September 01, 2005
Photos of Arles
Sorry for the delay in posting these, but Internet access is rare and expensive in European hotels. We're in Lisbon, siphoning off someone else's wireless network -- if that's wrong, then I don't want to be right.
We'll catch you up with what we've done and where we've been soon, but I wanted to post these pics before they got too stale:
Mosaic on Rue Cavalarie, near Place Voltaire.
All sturdy Provencal homes have shutters like these to keep out the fierce winds of le mistral.
These streets were built for carriages, not minivans, so keep an eye on traffic.
The arena. Van Gogh once lived across the street...
... and you can pay to see his garret. We just took a snap and moved on.
Another angle on the arena, still under renovation.
Two of sixty arches that fringe this petit coliseum.
The annual rice festival each September gives graduates
of the local bullfighting school a chance to strut their stuff.
This band prowls the cafes that ring the arena. They're standing in front of a motorized
tourist train that connects some of Arles' notable sights.
If you find yourself in Arles, you must stay at the Hotel Regence. An excellent
value, and the friendliest staff you'll ever meet in France.
Two lions stand guard at the west anchorage of the Roman bridge across the Rhone.
Two thousand years ago, you might have crossed this bridge on your way from Italy to Spain.
Looking south down the Rhone
This camphone photo offers a bit of Van Gogh-like perspective.