1 June-Arles

    We woke early but did not really get up and going early.  The buffet offered here in the hotel is E$12. (read US$16.) each and since I really don't care much for breakfast and John was not impressed with the choices, he got us a coffee, quiche, and apple tart for a total of E$12. to eat in our room.  That was a nice start of the day.  Our hotel is lovely, as shown here.  We were out and about around 10:30am after checking and replying to a variety of emails from family and new friends from the RS tour. 

   Off to the tourist office and purchased the booklet we wanted to do some walking around Arles with information in hand.  As we were there the little tourist train went by and we hopped on to hopefully have a brief overview of the city in English.  It was a bit of a disappointment because it only went places we have walked already so we didn't learn much.  After hopping off we began the Van Gogh walk in reverse (since that was our location). 

   We stopped for a full menu lunch at the cafe where Van Gogh drank  with his friends and got into a conflict with one on the night he cut off the lobe of his ear and gave to a harlot.  Sadly disturbed, young man with such talent.  The cafe food was good, not outstanding but the atmosphere was nice and the Forum Square was lovely.  After progressing further on the walk we came to the area of our hotel and decided to again take the mid afternoon off.  It is the heat of the day and the most crowded so it is a good time to stay in.  Pictured here is the hospital where Van Gogh stayed and painted many paintings, including this courtyard. 

   We continued out our walk around 4pm but this time we decided to actually start at the beginning and then end up back by our hotel again.  It was an enjoyable walk but sadly one of the things I wanted to see most was closed; the recreated bedroom of Van Gogh.  All the painting Van Gogh did here (around 300) not one remains here, which seems a shame.  He was a Dutch painter and of course there is the Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam.  There is the Van Gogh Foundation where many posters or copies are, but the focus of the foundation is to allow upcoming artists in Van Gogh style to present their work.  It was interesting with a few nice works but a lot of things that we really didn't care for.  It is an interesting walk and we wish we had more time here as there is a lot to see and we simply have no more time.  For instance there is the Camargue wildlife area just out of Arles but one really needs a full day to properly see it.  This area is flanked by the Rhone on both sides "the Grand Rhone" and the "Petit Rhone"-we were told we could see wild boar, many birds, and more.  We also didn't have time to go to three outlying areas we hoped to see.  Again, John says next time. 

   A little more shopping and a fabulous dinner (crepes) rounded out the evening.  There have been some threatening clouds but no rain.  We are packed and pray for an uneventful trip back to Avignon to take the train to Paris tomorrow morning. 

   We do have CNN in English here and see that a plane is lost in route from Rio to Paris, so very sad.  I hope they can find the wreckage so at least the family will know what happened.  The GM news of  bankruptcy is no surprise.