Arles - walk in the footsteps of Van Gogh
Winter is coming to the UK, and it is as the autumn leaves start to fall that I turn my thoughts to escaping off to the south of France, where there are reasonably warm temperatures throughout the winter, or at least warm compared with England.
It seems that Vincent Van Gogh also found the south of France to be a great escape from the cool northern European weather, because it was to here that he came to paint in the sunshine, producing many of his famous works here, such as his paintings of sunflowers, Cafe at Night, and the well-known painting of his bedroom. Van Gogh came specifically to Arles, in the beautiful southern French province of Provence, renowned for its sunny weather, its lavender, its good food with plenty of garlic, its wine, and its relaxed and easy going lifestyle, as seen in the relaxing afternoons locals spend playing petanque, and sitting in cool cafes enjoying an expresso, or perhaps a pastis.
Arles in fact has a long history, going back to the Greeks, and there are also significant Roman ruins, including an impressive Roman amphitheater.
If you want to see a fine example of early sculpture, then visit the Church of Saint Trophime, a Romanesque church that was built in the 12th century - the portal depicts the Last Judgement, and is a foremost example of the sculpture of this style and period.
The citizens of Arles have a distinctive traditional dress, which they wear for local festivals and cultural events, and which gives Arles a very unique feel.
The city has a couple of museums, one of which, The Museum of Arles and Provence Antiques, has a fine collection of old Roman artefacts.
It is quite amazing that, given that Van Gogh lived and painted here, there are none of his works on display in the town.
Filed under: Architecture, Cafe society, Museums, Ancient historic sites, Culture, Historic Sights, Religious Sights, Art, France
