Arles, a bastion of Provencal tradition and culture
July 8, 2009 by Helen Page
Filed under Sightseeing
Once dubbed The Little Rome in Gaul, Arles was a popular city with Van Gogh and others:
Starry Night from All Posters
When you arrive in Arles, it quickly becomes clear that Van Gogh lived here for a while, although sadly the town folks didn’t show him much appreciation at the time. Things are quite different today, of course. All over town, street stalls try to capitalize on their famous past resident, selling tablecloths, napkins, aprons, etc. with sunflower prints, the subject of Van Gogh’s paintings and for which he is best known.
From the one small commemorative bust of Van Gogh in the park, you wouldn’t think that this was an important town for the master painter, but Van Gogh did some 300 drawings and paintings during his short time in Arles. He actually stayed in the “Yellow House” in Place Lamartine, which is away from the central area, but the hospital where he spent some time has been converted into the Espace Van Gogh, a cultural centre dedicated to Van Gogh’s life and work.
The tourist office has a walking tour leaflet that covers some of the places where Van Gogh set up his easel (there are panels representing Van Gogh’s works). Ten spots were chosen :
- “Evening Café“ – Place du Forum
- “Staircase of the Trinquetaille bridge“ – the Trinquetaille Bridge
- “Starry Night“ – the Rhone River quay
- “Yellow House“ – Place Lamartine
- “Old Mill“ – Rue Mireille
- “Public Garden“ – the Summer Garden on the Boulevard des Lices
- “Hospital Garden“ – the Espace Van Gogh
- “Langlois bridge with washerwomen“ – the road along the Arles à Bouc canal
- Several other paintings – the Arena and the Alyscamps were also depicted
Arles other Attractions
Arles magnificent Roman amphitheatre
Arles was a very important city during Roman times and during its first Golden Age, it was dubbed “Little Rome in Gaul”. Apart from its famous links to the Vincent Van Gogh and other famous master painters, Arles is at least equally famous for its well-preserved Roman ruins, and its star attraction is the impressive Roman amphitheatre, one of the best preserved monuments of Roman Provence. The arena is often used today for concerts and the local version of bull-fighting (where the bull is not slaughtered). If you’re here in summer, you might even catch one of the bull contests in action. It’s well worth climbing to the top tier of the amphitheatre to get a panoramic view of Arles.
The Roman Theatre was once a fortress but today the Arles Festival is staged here. Its two remaining Roman columns are called the “two widows”.
Close to the Roman Theatre is the Eglise St-Trophime whose architecture is a combination of 12th century Romanesque exterior and superb Romanesque and Gothic cloisters. Have a look at the ornate main portal which is carved with saints and apostles.
To the north of the town is the Palais Constantine, once a grand imperial palace. Only its vast Roman baths remain, but they are remarkably well preserved and give an idea of how luxurious it was for those who got to bathe there.
See and Buy Posters of Vincent Van Gogh’s works here
See Travel Signposts Arles Photo album here
Food in the South of France
Food in the South of France: a brief gastronomical tour!
Languedoc-Roussillon; Provence; Cote d’Azur
Perpignan; Carcassonne; Beziers; Montpellier; Nimes; Chateauneuf-du-Pape; Avignon; Arles; Aix-en-Provence; Marseille; Cassis; Toulon; St Tropez; Frejus; St Raphael; Grasse; Cannes; Antibes; St-Paul-de-Vence; Cap Ferrat; Nice; Menton; Monaco.
Bouillabaisse from the Restaurant du Port, Le Grau du Roi, Marseille
Food in the South of France is above all the product of its environment. Permeated by mediterranean influences, its cuisine has been moulded by the sun and the sea. The sun-drenched, fertile soils produce richly coloured vegetables and fruits, aromatic herbs and the olive oil which supplants butter in Provencale cooking.
Camargue lamb has that special flavour which comes from grazing on the salt marsh grass, while the slopes of the Pyrenees provide hams and charcuterie, not to mention early peaches, apricots and other stonefruit.
The Seafood Capital
Marseille is the seafood capital of Provence and its most famous dish is bouillabaisse. The two main varieties are Bouillabaisse du Ravi and Bouillabaisse du Pêcheur. "Ravi" contains six different types of fish while "Pecheur" tends to be a bit smaller and lighter, containing only three types of fish and is more often served at lunch. But that’s not the only seafood speciality: "Bourride" is a garlic fish stew. And don’t miss Brandade de morue: originally from Nimes, it is a puree of salt cod combined with cream, garlic, olive oil and potatoes that’s served as a starter.
