SS Catherine, Lyon to Avignon 3/22/15 - Live

[jpalbny]

Wednesday, 3/26 – Truffle Farm and Chateauneuf du Pape:

 

We departed Viviers after lunch, around 1:30. It was about 30' ride through some pretty country before we arrived at the Truffle Farm and met the owner, Serge. We listened to him explain the process by which they cultivate truffles; it seems a little hit or miss – in essence, he plants tree saplings along with ground-up truffles, and hopes that they grow among the tree roots.

 

We got to sniff a bowl of truffles – to practice? I think the dog here on the left is still probably much better at it than I am... Her name was (I think) Evé, and she is a special Italian breed called the Lagotto Romagnolo. They don't use pigs as much because it is harder to stop the pigs from eating the truffles.

 

 

Serge is really into his work; his enthusiasm for truffles was contagious. Here he's talking about the big truffle that got away...

 

 

Since it's not really truffle season yet, Serge tells us that he's giving a bit of an artificial demonstration. In essence, he buried a few frozen truffles this morning, and Evé will go find them. With that, we started out to the truffle grove. Here's some lavender that he grows on the side:

 

 

And the rows of trees, hopefully growing truffles among their roots.

 

 

Evé now has her “cordon vert” (green rope) attached, so that's her signal to get serious about her work. She starts sniffing, and seems excited about showing us how she does her job. Serge refers to her as the "Lamborghini of Truffle Hunting."

 

 

Hopefully Serge didn't hide the truffles too well, and he remembers how many he hid!

[jpalbny]

Wednesday, 3/26 – Truffle Farm and Chateauneuf du Pape, continued:

 

Evé soon sniffed out something, and started digging...

 

 

She brought her find to Serge for inspection – and got a reward for her good work!

 

 

Evé found all of the truffles in short order, and then of course it was time for wine tasting!

 

 

There's a little shop here (of course) with some traditional products; we bought some lavender soap and apricot-lavender jam. Here you see Evé running around socializing with the group. Her cordon vert is off so now it's play time!

 

 

The reason the cordon vert is off Evé, is because Serge brought it over and put it around my neck! He gave the other end to Chris and told her that she could now be in charge of me. Luckily I thought quickly enough and told Serge that she didn't need a cordon vert...because she already had a “cordon d'or” (I showed him my wedding ring). Serge got a laugh out of that, and we had some more wine.

 

All in all it was fun to visit the farm, and to meet Serge. We headed out for a longer drive now, through more scenic countryside, to Chateauneuf du Pape. Along the way, there were vineyards everywhere, and mountains to the east.

 

 

We might sneak in a little nap, as this is a long trip – almost 90 minutes. More scenery to follow!

[jpalbny]

Wednesday, 3/26 – Chateauneuf du Pape:

 

We passed through a few small villages, each with their own pretty sights. It was a nice drive but long. Here is just one of many examples – the village of Bouchet:

 

 

As we arrived closer to Chateauneuf du Pape, we could see the ruins of Pope John XXII's castle, dominating the landscape. The castle dates from the 1300s; it's in ruins now, but can be visited.

 

 

We arrived at our wine-tasting stop and filed inside. Their sign, and a sample of one of the three wines we'll be tasting today. I have not always been too fond of the wines from this region that I've tasted previously, so I'm looking forward to seeing if these will be different. They poured one white and two reds – the 2012 and the 2006 version of the same wine.

 

 

The 2006 was quite tasty, so I'll look for it back home. It was a bit of a zoo in the main room so we wandered to the back, and found the wine cellar - and some breathing room!

 

 

Through the windows in the wine cellar, you can see how crowded it was. I wish that this part of the tour had been done better. Eventually, people figured out that there were back rooms and side rooms that had seating, and that they didn't have to stand in the one room like sardines.

 

 

But after a few wine tastings, everyone was happy again. Now, back to the bus for a quick ride to the ship – it's waiting for us, just outside of town. While we were off touring, SS Catherine has cruised about 60 km down the Rhone to meet up with us. That's lucky, because we most certainly need to eat and drink some more...

Edited April 14, 2015 by jpalbny

[jpalbny]

Wednesday, 3/26 – Chateauneuf du Pape, wrapping up:

 

We left Maynard's tasting room, and walked back to the bus. On the way, the view of the ruins of Pope John XXII's castle were displayed nicely.

