The beautiful towns of Provence are so wonderfully photogenic. I wish I could do them justice! It is an area so rich in history with so many influences dating back to midievel times. The Roman ruins rival those in Italy. Couple that with the influence of art and every corner seems to reveal a masterpiece of one kind or another.
I am so pleased with the decision to settle on one home base for a week here. I would hate to think of wasting the time involved in relocating myself and baggage every few days. I chose Avignon because of its central location and excellent connections by bus and/or train to so many of the town’s and villages I hoped to see.
My arrival day was spent seeing the obvious important Avignon sights. My airbnb is perfect in every way; location, comfort, and the most amazing host, Edith!
Saturday was spent in Arles with is enormous, interesting, and deliciously diverse Saturday market. It must be 2 miles long! I selected my lunch items from the vendors and ate in the shadow of the ruins of the Roman arena. Fresh figs, delicious charcuterie and fromage, and still warm baguette – it doesn’t get much better.
There is much to see and do in Arles. In the afternoon I followed in the footsteps of Van Gogh, seeing Arles through his eyes and the very places that served as inspirations for his painting. There are also the Roman ruins, a lovely cathedral and more museums than it is possible to see in a day.
The next day extended my Van Gogh exploration in St. Remy. There is a Van Gogh path there that has outdoor easels with reproductions of his paintings that include texts from letters he wrote to friends and family during his time in the mental hospital there after he lopped off his ear. It was a prolific time for him as his depression lifted. He wrote eloquently about the time. The path leads to the mental hospital, still in active operation, where you can visit his room, the room with the tubs used in his treatment, and the gardens where he spent his days painting. They are, of course, separated from where patients currently reside but it was most fascinating and quite moving to read his words and imagine his life at that time. Earlier that morning I had visited Le Beaux, a beautifully restored midievel town below a castle and fortification that have been only minimally restored but are well preserved making it interesting to see and imagine life at that time. As with many of the Unesco World Heritage sites (and other monuments in Europe), the excellent audio guides provide vivid descriptions that bring the sites to life.
Today I went to the Pont du Gard, part of the largest Roman aqueduct system in the world. Most of it is in ruin but the tallest and most impressive large section has been carefully restored. I then spent the afternoon in the small midievel town of Uzes, just roaming the winding, narrowed cobbled streets.
Everyday seems to bring something new and incredibly beautiful to my senses. I could go on and on about the food and wine – just unbelievable. I’m trying to limit myself to one very nice meal each day – usually in the early afternoon. I get breakfast in my airbnb (a typical French breakfast) and tonight Edith invited me to have dinner with her, her son and two friends. It was a totally unexpected and lovely invitation. We sat out on the terrace for dinner and I practiced my French and they practiced their English and we were able to have a reasonably broad and lively conversation. Edith’s friend Paul gives me some good natured jabs about my pretty bad French and doesn’t let me get away with much English – and he has taught me quite a bit of French!
I’m becoming a fairly facile user of public transportation. I actually can get on the bus or train without being unreasonably concerned I am going in the wrong direction. I can use the schedules to put together a pretty full and interesting day trip. I enjoy planning each new day.
Tomorrow is my day with Francios – my wine tour guide to the Luberon hills and valleys and the lovely vineyards of the region. It’s a full day affair and I’m looking forward to it. There are a few rain showers expected – the first break in the 90 degree, sunny weather since I arrived – and it is only anticipated to last a day.
I have had a chance to talk with home a few times. I miss my children, of course, and my friends and family. The time seems to be going by so quickly and the start of the Camino seems very long ago. Time is funny that way.
I am truly enjoying this experience on a deeper and more meaningful level than I ever imagined. The world is so full of rich opportunities to see both the creation of beauty and its destruction over time both at the hands of man and nature. It’s humbling to realize the speck of time and space each of us occupies in this vast world and expanse of time. Whole civilizations that have come and gone and built over the top of the one before. “Modern” man keeps finding and restoring the past only to become the past recovered and restored by those who follow. We really are so small – our significance is only for this moment in time which in no way diminishes it in the present, however, there is another perspective of such immensity to consider that reminds us of our mortality and relative insignificance. I’ve greatly appreciated the time to explore these thoughts and to consider the world and my life in ways I haven’t before – at least certainly not to the degree I have been able to over the last many weeks. It has been a gift.