Day 11 - 23rd October - Arles (Part 1)


Rue de la Calade

Hotel de Ville

Very plain St Anne's Chapel


Very nice Romanesque church, Church of St. Trophime. According to Wikipedia, "the sculptures over the portal, particularly the Last Judgement, and the columns in the adjacent cloister, are considered some of the finest examples of Romanesque sculpture".

A coat of arms makes even a street cleaning truck look stylish


Place de la République, with 4th century obelisk

Not sure what the use of a sign in Russian is


Rue du Cloitre

Breakfast: "le hot-dog" baguette. Though it was microwaved to get it warm it was quite crusty. I was happy.

At first I thought this faded graffiti read "Voter A Gauche" ("Vote for the Left"). It actually reads "Voter A Coucher" ("Vote to have sex").
My first stop was the Alyscamps, a Roman necropolis.



On the site

Somewhat-complicated opening timetable. Arles must've the cheapest combination ticket (in comparison to single entry prices) that I'd seen.
I was the day's first visitor (at about 9:05am) so the woman came running to the ticket booth. Annoyingly, despite it being a Tuesday, all the museums had conspired to close on this one day that I was in Arles - except for the contemporary art museum. Gah.




On the Alyscamps

Way in

Sarcophagi at side

Chapel (?)

Sarcophagus


Way

Weird fruit that looked like a brain



Vincent van Gogh vs Reality
I don't see a resemblance...

Dungeon cell (?). With pig on the shield on the left.


Church of Saint Honoratus in Alyscamps


Church door


Outside church

Entrance to church courtyard



This door had anti-pigeons chains - but unfortunately the previous door did not. So there were pigeons inside anyway. Ah well.

Birds

Bare interior






Dome

Broken sarcophagi


Way
I then headed to the Cryptoporticus (underground Roman ruins).

War Memorial

Julius Caesar Hotel

Cute dog

Hotel de Ville
I then entered the Crypotoporticus complex. Again, I got asked my département. Maybe next time I should tell them I'm from Réunion (since there're so many Chinese people there). But they may resent the subsidies. Then again, subsidies are the French way!

What the Forum would've looked like in Roman times



Unfortunately there was nothing underground. Nothing at all.
French schookids were swarming the complex, and since it was underground I could hear them from the other end.

Confused bilingual sign (in a mixture of French and English). You notice more English, so you know their tourist orientation.
Arles was a lot prettier than Nîmes - no wonder Van Gogh installed himself here. In the past I didn't like Van Gogh so I didn't even go to the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, but ever since I've seen a lot worse so he isn't so bad in comparison.


Rue des Arenes

Place du Forum


Van Gogh cafe. Close, but no cigar.


Another Place du Forum view, of the cafe

Statue of Da Man


Rue du Forum


2nd c. AD temple columns in a building, the only remains above ground of the Roman Forum


I then had a look at the Baths of Constantine.


Ruined Baths of Constatine

Side of baths



On the Baths




Geena





Drain

Hypocaust (heating system)




On how the heating worked

Beautiful river Rhône


Quai

Ivy house




Commanderie de Sainte-Luce and courtyard (closed, but I could admire the arch)

"Confftti. Establishment founded a long time ago"
Nice try.

Cafe

Amazing soap variety

Cicada soap
Place de la République

Obelisk in Place de la Republique