 

 

As we approached the boat dock, we saw what looked like castle ruins in the other direction, closer to the river. We couldn't see well enough through the trees to get much of an overview. Within a few minutes, we were back at the pier, and SS Catherine was happy to see us. Apparently, we were running a little late, and Ingrid (the CD) had been calling our guide to hurry us along...

 

 

Soon we were settled in, and the ship left as soon as we were on board. A few minutes remained to enjoy the sunset over the Rhone:

 

 

Then, we saw the castle ruins full-on – this is Château de Lhers, which dates back to the 10th century. Apparently there was a village here at one time, but nothing remains of it any longer.

 

 

One last look at Chateauneuf du Pape, with the ruins of Pope John XXII's castle catching the last rays of daylight, before sailing on to Avignon.

 

 

With that, it was time to get ready for dinner!

 

**

 

By now I had stopped taking notes so I can't remember what was on the menu for the special “Provençale Dinner.” Since I can't remember a meal that I didn't enjoy, it must have been delicious. We sat with the same two couples we'd been dining with for most of the cruise, and had a great time.

 

When it came time to order dessert, our waitress Daniella came by with a sad look on her face and said there was a big problem in the kitchen. None of the desserts had been baked yet, and worse yet, there was no ice cream either. She said it would be a 45-minute wait until things were ready.

 

As we sat there in disbelief listening to her, because it seemed to us that other tables near us had dessert already, this appeared:

 

 

She had been totally pulling our legs – so we had birthday cake, ice cream, and dessert too! After all of that food we could hardly move, so we headed up to the lounge to see what was going on there. We were due to arrive in Avignon at any minute, so we were entertaining the thought of a nighttime stroll through the city. That is, if we weren't too stuffed to walk... We'll see what happens!

[jpalbny]

Wednesday, 3/26 – Avignon, by night:

 

After dinner and multiple desserts, we headed to the lounge for a while tonight to try and dance a few calories off. It was pretty funny because the musicians Ulf and Rowena thought it was our anniversary, not my birthday. So they played some “special” songs for us – very nice, but... After a few of those, we decided to head out to take a short walk around the city at night before calling it a night..

 

The ship is docked close to the city gates so it wasn't hard to find our way. Tonight, we are docked along the Rhone, at the gold star on mid-right side of the map.

 

 

From here it was a short walk through the gates to the Place de l'Horloge. The decorative mosaic on the ground caught my eye:

 

 

And the Hotel de Ville, all lit up for the night, was pretty:

 

 

There wasn't much else to do and we were pretty tired, so we headed back to get some sleep. Busy day tomorrow; we have the included tour in the morning, then some independent sightseeing planned, and then after lunch, the optional excursion to Pont du Gard! It promises to be a long day...

 

**

 

Friday, 3/27 – Avignon by day:

 

We finished breakfast and gathered shipside for our tours. It was a beautiful sunny day – clear skies, bright sunshine – and some brisk breeze too. We learned about the Mistral winds today... Those clear skies come at a price!

 

Off we went, back to the city. We paused outside the walls for a good photo opportunity; they are in great shape!

 

 

Entering the city, here are a few more buildings that caught our eye. On the left, the Church of St. Agricole; on the right, the theatre.

 

 

Time to head for the Palais des Papes!

[jpalbny]

Friday, 3/27 – Avignon, Palais des Papes:

 

We entered through the main gate of the New Palace, which looks pretty imposing.

 

 

The Papal coat of arms is carved above the entryway:

 

 

Inside, the main courtyard is not particularly inspiring, but the Cloisters of the Old Castle (one building over) are pretty, especially against that gorgeous blue sky!

 

 

The gilded statue visible here is atop the Cathedral next door.

 

 

The interior wasn't the most exciting we've seen; many of the spaces were large, open, and undecorated. This may stem from the fact that during the 1800s it was used as a prison, and then as a military barracks until the early 1900s. A few of the rooms were nicely painted, with elegant designs reminiscent of the Italian Renaissance. The tile work also looked Italian. Here are some of the floor tiles on display:

 

 

And an example of the wall paintings in the Papal Bedchamber

 

 

On to the rest of the interior tour...

