Arles - Today

We motored to Arles this morning. For me, it's something of a nostalgic trip having first visited Arles on a school trip in 1963 when I was 15 and although studying French at a grammar school was utterly hopeless. However I loved the impressionists and wanted to see the places where some of them had painted and lived - you know who.

I revisited the town in 1978/9 and it had hardly changed.

Today we went from camping Arlesienne in Pont de Crau to town on the no. 3 bus for 80c. each.

 Chris crosses the parterre garden in the Hôtel-Dieu in which Van Gogh was a patient. It was extremely colourful and scented with flowers. Van Gogh painted that garden and it is restored to how he would have seen it. The regional archives are stored there and I'm pleased to report plenty of students were studying.

In place Répubique is the town hall and on the right is St. Trophime, a wonderful example of romanesque and early gothic architecture.

 Today was the first time I had visited the church but in 1963 I recall being utterly overwhelmed by the cloitre of St. Trophime. Then it was largely unrestored and very grubby. Today it is undergoing state of the art restoration by lazer and looks pretty good.

 In 1963 I made several drawings of these arches and the vaulting. I think they still look rather good.

What I've not included here, and should, is a photo of the gothic arcading of the newer part of the cloisters.

Today we walked through Arles to find the arena, which I had also drawn in 1963.

Back then, I walked up some steps and looked over the view below, never having seen pantiles before, I sketched the topography.



Chris appreciated these memories and liked the view too. And then went off to buy a lot more Jacquard tea towels and napkins. The traders were delighted. We had coffee and cakes, obviously, and walked back.
The bus driver we had on the way in recognised us from his cab and vigourously pointed to the bus in front as the one we should board. Can you believe that? Not in Britain.