Arles Well That Ends Well: Day 15 - Wandering the Streets of Arles
I just couldn't help myself. The cheesy pun in the journal title just made me do it.
But really, Arles is a wonderful place to end a very relaxed tour, and I can't think of a better time of the year to do it than right now.
This is a very chilled out place in October. Sure there are still columns of Vikings getting disgorged every morning from the tour boats, but you can count the boats on one hand now. I shudder to think what August would be like when the boats would be moored three abreast at the docks. But now it's October and it's great.
We did the bucket list thing right off the bat this morning and headed straight for the Roman amphitheter. We weren't the first folks there this morning like we were in Orange, but we weren't far off.
If you've been to Rome you've seen this stuff before, then the take away from Arles (or Orange, or Nimes, or Lyon ... or for that matter all the way to Hadrian's wall on the boarder of Scotland) is the extent of the reach of the Roman empire. If you've not been to Rome, well first off, go. And if you decide not to go to Rome, then come here and see what they did. You will be amazed.
Simply astounding architecture and design from 2000 years ago.
Once we had toured the amphitheater we set off for the modern era Museum of Antiquities that depicts and displays the various artifacts and treasures of Roman era Arles. However, while on the way there we checked our watch's and guess what, it was lunch time. We were right by the restaurant we ate in last night, and there was an equally intriguing but somewhat more humble family place right beside it that was just opening up for lunch. It was an absolute classic. Folding tin tables and chairs set out in front, a simple plat de jour with whatever they picked up in the market that morning, and the local neighborhood as dining companions. Simply marvelous.
Lunch consumed, we made it to the museum ... quite interesting ... and then we returned to the real life museum of the back and side streets of Arles. We more or less just wandered and took in whatever came around he next corner. I'll let the pictures describe what that was like.
To end the day, and our Rhone adventure, we dined at Chadron , a pop-up restaurant concept where guest chefs come in for a few weeks or months , ply their trade, and then move on. Right now there is a couple from Vancouver in residence, purely coincidental, but their take on the Provence pantry was a little bit of home for us ... Pacific Noethwest does France ... all-in a great day with a great finish.
Tomorrow it's the train back to Geneva, Saturday is 'logistics' day, and Sunday morning we fly home.
It's been a wonderful trip in a beautiful part of the world. We will return.
SOTD
Gogol by Chili Gonzales
.... this just has Arles coursing through it
As you may have picked up if you've been reading along ... I like cats, and there are lots of them around here.These three, a mom and two nearly grown kittens, were still wandering around in the early morning. Within a few minutes, as people started to invade their domain, they were no longer to be seen
Precision cat sitting .... my last shot of these guys before they went underground ... I found it quite exceptional how their markings were nearly identical .. rare in my view with feral cats
a model of the amphitheater in the Antiquities Museum depicting how it looked and functioned. hey had a retracting roof / sun shade suspended by ropes above the arena Montreal tried this in 1976 and to this day has not got it right!
There was photo exhibit of Tour de France ... mostly working level shots of team mechanics and the like ... however, what cyclist wouldn't recognize this look!
.... although I see these as one of the most ungainly vehicles ever made, and the fact they look like they are made of paper and wire hangers, they are amazingly durable and are to France what the Beetle is to Germany .... the inimitable Citroen 2CV ... the truck version (seems very odd to add that!)
