It is a fact (almost) universally acknowledged that St. Remy de Provence is a really cute village. And that nearby Les Baux is not to be missed. So we added Arles to the mix for our sightseeing pleasure today.
L'Isle sur la Sorgue was looking pretty cute herself on this beautiful morning.
We started our day at St. Remy. We found parking by the Tourist Information and went in for a map. We loosely followed it.
Nostradamus was born here in 1503
We spent a half hour in the pretty Musee Estrine, recently reopened after a long renovation. The staff were very nice and provided lots of information. We saw only 3-4 other people while we were there.
I loved the hardware on the doors.
It was a spectacularly beautiful day.
We made note of the 19C fountain of Nostradamus.
It was time for lunch and we chose La Cassolette and were sat on the sidewalk. We each chose the 15E menu of the day and enjoyed it.
A short and pretty drive got us to Plateau des Antiques.
It was a pay lot and we didn't feel like paying so husband stayed in the car, on the phone with work, while I took a look around. What we saw was free, and a bit neglected. But it was another interesting Roman antiquity sight. The Romans really were everywhere.
The Michelin guide gives Plateau des Antiques, and the Glanum excavations, 2 stars and a long write up. So next time we'll spend more time there.
Next was Les Baux-de-Provence. We approached from a pretty valley and of course tried to get some pictures showing how high up there it's perched.
We parked as close as we could to the town's entrance. The pay machine in the parking lot wasn't working, of course, so husband got a bit of a work-out going up to the next one and back down to the car, while I took pictures and read the Michelin guide's extensive history on the town, and up again. It was late afternoon and the town was not overrun with people, which made walking around a joy. It's really, really beautiful. And the views were spectacular!
We didn't tour the Castle, any museums, or see the Carriere des Lumieres. We weren't in Les Baux long but it made quite an impression!
Eglise St. Vincent (16C)
Chapelle des Penitents Blancs (17C) is decorated with pastoral frescoes by Yves Brayer.
The views from the little square were gorgeous.
People live down there--I think I could, too!
We just wandered the cute town. It's tiny so there's no fear of getting lost.
You can get out via la porte Eyguieres but then you have to climb back up...
We made our way to the main gate and back in the car because Arles was next.
The amphitheatre probably dates back to late in the 1C.
Place de la Republique (with Hotel de Ville in the background) and its Roman obelisk.
We went into the Hotel de Ville (1675) and noticed the almost flat vault in the vestibule, which is, per the guide, a masterpiece that still mystifies architects. It was a really cool illusion. We couldn't get a picture, though.
We visited Eglise St.-Trophime whose construction started in 1100. It's also on Place de la Republique.
The facade is beautifully carved and was brilliant in the late afternoon sun.
We exited and gave St.-Trophime one last lingering look.
We didn't do any type of justice to Arles; we just didn't have enough time. We'd like to tour the amphitheatre and the Van Gogh sites. Hopefully we'll return one day.
Dinner back in L'Isle sur la Sorgue was at 2 Michelin star Le Vivier. It was a 20 minute walk from the apartment into the new part of the town. The restaurant is set on a little stream which our table overlooked. It's a modern, cool and comfortable space. The food, service, and value were all very good.
After all that delicious food and drink, I was glad we had a 20 minute walk home!
Next: Luberon hilltowns
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