Day9
A much mellower day today.
Got up around 8 and took a walk around the battlements in Carcassonne before the tourists arrived. They are higher than those at Rothenburg Ob Der Tauber (on the last trip), but lees scenic and photogenic. We walked halfway around, then back through town, which was just awakening. Bought our daily bread. Got a sticky bun on the road – yum.
Got up around 8 and took a walk around the battlements in Carcassonne before the tourists arrived. They are higher than those at Rothenburg Ob Der Tauber (on the last trip), but lees scenic and photogenic. We walked halfway around, then back through town, which was just awakening. Bought our daily bread. Got a sticky bun on the road – yum.
Hit the road and stopped briefly at Minerve (we had a Minervios wine last night) but didn’t go into town – Jill was tired and had a headache.
Got on the autoroute at Beziers. Stopped for lunch at a rest stop that had a museum, and the facade of a theatre from Nimes! The museum was of the remains of a Stone Age settlement uncovered while building the autoroute. The façade looked ancient Roman, but was from 1827. Had our usual bread, cheese, grapes, chips, water in the brilliant sunshine with a heavy wind (the Mistral?).
Got into Arles nice and early around 2:00. The Hotel Regence is ok, overlooks the Rhone River, and comes with a funny little hunchback porter who showed us the room, held our parking spot in the lot, and brought our bags up to the 3rd floor. (Marcel)
We went out and toured the Roman amphitheatre (ca. 0), that used to hold 20,000, now holds less but they still have bullfights in it. Unfortunately, the next isn’t until the day we leave France.
Then on to the Roman Theatre, which was impressive, having been looted for stone in the year 500, and then buried from 900-1800.
Relaxed with a beer in a café in the Place du Forum, where Van Gogh painted one of his paintings. Then walked to a Provencal museum filled with portraits of very ugly women, among many other things. Lots of stuff from Provencal life in the past.
Then back to the hotel with a stroll along the Rhone, followed by a nap. We’re now getting ready to go out for dinner and are planning the day tomorrow.
Later…
Went and had 2 beers in a café overlooking the main steps of the amphitheatre, watched the tourists and local kids.
Then went up the street and had pizzas – Jill had chorizo, onion and olives, Dave had seafood. And a bottle of local wine, of course. Very good.
Day 10 >>>
Got on the autoroute at Beziers. Stopped for lunch at a rest stop that had a museum, and the facade of a theatre from Nimes! The museum was of the remains of a Stone Age settlement uncovered while building the autoroute. The façade looked ancient Roman, but was from 1827. Had our usual bread, cheese, grapes, chips, water in the brilliant sunshine with a heavy wind (the Mistral?).
Got into Arles nice and early around 2:00. The Hotel Regence is ok, overlooks the Rhone River, and comes with a funny little hunchback porter who showed us the room, held our parking spot in the lot, and brought our bags up to the 3rd floor. (Marcel)
We went out and toured the Roman amphitheatre (ca. 0), that used to hold 20,000, now holds less but they still have bullfights in it. Unfortunately, the next isn’t until the day we leave France.
Then on to the Roman Theatre, which was impressive, having been looted for stone in the year 500, and then buried from 900-1800.
Relaxed with a beer in a café in the Place du Forum, where Van Gogh painted one of his paintings. Then walked to a Provencal museum filled with portraits of very ugly women, among many other things. Lots of stuff from Provencal life in the past.
Then back to the hotel with a stroll along the Rhone, followed by a nap. We’re now getting ready to go out for dinner and are planning the day tomorrow.
Later…
Went and had 2 beers in a café overlooking the main steps of the amphitheatre, watched the tourists and local kids.
Then went up the street and had pizzas – Jill had chorizo, onion and olives, Dave had seafood. And a bottle of local wine, of course. Very good.
Day 10 >>>