up to Tarascon again. This time I manage the stairs with no new marks on my shins. From Tarascon we ride out on a quiet rural road that takes us to another beautiful bike path. Many of the roads and bikeways on the way to Saint Remy are lined with tall trees that serve as windscreens to shield the crops. They're nice for the riders too.
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Filed under the long list of photos I wish I had taken, we pass a warning sign on the bike path that says Toro ! with a red ring around it. Say what? Sure enough, just up the path a herd of Camargue cattle is on the move. A flimsy looking fence separates us from the bulls but they don’t seem interested in us at all. Ho hum, there's a couple more cycling riffraff in the neighborhood. Keep mooovin...
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Approaching Saint-Remy, a bit of a climb takes us to the center of town where market day is in full swing. We manage to find a spot at a sidewalk café for a proper cup of coffee and walk around for a while checking out this charming town. Didn't take nearly enough pictures here today, just a couple...
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At the Musee des Alpilles we check in to learn some of the history of the region. There’s a lot here, starting with a strong collection of coins and other metal works of the Bronze Age. Another interesting exhibit illustrates the local tradition of using teasels - small sticky thistles, to soften wool fibers. The process creates garments that are warm and cozy as well as soft.
A collection of vintage posters advertise the bullfights common to the small towns of the region. Bulls of the Camargue, known as Taureaux, have been part of life here for centuries. The bulls aren’t killed or injured but are quite dangerous to the matadors who try to pluck ribbons from their horns. They're also raised for meat that's pretty tasty based on the taureau stew we've had a few times this week.
One of the prizes of the Musee des Alpilles collection is a small bronze of a bull with three horns and a ring tail. The proud figure is from the Gallo-Roman period, sometime between the first and the fifth centuries.
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A few steps from the museum, a musician is wrapping up his set in front of Maison Marshall. While there are a lot of appealing restaurants here, the blend of French and Italian cuisine on the menu here stands out. I've had some challenges picking winners from French menus but Italian food never disappoints. The servers are delightful and encouraging of my attempts at the language, and the pesto risotto with prawns is one of the best meals I've had on the trip.
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Musee Estrine opens up around the corner after we finish our lunch. There are no original paintings by Vincent Van Gogh here but the interpretive center is worth the time for a deep dive into the evolution and influence of his work. The artist painted as though his life depended on it while he was treated at the Saint Paul de Mausole Asylum in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. He created nearly 150 paintings during the year when he was at the asylum. A film with beautiful cinematography shows the landscapes where he worked, interspersed with his paintings of olive trees, cypress, fields and flowers.
A prolific writer, Van Gogh sent hundreds of letters to his brother Theo about his work. Excerpts are displayed here that offer a glimpse into his inspiration and thinking about color and technique. In one letter from September 1889 he wrote:
"... since I'm above all ill at present, I'm trying to do something to console myself … then my brush goes between my fingers as if it were a bow on the violin and absolutely for my pleasure."
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Our heads full of Van Gogh's beautiful scenes, we're ready to head home. There’s plenty of time to skip the train hop from Tarascon and ride all the way back to Arles. The air is fresh, the sun still warm, and it’s a pleasant cruise most of the way other than a bit of traffic outside the city. So great to get in a longer ride.
These three days in Arles have been absolutely lovely. We could easily have spent more time here but are happy with all we've seen. After today's fabulous lunch we don't need another fancy meal and decide to fix a quiet dinner in the apartment with salmon and veggies from the market.
It's nearly the end of our journey in France. Tomorrow we'll move north to Avignon for a couple days and one more good long ride before returning home via Paris.
Today's ride: 48 km (30 miles)
Total: 571 km (355 miles)
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