Avignon/Arles days 9-10
By the early morning of day 9, we were loading into the bus, preparing for our trip to my ultimate bucket list item: ARLES. ​
Technically, we were heading to Avignon, the beautiful city in southern Provence known for its traditional games of boules, its lively shopping scene, and the famous Popes' Palace beloved by many tourists for its beauty and cultural significance. After a group photo at the city's welcome sign, our group checked into Hotel Bristol in Avignon. It was only a short walk away from the train station in one direction and the Popes' Palace in the other. I think Hotel Bristol may have been my favorite. Not only were the staff kind, but my room was comfortable, welcoming, and had a view of a small church's stone roof and the branches of a very large tree.
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On our way to Avignon we stopped at the Roman-era Pont du Gare for a group picnic
While Avignon was a beautiful city (although a bit crowded and touristy), I was dreaming of Arles, the home of Vincent Van Gogh during 1888-1889. The next morning, I bought a round-trip ticket to Arles at the station and enjoyed an early-morning train ride through 20 minutes of Provencal countryside.
I felt I was in a dream when I got to Arles. The city itself was filled with the white stone and narrow, cobbled streets of the ideal southern French village, lined with gelato shops, bookstores, and a historical building every few feet. The day before, I had bought an online walking tour of Van Gogh's influence in Arles. Following the directions on the app, I crisscrossed from the Rhone river parapet where Van Gogh painted his less-famous version of Starry Night to the Cafe de la Nuit where he sketched the famous yellow cafe under the nighttime sky. The other highlight of Arles was the Museon Arlaten. I almost didn't find it because its outer door looked like a church, but I was happy I eventually made my way to the building. Lovingly curated since the late 1800s, the multi-storied museum was peaceful, filled with artifacts of Provencal history from Roman times to WW2 to modern day. I left feeling connected with the generations that had lived in the small city, generations that had seen so much personal and global history. Before I left Arles, I bought a bouquet of dried lavender to remember the day by.
pretty advertisement for a business :)
Days 9 & 10
Every✅ shows a bucket list completed!
 Hotel Bristolreally hospitable and comfortable |  Arles, along the Rhonewalked along here to get my bearings in Arles :) |  Hotel Dieux in Arlesdrinking coffee and peaceful drawing |  Cafe de la Nuitof Van Gogh painting fame!! |
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 Museon Arlatanthe part of the museum covering the Roman era |  exhibit about Provencal lifeSo beautiful! Nearly empty museum with amazing layout and information |  Art from Provencal historyyou could spend hours here looking at every piece |  center of the museum is a courtyardwith preserved ruins |
 Video in museumon culture of French Gypsies in modern Arles |  the footsteps of Van Goghvery meaningful (bucket list! ✅) |  Throughout Arles are signswhere you can compare Van Gogh's paintings to the real landmarks |  dried lavenderfrom a florist in Arles |
my top recommendations from Avignon/Arles
1. Investing in a low-cost walking tour of Arles is easy with a little bit of research and your phone's app store. I didn't pressure myself to make every stop on the tour, but pulled out my earbuds when I saw something interesting.
2. Arles has little cafes. I'd suggest a coffee, especially if you arrive early!
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3. The Hôtel-Dieu-Saint-Espirit was a beautiful hospital with gardens sketched by Van Gogh. It's courtyard is now a cafe and contains one of the best Van Gogh gift shops in the city.