Days 9-10: Arles
Day 9: Arles
By this point in the tour, the weather had cleared and it was sunshine and warm temperatures the rest of the way. On the way to Arles, we stopped for a tour, wine tasting, and lunch at Domaine Guinand, which is an 8th generation family run winery. This was one of my favorite experiences. I enjoyed the tour and the tasting, and thought all the wine was delicious, but especially enjoyed the rose wine. Our lunch was lovely–great company, long tables set up under the trees, clear blue skies, great food and wine, and the sound of cicadas in the trees. I also bought a bottle of rose, which thankfully made it safely home in my (checked) bag.
By this point in the tour, the weather had cleared and it was sunshine and warm temperatures the rest of the way. On the way to Arles, we stopped for a tour, wine tasting, and lunch at Domaine Guinand, which is an 8th generation family run winery. This was one of my favorite experiences. I enjoyed the tour and the tasting, and thought all the wine was delicious, but especially enjoyed the rose wine. Our lunch was lovely–great company, long tables set up under the trees, clear blue skies, great food and wine, and the sound of cicadas in the trees. I also bought a bottle of rose, which thankfully made it safely home in my (checked) bag.
After lunch, our bus ride to Arles was just long enough that I dozed off. Our first stop was the Arles antique museum, which was interesting but I was still feeling a bit sleepy from lunch. My favorite part was seeing the amazing, nearly 2,000 year-old Roman barge that had been excavated from the Rhone river in 2011. After our time at the museum, we had our walking tour through Arles. I had been to Arles back in 1998, so it was neat to revisit some familiar sites. After our walking tour, it was nearly 5pm and very warm, so I was ready to relax a bit. Thankfully our hotel had picked up our bags from the museum, so we just had to grab them from the lobby and head to our room. We stayed at Hotel Calendal, which I thought was really lovely. Our room was bigger than some of the previous hotels, as it had a double bed as well as a twin. Our room also opened up to the back garden area, which was a really nice place to relax with a drink or an ice cream from the hotel bar. That was our next stop–rose for me, and an Aperol spritz for my mom. Since we were tired, we had pizza from the hotel bar with some tour members and enjoyed a leisurely time sitting in the garden.
A Roman barge from the first century, walking tour through Arles, and the cafe that inspired Van Gogh's "Starry Night"
The Arles Amphitheater, our room at Hotel Calendal, and relaxing in the back garden
Day 10: Arles and Pont du Gard
The breakfast at Hotel Calendal was my favorite of the trip. It had a huge selection, lots of fresh fruit, and a juice machine to make your own orange juice. Our day at Pont du Gard was one of my favorite experiences of the tour. I had been here nearly 25 years earlier, so it felt really special to be back. I enjoyed our tour, especially when we got to walk across the water channel at the very top! I didn’t even know you could do that–perks of being on a tour! (The gate to the top was otherwise locked). Our guide was great and provided a lot of insight about the history and engineering of the aqueduct. I am still amazed that it was built with no (or very little) mortar. After our tour, we took some pictures from the various viewpoints and then went down to the river. I had worn my swimsuit, so I jumped in the river and swam a little to cool off, and to enjoy the view of the aqueduct from the water. I could have easily spent a few more hours there. After getting some ice cream and walking some more, it was time to head back to the bus.
The breakfast at Hotel Calendal was my favorite of the trip. It had a huge selection, lots of fresh fruit, and a juice machine to make your own orange juice. Our day at Pont du Gard was one of my favorite experiences of the tour. I had been here nearly 25 years earlier, so it felt really special to be back. I enjoyed our tour, especially when we got to walk across the water channel at the very top! I didn’t even know you could do that–perks of being on a tour! (The gate to the top was otherwise locked). Our guide was great and provided a lot of insight about the history and engineering of the aqueduct. I am still amazed that it was built with no (or very little) mortar. After our tour, we took some pictures from the various viewpoints and then went down to the river. I had worn my swimsuit, so I jumped in the river and swam a little to cool off, and to enjoy the view of the aqueduct from the water. I could have easily spent a few more hours there. After getting some ice cream and walking some more, it was time to head back to the bus.
Once back in Arles, we had a great lunch near the hotel, at Saveurs et Toirs. It is a small place, but we sat outside and had a great view of the area. I had the croque monsieur, which was both delicious and beautifully presented, as well as a local beer. After lunch, I picked up a few souvenirs for my family and a few friends back home. My mom went to the hotel to rest, and I went to tour the arena and walk around some more. This was the day I walked over 22,000 steps, and nearly 10 miles! After being in the heat, I was ready to relax so I went back to the hotel to take advantage of the small Roman style bath, with a sauna and a pool/jacuzzi (the water was cool, not hot). Later that night we had our group dinner, which somehow I cannot remember much about. I took pictures at most of our dinners, but I did not take a single one here. I do remember that we had fun, and laughed a lot! After dinner our guide offered an optional walk, and we walked down to the river. It was a beautiful night. On the way back to the hotel, there was a performance at the arena, so we watched some of that, before heading back to the hotel for some much needed rest.