Provence in Southern France

Provence in Southern France

For our first overseas Elderhostel we chose " The Art of Living " in Provence. We were not disappointed. We ate the local foods, tasted the wines, and shopped in the outdoor markets and boutiques. No. we did not visit the Eiffel tower ( in Paris ) but we visited local towns, farms, museums, churches, mountaintop villages and the ruins of the Roman occupation and later medieval settlements within the walled cities of the area.

We stayed at the Hotel du Forum in Arles. From the window of our room at the hotel we could see the rooftops of the nearby houses. (picture below) Across the square (Place du Forum ) is the cafe made famous in a painting by Vincent Van Gogh. (below right) Beneath the street, underground, lies the ruins of the old Roman Forum.

This lovely medieval church was close to the Place du Forum. The charming house with the yellow shutters was just around the corner.

Evidence of the Romans in Arles can be found throughout the city. The old coliseum is still being used for presentations. The intricately carved sarcophagus can be seen at the Museum of Antiquities.


A narrow street in Arles	A street in the mountaintop village of Les Baux - now a tourist attraction

We visited a "mas" (farm) where the bulls were raised for the unique bullfights held in Arles. The bullfighters do not kill the bulls, but rather "play" with them, trying to acquire ribbons attached to their horns. The white horses the cowboys use are unique to the Camargue region.


The courtyard of the mental hospital where Van Gogh stayed and painted many of his works	The partial bridge at Avignon


The Palace of the Popes in Avignon	A charming street

Street scenes in Aix en Provence

Mountain village of Roussillon and nearby ochre cliffs


Village on Mount Luberon	Village of Fontaine de Vaucluse


Abbaye -- Notre Dame de Senanque	Mte. St. Victoire -- painted numerous times by Cezanne


Picasso's House	The city of Marseille

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