The town of Tarascon exudes medieval charm but not at
43 degrees it doesn’t. We had a walking tour of Arles, and saw its amphitheatre built in 90 AD.
It held over 20,000 spectators who could watch for free. It is used for concerts today. It had been used for bull fighting, but it has now been banned. Any bull fights in France today only use Spanish bulls. It was quite an interesting
walled medieval city with a long Roman history.
The obelisk is 4th Century Roman erected by the Emperor Constantine II.
When you first enter the town you see this fountain called the Fountaine Amidee Pichot built in 1887 and named after the man who paid for it. The fountain no longer works, but looks attractive.
When you first enter the town you see this fountain called the Fountaine Amidee Pichot built in 1887 and named after the man who paid for it. The fountain no longer works, but looks attractive.
Arles was also the place where the painter Van Gogh was
attracted by the light. He was here when he cut off his ear and reputedly gave
it to a prostitute. I don't think that was the tip that she had in mind.
This cafe was featured in one of Van Gogh's paintings.
Van Gogh was admitted to hospital here and the courtyard features in another of his paintings. The garden was very much an oasis for us in this heatwave. The record highest temperature recorded in Arles was 38.2 degrees celsius. The pharmacy sign said that it was 42 degrees. Another hot day.
Speaking of tips we gave our cabin steward a nice
tip as she was so bright and friendly. She was really quite emotional (perhaps
the other guests don’t tip) and we discovered that she had been studying
criminology, but was working to support her family at home. Hugs were exchanged
as we said our goodbyes.
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