Vegetarians eat well in the South!
Vegetarian dishes are also excellent in the Provence region; you’ve probably heard of ‘Ratatouille’, a combination of eggplant, peppers and herbs which is stewed in olive oil, and "Pistou" is a sauce made of basil, garlic and olive oil often used to flavour vegetable and bean soup. Salade Nicoise is served worldwide, but it should always contain long green beans, tomatoes, anchovies, black olives, hard-boiled eggs, and some kind of lettuce. If you want a vegi (sort-of) snack then "Pissaladiere" (which got its name from pissala, a fish paste made from anchovies) is basically a French version of Pizza Napolitana, with less cheese and added onions.
Although lamb is the most popular meat in the South, Daube de boeuf a la provencale is always quoted as the classic dish for carnivores. Basically it’s a delicious beef stew with anchovy paste and red wine, cooked VERY slowly (we’re talking five or six hours here) in a "daubière", a heavy casserole or pot with a concave lid. In the days of wood fires, the lid would be filled with water to help radiate heat around the stew. Just thought you’d like to know.
Desserts? Don’t go by the "tarte au citron", a sweet pastry tart filled with lemon cream. Menton is as famous in France for its lemons as Sorrento is in Italy, so look out for it if you’re round there, but you can get it in most places.
Last but definitely not least, although the South is definitely not Bordeaux or Burgundy, there is still good wine to be had. Try a chilled rose for a change, Estandon (St Tropez) is good. Bandol is a red made from Mouvedre grapes and one of the few quality reds, and Muscadet de Cassis is a fine sweet white. Pastis is a local aperitif made with anise, the slang term for it is "Pastagasse"!
Food in the South of France bursts with mediterranean colour and flavours, not necessarily as subtle as elsewhere in France, but it will probably be the most enjoyable part of your gastronomical tour!
Other pages about food in France:
Food in Northern France: Le Nord; Picardy; Champagne; Alsace and Lorraine
Food in Western France: Normandy; Brittany; the Loire Valley.
Food in Southwestern France: Poitou and Aquitaine; Perigord, Quercy and Gascony; the Pyrenees.
Food in Central France and the Alps: Burgundy and Franche-Comte; Massif Central; Rhone Valley and French Alps.
Other France pages:
Travel to France for a Europe Tour with Joie de Vivre!
When to travel to France for your tour: weather and seasons
Useful facts, dates and links to help you plan your tour of France
Food in France: a brief gastronomic tour
Book your sightseeing tours or day-trips in France online
Book your hotel in France online
TRAVEL TO FRANCE WITH US: PHOTO HIGHLIGHTS
Did I leave anything out?Travel to France
May 23, 2009 by Tony Page
Filed under Destinations, Featured
Travel to France for a Europe Tour with Joie de Vivre!
Paris: Arc de Triomphe on the Champs Elysees
There’s a lot more to France than Paris and Provence. Travel to France involves a journey into the whole French way of looking at the world, and life. Not for nothing do we use the french words “savoir-faire” and “joie de vivre”!
France lies at the crossroads of European culture
With the mediterranean influences of Italy and Spain in the South, and the more phlegmatic influences of Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands in the North, France lies at the crossroads of European culture. A tour of France involves a continually changing landscape, not so much of a physical nature (though that is often true) but rather of traditions, architecture, food and wine, ways of life and even language.
An inexhaustible variety of landscape
Watermill near Bayeux
From the plains of Flanders and Normandy to the rocky coastline of Brittany, the historic Chateaux of the Loire Valley to the green farmland and forests of Bordeaux and the Dordogne, the mountainous Massif Central to Beaujolais, the Rhone and the French Alps, and Provence’s limestone hills to the sun-drenched beaches of the Cote d’Azur, the only stone-cold certainty about a tour of France is its inexhaustible variety. And the rich, memorable experiences you’ll encounter wherever you go in this always-surprising country.
Travel to France for a Europe tour with joie de vivre indeed…and that’s even without Paris!
Our France pages:
When to travel to France: weather and seasons
Useful facts, dates and links to help you plan your tour of France
Food in France: a brief gastronomic tour
Book your sightseeing tours or day-trips in France online
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