[jpalbny]

Friday, 3/27 – Avignon, Palais des Papes, part 2:

 

On to a few other rooms – the “chambre du cerf” named for the hunting scenes painted on the walls:

 

 

The Sacristy, where numerous plaster casts of important people from the time of the Avignon Papacy are displayed. Don't ask me to name any of them...

 

 

And the tombs of the four Avignon Popes who died here. All in all there were five official Avignon Popes; Gregory XI (the fifth) moved back to Rome in 1377 and died there in 1378. After his death, the Vatican elected an Italian Pope, but then a rival Antipope was elected who returned to Avignon, and for about 40 years there was quite the rivalry between the two factions. Quite a bit of interesting history!

 

 

After visiting the tombs and the nearby Grand Cathedral, we left the Palais du Papes through (what else) the gift shop. The interior tour had been OK but wasn't as exciting as we had expected. We gathered outside waiting...and finally decided that we should head out on our own, as there were a few other things around town that we still wanted to see which weren't included on the tour. Since we have an optional excursion this afternoon, we'd better get moving if we wanted to tick these items off our list!

 

We took our leave from the guide, and walked back through the Palace Square on our way to the Gardens of the Dom. Along the way, this monument was now in full sun and made for a good picture - though the souvenir hawkers are starting to set up in our way... The inscription and coat of arms belong to Pope Paul V.

 

 

Next – the gardens (more climbing involved...)

[mimmy52]

I'm surprised anything of beauty is left in the Palais du Papes after being used as a prison and military housing. Maybe not an exciting building but interesting.

[jpalbny]

Friday, 3/27 – Avignon on our own:

 

We climbed up the hill to the top of the rock that marks the Jardin des Doms. From here, we had a good view of the Cathedral (Cathédrale Notre-Dame des Doms d'Avignon), with the towers of the Palais des Papes in the background.

 

 

The gardens themselves were pretty, and a nice spot to relax. But we're on vacation – who has time for that? I'm surprised that these ducks aren't scared of us...guess they don't know what we had for dinner!

 

 

There was a structure to climb for a better view – it was built to resemble a rock grotto under a 20' tall mountain. From the top, you can see Mont Ventoux in the distance - probably 25 miles away.

 

 

And a few shots of some tourists, who won't get out of our pictures...

 

 

We headed back down to the park, stopping once more to enjoy the pond.

 

 

Now, off for a few more panoramic views of the town and its famous landmarks, from the other side of the park.

[jpalbny]

I'm surprised anything of beauty is left in the Palais du Papes after being used as a prison and military housing. Maybe not an exciting building but interesting.

 

No doubt! We did enjoy the history quite a bit. The Palace itself - not as much. But, glad we finally got to see it. We had the opportunity to visit years ago on a cruise ship stop in Provence (probably Marseilles) but at that time, we chose another excursion instead.

[jpalbny]

Friday, 3/27 – Avignon on our own continued:

 

From the other side of the park, we had a great panoramic view of the Rhone, with its multiple channels and islands. This is Villeneuve (new city), across the Rhone from Avignon. The large structure is Fort Saint-André:

 

 

And of course, what's left of the famous Pont d'Avignon (officially, Pont Saint-Bénézet). It used to reach all the way across the river, traversing all of the islands, spanning the distance to the current location of Villeneuve. Now all that remains are a few lonely spans on the Avignon side. We'll be visiting later.

 

 

Another shot of Villeneuve, with the square tower just left of center belonging to Phillip the Fair (Tour de Philippe le Bel). That was the original terminus of the Pont d'Avignon. Now, all of the channel islands are joined together so the Rhone looks tiny, and the bridge seems like a trivial accomplishment. The riverbank you see in this picture is the closest bank of the channel islands – the Rhone continues beyond this, flowing through other channels. When you stand here and see the true extent of the span, it was an amazing accomplishment for the 12th Century!

 

 

So we descended to the City Walls and headed off towards the bridge.

 

 

We climbed down the watchtower to street level, and started looking for the ticket office. Along the way, we saw this interesting fellow:

 

 

Tickets to Pont d'Avignon included an audio tour, so we picked those up and got ready to climb the bridge. At only €5, it's a decent deal.

[jpalbny]

Friday, 3/27 – Sur le Pont d'Avignon:

 

On y danse, on y danse... Actually, we didn't do much dancing on the bridge but we did enjoy the view of the Rhone from here. It looks peaceful, not like a river that would destroy a bridge.

