We actually spent the night in Avignon, and left for Arles about 5:00am, arriving about 9:00am. Viking has at least one included excursion in every port. Monday was the Arles Walking Tour.
In port, and little greenery as we wandered.
Arles is actually a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is a mix of modern, traditional, and ancient sites going back to Roman times. There is an ancient Roman aqueduct and also mills that are considered some of the best-preserved of their kind. There is also an ancient Roman amphitheater, originally seating 20,000 people, that is still used today for bullfights and plays. In the 9th century, Arles was the capital of the Kingdom of Arles, which included Burgundy and parts of Provence In the 11th and 12th centuries, Arles was one of the most attractive cities in the Mediterranean region.
The area's economy remained strong until the advent of the railroad in the 1800s stripped it of some of its power. Today, though, it has bounced back as a major river port, with agriculture and tourism as major components, and also chemical, metal, and paper manufacturing industries.
On the Arles walk ...
This is all interesting (and amazing to see) but for me a large part of my interest lies in the fact that Vincent van Gogh stayed in Arles for about 15 months. And 300 paintings. He fell in love with the area ... but despite the weather and the inspiration he found, his health and mental health continued to deteriorate. This is where he famously cut off his ear. Eventually he was admitted to the asylum in Saint Remy. He continued to paint while there, and it was actually during this period that he painted The Starry Night.
One of the many popular tributes to Van Gogh one sees around Arles
The Hermod cast off again at 6pm and headed back to Avignon, where we arrived about 10pm.
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The Catholic Church acquired Avignon in the 1300s, and transferred it into a major religious and cultural center. It was known as the "City of Popes", home to seven popes between 1309 and 1377.
The Pont du Gard, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is an extremely well preserved Roman aqueduct and bridge which at one time provided water to the city of Nimes. Because of the geography of this area, the engineers built a winding system that brought water from over 30 miles away. The route took 27 hours and delivered almost 9,000,000 gallons of water each day.
Chateauneuf-du-Pape: Literally, this means 'the Pope's new castle'. Apparently, Avignon's 14th century popes were wine lovers. However, the land around Avignon was not considered particularly fertile. Land was found upriver though, and the word started to spread about a new wine. Over time, the reputation of the 'Pope's wine' did increase, although a significant portion was sold to vintners in Burgundy to boost their own wines. Ultimately, over time and with the controls/rules of the AOC, Chateauneuf-du-Pape has come into its own.
Unfortunately, the trip and lack of sleep on Monday night made me a kind of zombie on Tuesday. I didn't feel up to the excursion I had booked, and kind of just hung around the ship. So no pictures of Avignon, at least from my camera. But there are plenty out there! Here are just a few.
Avignon, with lavender!
Stay tuned until tomorrow (or maybe Sunday) for a couple of more posts on the French river cruise in the next couple of days. (And then, drum roll please, I will start posting on my walk-about tour of central and northern Europe at the beginning of this upcoming week.)
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