My most important project of the day was to effectively mail some boxes to the US. The post office was just down the street, and I was so very pleased and relieved when the paperwork that I filled out didn’t raise any French eyebrows and the boxes were out of my hands! We then spent the morning seeing some sections of Arles that we had missed in our time here. Specifically, things related to Van Gogh. On our way to the Van Gogh Foundation we passed by the Espace de Van Gogh, which is a lovely little square surrounded by a two story building where Van Gogh lived during his time in Arles. The garden was beautiful, and there were several walking tour groups talking about which bedroom had been his and how the garden had been a subject of his paintings.
The Foundation Vincent Van Gogh was opened in 2014 as a public utility foundation in homage to Van Gogh’s extended stay in Arles. While here for just 15 months, he produced many of his major works. The museum is situated in a 15th century private mansion that has been largely renovated and appears very modern from the outside. It welcomes temporary loans of original works by the Dutch artist, as there were just 8 on display today, and mostly hosts exhibitions of other artists. Much of the museum was dedicated to the works of Alice Neel, which I didn’t much like, so after seeing the master’s works, we sorta made short order of the museum.
Then it was a short drive to Nimes, a city we chose mostly because we needed a convenient spot for Kimberly to catch a train to the airport in Paris tomorrow, and for me to manage an extension and change to my rental car drop off plans. The woman at the Europcar location didn’t speak any English, and my French est non parfait, but we managed to communicate somehow that I needed the car for an additional 3 days, and would drop it off in Biarritz instead of Bordeaux. I felt quite accomplished when that got done!
Nimes has been a pleasant surprise. Also featuring the hallmarks of the Romans, Nimes sits on the Via Domitia, the first Roman road built in Gaul. The Roman amphitheatre in Nîmes has proudly stood the test of 2,000 years and looks much better than the one in Arles. It’s undergone much renovation in the last several hundred years, and it is still used for celebrations and concerts, and every May is a solemn scene for six days of bullfighting. We strolled along the Esplanade Charles de Gaulle, and then through the narrow streets filled with shops and cafes and people, accidentally discovering places like the Chapel of Saint Eugenie, originally from medieval times, but with a neo-Romanesque facade and the most elaborate neo-Gothic altar!
A short walk later, and we came upon the “temple of youth”, the Madison Carrie. It is an exemplary piece of Vitruvian architecture and is almost unparalleled in the former Roman world for its completeness. It has been here for more than 2,000 years and the only signs of age are a bit of weathering on the columns in the marvellous portico. The temple was dedicated to Gaius and Lucius Caesar, two grandsons of Emperor Augustus who died in their youth. Which is why it is referred to as the temple of youth. We had hoped for some elixir in which to dip our hands, but it only offered an historical film which we decided to pass on.
Back through the lovely winding streets to to the Place de l’Horloge, where a tall tower with a clock stands over a small square. A perfect spot to rest our weary feet and have an afternoon Aperol Spritz. It was 87 degrees today, and therefore a perfect afternoon for a spritz! There’s a lovely church next to the hotel, build in the 1850’s for Napoleon Bonaparte, quite a juxtaposition to the modernity to its right. The restaurant we chose was called the Wine Bar, or The White Horse, depending on which awning you looked at and the Amphitheater was just across the road, looking quite beautiful in the moonlight.
So, Kimberly is headed home and I’m back on my own for the next couple of weeks. It will be quite a change after almost two weeks with company to get back in the groove of my own rhythm and dining alone. But it’s part of the adventure, and so I’m off again tomorrow.
Love!