 

 

You can climb down into the chapel of Saint Bénézet, which was austere. There is a recap of his story in the chapel.

 

 

Here's some bells atop the chapel, up at the level of the main bridge deck

 

 

The wind is really whipping around here out on the river. Keeping our hair looking freshly combed is pretty much a lost cause for both of us... Though I think that I'm winning the mad scientist contest with my hair!

 

 

Another perspective of the bridge. Unfortunately, they are doing some work on the surface of the bridge and you can only walk partway out. That limits the views somewhat but it was still worth a visit.

 

 

A little more about Saint Bénézet: he was a young shepherd who “came down out of the mountains” in 1177, claiming that he had been charged by God to build a bridge across the Rhone. He was initially taken for a madman. The townsfolk gathered around, telling him that if this was true, he should be the one to move the first stone. Legend has it that he immediately picked up a huge stone and threw it in the river, thus starting the bridge's construction work. Some witnesses said that he was aided by Divine intervention, in the form of angels.

[hiccups]

I am so appreciative of the time you take with your reviews.... this itinerary was on our list for someday and the pictures are moving it up :)

[jpalbny]

Friday, 3/27 – Avignon on our own continued:

 

Looking back through the Gatehouse of the Pont d'Avignon – the city walls, and the towers of the Palais des Papes make for an imposing set of fortifications.

 

 

There is a museum in the gatehouse with some exhibits about restoration and archaeological works here at the bridge, but we didn't want to take the time to read about all of it. So we spent a little time on the city walls, getting buffeted about by the mistral winds:

 

 

After we'd had enough of the wind, we headed back into town for a stroll before lunch. We climbed the hill back up to the Cathedral, but it's closed for renovations. The statuary in the Churchyard in front of it looks impressive, though:

 

 

Back at the main square, the Hotel de Ville looked beautiful with the blue sky as a backdrop. At least these mistral winds are keeping the skies blue!

 

 

And the horloge says it's almost lunch time!

 

 

Time for a few more sights before heading back to the ship for lunch at 12:30...

[jpalbny]

Friday, 3/27 – Avignon on our own, wrapping up:

 

We walked deeper into the city and found another church, set in its own square. This is Saint Peter's Church (Saint-Pierre).

 

 

The wooden doors were exquisitely carved.

 

 

Another view from the next street over:

 

 

It was a nice walk through the town. We were torn between staying here for the afternoon and just going around more on our own, vs. taking the optional excursion to Pont du Gard. Since we had enough OBC to make it a free excursion, and we really wanted to see Pont du Gard, we had signed up for this excursion. So that was all we would have time for in Avignon. A map of our walk:

 

 

And a map of where we're docked. I'm putting this in again because the last time I posted this map, my dyslexia kicked in and I said we're docked on the right side of the map. Sorry – it's the left side, about midway.

 

 

Lunch, then off to visit Pont du Gard!

[jpalbny]

I am so appreciative of the time you take with your reviews.... this itinerary was on our list for someday and the pictures are moving it up :)

 

Thanks! The cruise was great fun; hope you get there soon, and enjoy it as much as we did. :D

[jpalbny]

Friday, 3/27 – Excursion to Pont du Gard aqueduct:

 

We boarded the bus and headed out for an approximately 30 minute drive to see this ancient Roman aqueduct. It is supposed to be an impressive structure, and it was one that we couldn't bear to pass up. We had looked into public transport here (slow, by bus, and not terribly frequent), and renting a car, but since we had OBC we could just do the trip with Uniworld. Easier this way, and cheaper!

 

Our guide today was Philippe, who we have seen on a few previous tours but hadn't had a chance to tour with yet. He seems vivacious and funny; as we pulled out of town, we made him sing the Pont d'Avignon song. He protested because he said he'd already sung it once today for his morning tour group, and twice in one day was definitely too much... But he relented and gave us an encore performance.

 

A little history – this structure was built in the first century AD (apparently they are not sure of the exact date) as part of a 50 km long aqueduct that supplied water to the city of Nimes. The engineering precision here is astounding. The whole bridge drops only about one inch through its entire length. The aqueduct is 160 feet tall and has stood for almost 2000 years. Amazing! Here is a link to more reading about this incredible testament to the prowess of Roman engineering.

