Few regions offer as many iconic images of France than Provence.
World-renowned for its illustrious scenery, clear blue skies,
small stone villages, and local food markets, this region has a
special identity and soul of its own, both of which are
composed of warmth, beauty, history, and charm. This part of the
South of France, along with the Cote d'Azur, were #1 on my
travel bucket list during my semester abroad, and I was so
fortunate to have the opportunity to spend a week-end here
as everything from the food and scenery to the architecture
and art lived up to their respective reputations.
SATURDAY, MAY 23RD
AVIGNON
I arrived in Avignon from Lyon around 7:00 in the morning and while I was waiting for Aaron to arrive from Paris a few hours later, I decided to walk around this small town and explore it just before the crowds and heat arrived.
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| The Papal Palace of Avignon |
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| The infamous bridge of Avignon from the Papal gardens (Le Tour de Philip le Bel and Fort Saint André are pictured across the Rhone) |
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| Avignon from above |
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| Small, little streets |
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| Once Aaron arrived around 10:30, we set out for the day and first toured the Papal Palace, the seat of Western Christianity for roughly 70 years during the 14th century and just before the Great Schism. |
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| The Palace is considered to be one of the largest and most important medieval Gothic structures in Europe. |
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| Immaculate and well-preserved tombs |
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| Inside one of its many large and austere rooms |
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| The Palace's courtyard |
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| On the ramparts |
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| An example of how it was extended and built upon over time |
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| Lunch: a tuna quiche, green salad, and cool rhubarb soup along with a glass of white wine all for 11 euros |
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| Touring the bridge of Avignon, world famous for the song of its namesake |
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| "On the bridge of Avignon We all dance there, we all dance there On the bridge of Avignon We all dance there in a ring" |
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| Walking to Villeneuve Lez Avignon, the townacross from Avignon where the cardinals' mansions were found as well as the former endpoint of the bridge |
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| Avignon from the top of Le Tour de Philippe Le Bel in Villeneuve lez Avignon |
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| Enjoying the wind of the mistral and the Provençal sun |
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| The quaint town of Villeneuve lea Avignon from above |
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| Walking through the little village and admiring its charm and beauty |
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| At the entrance of Fort Saint André |
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| The fort from the bottom of the hill |
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| Avignon from the gardens of Saint André Abbey, which are considered to be among the top 100 in France |
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| As you can see, it was quite windy that day and couldn't allow the nice hat that Aaron bought me for my birthday fly away in the wind! |
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| Relaxing among the olive trees |
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| A private chapel among the gardens |
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| Photos along our hour walk back to Avignon |
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| Fort and Abbey of Saint André from afar |
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| Le Tour de Philip le Bel from below |
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| The Bridge and Papal Palace of Avignon |
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| These well-preserved city walls run the periphery of the old town |
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| My entrée: tartare du boeuf with avocado and fromage blanc |
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| Aaron's: fresh foie gras |
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| My plat: lamb and ratatouille |
SUNDAY, MAY 24TH
Visting Avignon's Provençal open air market
ARLES
It was recommended to us to visit Arles for the day as not only is it a quintessential provençal town, but it is renowned for its roman ruins and most importantly, for being the home of Vincent Van Gogh during one of his most productive and arguably most iconic part of his life.
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| Hotel du Ville and the Town Center |
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| Arles' amphitheater |
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| The interior of the amphitheater |
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| Arles from above |
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| One of my favorite shots taken from that day as it shows not only Arles' old-style charm and beauty, but also how empty the streets were during our time there, an experience that made us feel as if we were the only ones there who had the opportunity to discover this town for ourselves. |
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| One of the pictures found during the Vincent Van Gogh walk (or rather scavenger hunt) of Arles |
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| Examples of his work produced here during his stay |
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| Fun fact: Aaron's family has a print of this painting in their home in Houston! |
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| The captions below each painting were actually extracts from his letters to his brother, Theo, during which he described what he was painting or how he was feeling during that time |
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| A close-up of the painting |
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| One last time in Avignon before boarding the train to go to Nice |
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| A truly memorable and magical weekend |
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