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