 

After a relaxing drive here, we piled off the bus and started walking. The aqueduct was backlit on our approach so no good overview pictures from this side – but as we approached, the magnitude of this structure was easily apparent. It's massive!

 

 

This olive tree is a youngster by comparison; only 1000 years old, according to our guide.

 

 

We walked along the first tier and marveled at the scale of this construction. It towers over you and dwarfs you.

 

 

At the far end, there is a steep trail with some stairs, where you can climb under the arches of the second tier on your way to the top of the structure. You can see from here that the walking path across the river is not quite on the Pont du Gard itself, but right next to it.

 

 

From the top, you can peek through a fence and see the actual channel, where the water used to run:

 

 

After coursing over the Pont du Gard, the water next flowed through a channel dug out of rock. You can walk through the channel, but not much to see on the other side. It's big enough that Chris and I can walk side by side, and we don't have to duck. After all that good food on board, I'm surprised we can still fit!

 

 

Apparently most of the aqueduct ran at ground level, and was built by digging a ditch, lining it with rock, then a clay lining to render it waterproof. It therefore followed a curved path 50 km long, even though the distance between the spring and Nimes is only 20 km as the crow flies. Water, unfortunately, can't fly.

 

We scouted around, looking for a good viewpoint where we could get a shot of the whole construction. The scale is like few other Roman structures that we've seen before, and so far, it has been hard to capture that in a picture.

[jpalbny]

Friday, 3/27 – Excursion to Pont du Gard aqueduct, and the rest of today:

 

The path to the top branched off to what we hoped was a scenic viewpoint. After a minute or two, we were rewarded with this view:

 

 

Some others from our group had discovered this spot too; that was convenient to have someone to take our picture!

 

 

A few minutes past here, the path descends and I think this is a better view because it shows the river more clearly.

 

 

One more from here,

 

 

Then back across to the near side where you can descend all the way to the river for this shot:

 

 

People swim and kayak from this point – but not today, it's a little too chilly for that. The upside is that the place isn't too terribly crowded today.

 

We hightailed it back to the museum to catch up with the group, and Philippe took us on a guided tour. Interesting exhibits of the construction of the structure, the function of the aqueduct, and some artifacts. Soon enough, it's time to head back. The excursion cost €43 which is a little pricey, and we could have probably done it cheaper ourselves if we didn't have OBC. But it was quite convenient!

 

**

 

Back on board for the Captain's Farewell, which was the usual speeches and thank-yous. The Gala dinner was nice, again, a fixed menu with two choices for the main course. I can't remember what it was and I don't have notes from this part of the trip – sorry! Too busy having fun...

 

After dinner there was a local entertainer onboard playing the keyboard and singing. When we first walked in he was wearing some crazy wig and we wondered if his act would be any good, or if it would be all about the props. We stayed and ended up enjoying it, got a little dancing in, and burned a spoonful of dessert, perhaps.

 

We stay docked in Avignon overnight (again), before leaving for Tarascon early in the morning. We dock there, and bus to Arles. We didn't feel the need to visit Avignon by night again, though that would have been an option had we wanted to.

 

Only one more day on the boat before they kick us off – where has the time gone?

[jpalbny]

3/27 - a few non-sequential, random thoughts about today and about the ship:

 

Forgot to mention that we had awoken this morning still feeling stuffed to the gills, after having eaten 3 desserts yesterday evening. The thought of a full breakfast was not appealing, so we headed aft on Deck 4 to the Bar du Leopard (Leopard Bar/Lounge) for their "Light Breakfast" - thankfully, it isn't just for early risers... :rolleyes:

 

They had some pastries and other light fare there, and a nice coffee/cappuccino machine that is self-serve so we enjoyed a small breakfast this morning.

 

There are a few differences between the Leopard Bar here, and on the SS Antoinette that I'll describe now.

 

On SS Catherine, the top deck is flat over its whole expanse, and other than the railing, the deck chairs, and a tent-like pavilion, nothing protrudes above the level of the deck surface. So when they flatten the deck chairs, collapse the pavilion, and slide the side rails down, the ship is very flat on top with excellent clearance. As a result of all this, the top deck feels huge - there is a lot of space up here.

