November 15, 2011
Arles to Lyon by train: exploring Arles in the morning
WEATHER: mixed sun and cloud
We had plenty of time today to visit the Roman ruins in Arles before our train left for Lyon at 3:00. After breakfast at the hotel we walked the short distance to the arena, dating back to the 1st century BC, and still used in the summer for bullfights. We were practically the only people there as we explored the arched passageways (120 arches) and the tiers of stone seats. The arena is undergoing long-term renovations which were already in evidence when we passed by in 2009. The nearby theatre ruins were similarly uncrowded and quite interesting after seeing a mostly intact stage wall in Orange. Unless you've seen one, it would be very difficult to visualize the original based on the few remnants that are left here.
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A morning of ruins gave us an appetite for lunch, and we found a bistro terrasse in the warm sunshine in the Place du Forum. It was adjacent to a cafe that had been painted by Van Gogh, who spent a year in Arles shortly before his death. The cafe, now called Cafe Van Gogh, was marked by a plaque that included a photo of the original painting from the point where the painting was executed. The city of Arles cannot afford to own any of the Van Gogh originals that were painted there--most are in Paris or Amsterdam. We enjoyed our salads with tapenade while basking in the sunshine. At that moment we felt like we wouldn't want to be anywhere else!
After lunch we collected our loaded bikes from the hotel and cycled a kilometre along the Rhone to the train station. We were early (as usual) and Al asked the platform attendant about the location of the velo car. When the train came, it turned out that the velo car was closed and the attendant, who had been keeping an eye on us, eventually indicated we should get on anywhere. Fortunately there was space at the end of the car for our small-wheeled bicycles. The train took only one and half hours to cover the distance to Montelimar where we had alighted three weeks ago to start cycling the southern part of our tour.
We arrived in Lyon after dark, at rush hour, to an absolutely packed train station. We could barely move through the crowds with our loaded bikes and had to walk them for several blocks beyond the station before we could start riding the four kilometres to Evasion Loft. All but the last couple of blocks were on cycle paths, but the darkness was a bit disorienting and the traffic was intense. Therese and Olivier were glad to see us again, since were the first cycle-tourists they had ever hosted, and they greeted us with a glass of homemade liqueur. Since we were no longer suffering from jet lag, this time we were able to take advantage of their excellent restaurant recommendations, and we had a good dinner at L'Archange, a newish small place, perhaps destined for greater notoriety.
Today's ride: 5 km (3 miles)
Total: 1,043 km (648 miles)
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