Loire Valley to the South of France
With Allan and Carla
Two things caught my attention in Arles, #1, it's where Van Gough sliced his ear off and then walked down the street and gave it to a Lady of the Evening named Rachel. Only half that story is true, the prostitute part is stuff of legends, but why let facts get in the way of a good story? Van Gough did produce most of his famous paintings while living there including the one of the Sanitarium where he stayed after the ear incident. The other attention grabber for me is that the city was founded by the Romans while Julius Caesar commanded his army there. In 2008 a bust was pulled from the river that is believed to be of Caesar and may be the truest representation of him ever found. For us though, the highlights would be of the blockbuster sites nearby.
Wow! The Pont Du Gard...This was the site on Carla's must-see list and for many others on the tour. It's impressive, especially when you consider the engineering feat to build something like this 2000 years ago.
Probably of interest to nobody but me...In my opinion, the Pont du Gard Museum was even more impressive than the actual bridge. The museum featured how it was built but also went into detail of how plumbing was used in the Roman homes of the time including in-floor heating. The Romans even had their own utility service and stamped their lead pipes with a logo. Make sure to devote a couple of hours to the museum.
Tour Tip...You'll have plenty of time on the tour to explore on your own. Virginie helped us with the train schedule and we headed to Avignon for the afternoon to visit the Palais des Papes. This was the headquarters for the catholic church from 1309-1377. Your entry ticket comes with an audio/video tour. The inside of the Palais is barren but you're given a tablet that describes the history and when you point your tablet in the various areas, an image comes up that shows what it would have looked like when it was occupied. It added a new dimension to a typical audio tour. We spent about 4 hours in Avignon and made it back to Arles in time for a group dinner. The train from Arles to Avignon leaves every half hour or so and it's simple to buy tickets and navigate through the train stations.
An unexpected bonus...We were surprised when we went off the itinerary to see 'Carrieres de Lumieres' in Les Baux. Spectacular. Carla and I had never heard of it but when it was announced that we were going, there was an excited buzz on the bus. I'm not sure if these photos do it justice, but images of Van Gough's paintings are beamed onto the walls of a limestone quarry and set to music. I've tried to describe it to friends but you really need to go see it.