 

On SS Antoinette, there are two structures that protrude above the decking of the top deck. There is the "Orangerie" which is used as an alternative dining room for lunch and some dinners, and the Leopard bar. The Orangerie is built with collapsible walls, that can be lowered to 1/2 their original height, so that the structure can be shortened to allow the ship to pass under low bridges. The Leopard Bar is built similarly, and its floor is a story above the level of Deck 4 - so you go all the way aft, climb a flight of stairs, and enter the Leopard Bar. Similarly, its roof and walls can be lowered to allow for passage under low bridges.

 

Now, SS Antoinette has a pool in the aft of Deck 4, in its own space, with plenty of overhead room because the floor of the Leopard Bar is built up above it. The SS Catherine has a pool as well, but because their Leopard bar takes up the aft of Deck 4 (not 4-1/2 to 5), their pool is located in the Leopard bar! It's in a corner of the bar, inside its own enclosure, surrounded by glass walls which allow you to see into the pool while you're in the bar. However, the walls turn opaque when someone is in the pool. An odd setup - and it led to us not being able to use the pool the one time we tried, because there was a private event going on in the Leopard bar and we couldn't get in to use the pool.

 

The plus of this arrangement is that on SS Antoinette, the Leopard bar is closed when the ship needs extra vertical clearance. On SS Catherine, that is a non-issue. And it is just odd to have to walk into the bar in your robe and bathing suit to get to the pool.

 

Now, back to tomorrow's activities!

[jklc123]

JP

 

So enjoying your posts. One thing I liked about the Antoinette was the Orangerie, where we were able to enjoy al fresco lunch on the two sunny days we had. Also had dinner there. I like to have an alternate dining area. Is it possible to get lunch in the Leopard Bar and eat outside?

 

The swimming pool situation sounds a bit weird.

 

Heading for Paris on Saturday!!

[jpalbny]

JP

 

So enjoying your posts. One thing I liked about the Antoinette was the Orangerie, where we were able to enjoy al fresco lunch on the two sunny days we had. Also had dinner there. I like to have an alternate dining area. Is it possible to get lunch in the Leopard Bar and eat outside?

 

The swimming pool situation sounds a bit weird.

 

Heading for Paris on Saturday!!

 

We also missed the Orangerie. There was really no lunchtime equivalent, though I think they served some light fare in the main bar (not the Leopard Bar). We never went there to see it firsthand, because the lunch buffets were too tempting. I suppose you could fill a plate there and take it outside and upstairs to the top deck.

 

Have a great trip! I better finish this soon before you come back and don't need to read any more... ;)

[jpalbny]

Saturday, 3/28 – Arles (from Tarascon):

 

The highlight of today's visit was to be Arles, a city well-known for two things: Roman Ruins, and Vincent Van Gogh. We were docking in Tarascon, about 20 miles upriver – I'm not totally sure why, but perhaps it has to do with the fact that we're returning to Avignon tonight, and it doesn't make sense to cover that distance twice?

 

We left Avignon early this morning (around 5:30) and arrived at Tarascon 8:30. Breakfast as usual; when Miroslav saw us, he asked where we were yesterday – then he brought us two Mimosas to welcome us back! Afterwards, we got ready for our walking tour of Arles. The bus left at 9:00, and it was a fairly quick ride. We had Philippe again today, so the ride went even more quickly as he kept up the storytelling along the way. By 9:30 we were unloaded and ready to go.

 

We saw a few river boats lined up at the docks here, but none of them looked occupied. They looked like they were parked here more for maintenance:

 

 

The area around the pier was pretty too. Too bad we couldn't have docked here; would have been easier than riding a shuttle bus...

 

 

We headed over to a traffic circle just outside the city walls, and Philippe pointed to a nondescript-appearing house on the other side – then held up a Van Gogh painting. This is the location of the famous “yellow house” where he had stayed for a time. The small house itself was destroyed in WWII, but the structure that it was attached to still stands.

 

 

If you look carefully, you can see that there is a small sign in front of the parked red car (the smaller sign on the left, not the larger sign on the right). This is a marker of a Van Gogh site, with an illustration of one of his paintings placed at the site where it was painted. We will see more of them today.

 

Nice fountain in the middle of the traffic circle, even though it wasn't in the painting...

 

 

We entered through the old Roman-era City Gate, complete with original electrical wiring:

 

 

And passed an old public fountain, now called the “Fountain Bar” after the building's original purpose.

 

 

Onward, deeper into the city... More paintings and ruins to see!

