Arles

The last time I went to Arles, it was on the spur of the moment early in the morning after dropping friends off at Marseille Provence Airport. As I got to Arles, the sun was coming up and the streets were empty except for a couple of the town's street cleaners I encountered while walking around.

This fall wife Shirley and I went back to Arles with friends but the experience was totally different. Saturday morning, weekly market day in Arles, was hot and the town was crowded with Arlesians shopping at the market and tourists come to visit the Roman ruins. It took me forever to find a place to park.

Arles sits along the Rhone River about 75 miles southwest of Sablet. It is located just down stream of where the Rhone River splits in two (big and little) forming the Camargue delta. A large part of the Camargue is located in the Arles commune making it the largest commune in France in terms of territory.

The town has a long history and the Roman and Romanesque monuments of Arles are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Arles is just as famous for its connection to Vincent van Gogh - he completed over 300 of his paintings and drawings during his time in Arles, including many of his most famous. It is also where he chopped off his ear.

On December 23, 1888, feeling frustrated and ill, van Gogh went to a local brothel. While there, he cut off his left ear and wrapped it in newspaper and handed it to a prostitute named Rachel, asking her to "keep this object carefully." He was checked into the Hotel Dieu, the local hospital for treatment of blood loss as well as severe depression.

The Hotel Dieu today is the Espace Van Gogh cultural center that surrounds a central garden recreated based on Van Gogh's painting of this space (Garden of Arles Hospital) and a letter to his sister containing details of the plants grown in the garden.

As I mentioned, it was market day and the big Saturday market for which Arles is well known was crowded with local shoppers and tourists, including ourselves. While walking around, we came across this duo playing music for passersby in hope they might drop coins into their open guitar case.

The Hôtel de la Lauzière was built at the beginning of the 17th century. The façade is proof of the social status of the family that lived within the walls of this home. The door is framed by stone torsos sculpted in the Mannerist style, a movement in art and architecture between the Renaissance and Baroque periods.

The Obélisque d'Arles is a 4th century Roman obelisk in the center of the Place de la République in front of the Hotel de Ville - town hall of Arles. The obelisk is made of red granite and originally located in the Arles circus; it was moved to its present location in the 17th century. The obelisk stands about 65 feet tall.

To the left of the obelisk on the Place de la République is Eglise Sainte-Anne a church built at the beginning of the 17th century.

The Hotel de Ville - town hall on Place de la République in the center of Arles was built in 1676.

The Church of St. Trophime at Place de la République, formerly a cathedral, is a major work of Romanesque architecture and the representation of the Last Judgment on its portal is considered one of the finest examples of Romanesque sculpture as are the columns in the adjacent cloister. The Church was built in the 12th and 15th century.

The streets of Arles are narrow and wind between old medieval buildings.

A pretty café that caught my eye.

Still in business today, but now named Café Van Gogh, this is the bright yellow café that Vincent van Gogh painted in The Café Terrace on the Place du Forum in Arles in September 1888.

A statue in Place du Forum of Frédéric Mistral, a popular poet who wrote in the local dialect rather than French and a champion of Provencal culture.

Wife Shirley with friends Deb and Rick relaxing at a café on Place du Forum. We had a fun time, the food was not very good.

Café tables are set for hungry shoppers. The menu is listed on the blackboard on the left.

Morning glory climbs up the wall of this bright yellow house.

Friends Deb and Rick walk up one of Arle's many narrow streets through a live archway.

As I said, when I was last in Arles, it was early morning and nothing was open yet so I was not able to go inside the Arènes - Roman amphitheater. This time we wandered all around.

The amphitheatre is said to measure 136 m (446 ft) in length and 109 m (358 ft) wide, the 120 arches date back to the 1st century BC. The amphitheatre was capable of seating over 20,000 spectators and was built to provide entertainment in the form of chariot races and bloody hand-to-hand battles. Today, it draws large crowds for bullfighting as well as plays and concerts in summer.

Most of these photographs of the interior of the amphitheater were shot by Shirley. One of the walkways that circle the amphitheater.

Part of the amphitheater.

The entrance to the amphitheater used for the bulls.

A passageway into the amphitheater.

Stairway up to an upper level of the amphitheater.

Some of the 120 arches that circle the amphitheater.

One more passageway through the amphitheater.

There are panoramic views from the top of the amphitheater. The shots which follow are some of the views that caught my eye.

Eglise Notre-Dame-de-la-Major built in 1152 as seen from the amphitheater. The allied bombings in 1944 caused significant damage and major restoration work was required.

A lady enjoying her coffee and newspaper on the rooftop terrace of her Arles home.

The Eglise Notre-Dame-de-la-Major as seen through one of the 120 arches that circle the amphitheater.

A pretty courtyard of a home near the amphitheater.

The Rhone River seen through an amphitheater window.

Not much remains of the Roman theatre which was built at the end of the 1st century BC. The theatre is said to have been able to accommodate 10,000 spectators in 33 rows of seats.

If you are a fan of Roman history or van Gogh art make sure you save time in your schedule to visit Arles. Weekly markets are held in Arles on Wednesday and Saturday so plan accordingly as parking is most difficult on those days.

Bonne journée mes amis et à bientôt.