[jpalbny]

Saturday, 3/28 – Arles walking tour:

 

AKA “Talk like a Pirate Day,” as we all tried for the most authentic pronunciation of the city of “Arrrrl” all day...

 

We headed toward the city center and suddenly the huge Amphitheatre appeared in front of us. Quite a sight! Huge, and doubly so because its sheer size dwarfs the other structures around it.

 

 

Philippe stopped here and talked for a while about the Roman history of Arles, Van Gogh, etc. I took more pictures... I must say that Philippe is a great guide, but he has the American tourist look down pat - jeans, baseball cap, what's the deal?

 

 

And here is another stop on the Van Gogh trail. They still use the arena for bullfighting, but it's of the nonlethal variety (the contestants have to grab something that's attached to the bull's horns). Bullfighting and Roman ruins - I feel like I'm in Andalusia.

 

 

We went on through smaller streets now, some of them looking decidedly empty:

 

 

Here's some nicely carved wooden doors, and an exhibit about a peculiar Provencal tradition: the Queen of Arles!

 

 

Apparently this tradition is a nod to the past, when Provence was not a part of France and had its own monarchy. They still elect a queen today – reminds me of a quote from “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” - Arthur: “I am Arthur, your King!" ... Peasant: "But I didn't vote for you!” or something like that. Here, they do vote for their Queen.

 

Off to see more of Van Gogh.

[jpalbny]

Saturday, 3/28 – Arles walking tour, continued:

 

We made it through the narrow streets to Place du Forum, and arrived at this scene:

 

 

It too looks familiar...

 

 

Finally, Philippe took us to the old hospital, where Van Gogh was a former patient. This indoor garden is the subject of another one of his paintings. I didn't take the corresponding photo of his painting this time.

 

 

At this point the group stopped for a bathroom break, and we decided to bail on the tour and head out on our own, rather than staying on to see another market. There were a few additional Roman ruins in town that we wanted to see, and we wanted to go into the Amphitheatre. So, we said merci beaucoup and au revoir to Philippe, whose company we had enjoyed very much. He was pleased to hear that that we were going to explore the ruins on our own. So we set off to buy tickets in the Hotel de Ville, which is here in Place de la République, on the left side of this obelisk:

 

 

Our first stop was the Cryptoportique – more about that later... Second stop was the Roman baths, which were not in very good shape. More like the Roman bath walls, but the pattern of bricks was pretty...

 

 

Now I'll go back an cover our first stop, the Cryptoportique, in the next post.

[jpalbny]

Saturday, 3/28 – Arles on our own, continued:

 

From the old hospital, we first went to the Hotel de Ville to buy tickets to the Roman ruins. They had a combination pass for €9, which includes the Cryptoportique (Cryptoporticus), the Amphitheatre, the Ancient Theatre, the Baths of Constantine, the Cloisters of St-Trophime, and one other that I can't remember. I was very proud of myself here; I had a fairly complex conversation with the ticket agent (in French) regarding where we were visiting from, what ticket I wanted, and which monuments would be closed for lunch, which ones stayed open, etc. We bought two passes and headed down into the Cryptoportique...

 

This is a large vaulted subterranean chamber/tunnel, built to act as a support for a larger structure above ground. This supported the Roman Forum, above (as in Place du Forum, from earlier). We walked into the structure and I stopped for a picture – you can see Chris moving on ahead of me, her red jacket a blur.

 

 

The ceiling is made up of individual bricks that must have been laid into place one by one. Thinking about the size of this structure, and the number of bricks it must have taken, is impressive!

 

 

There were parallel chambers, and side-branching chambers. The whole structure was supported by a series of pillars and vaults.

 

 

Another side chamber. Some of these (in other locations) have been used as storage facilities. This one was apparently too wet for such use.

 

 

The lighting was spotty and the place had a few people visiting, but not enough that it felt comfortable. I felt like we were exploring some dank dungeon (yes, I used to play Dungeons & Dragons when I was a kid). We only needed about 15 minutes to explore the whole place, but it was impressively large. On the way out, I got this shot by holding my camera up against a railing for a crisp one-second exposure. Nice and empty!

 

 

Next we visited the baths (though I put the pictures in the previous post because they fit better there). They were pretty much totally empty of other visitors. After the baths, we walked back to the center of town for the Amphitheatre – next!