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Provence: Legendary Light, Wind and Wine

Provence, known for its soft light and fierce wind, is as loved by Americans as it is by the sun. We climb Roman ruins in Nimes, explore a papal palace in Avignon, and savor vivid views immortalized by van Gogh in Arles. Crossing acres of lavender and wispy vineyards, we explore the Côtes du Rhone and more wonders of the South of France.

Travel Details

Pont du Gard

There are two riversides to the Pont du Gard: the left and right banks (Rive Gauche and Rive Droite). Park on the Rive Gauche, where you'll find the museums, ticket booth, cafeteria, WC and shops — all built into a modern plaza. You'll see the aqueduct in two parts: first, a fine new museum complex, then the actual river gorge spanned by the ancient bridge.

While it's free to see the aqueduct itself, the various optional activities each have a cost. All are designed to give the sight more meaning — and they do — but for most visitors, only the museum is worth paying for. The combo-ticket — which covers all sights and parking — is often your best bet. If you get the combo-ticket, check the movie schedule; the romancing-the-aqueduct 25-minute film is silly but offers good information in a flirtatious French-Mediterranean style...and a cool, entertaining and cushy break.

Consider seeing the Pont du Gard by canoe. Collias Canoes will pick you up at the Pont du Gard (or elsewhere, if prearranged) and shuttle you to the town of Collias. You'll float down the river to the nearby town of Remoulins, where they'll pick you up and take you back to the Pont du Gard (usually 2 hrs, though you can take as long as you like, tel. 04 66 22 85 54).

Bullfights à la Provençale

Three classes of bullfights — determined by the experience of the fighters — are advertised in posters: The course de protection is for rookie bullfighters. The trophée de l'Avenir comes with better fighters. And the trophée des As features top professionals. During Easter and the fall rice harvest festival (Féria du Riz), the Arena hosts actual Spanish bullfights (look for corrida) with outfits, swords, spikes and the whole gory shebang. Don't pass on a chance to see Toro Piscine, a silly spectacle for warm summer evenings where the bull ends up in a swimming pool. Nearby villages stage bullfights in small wooden bullrings nearly every weekend; get more details at the Arles' tourist information office.

Le Caveau de Gigondas

Le Caveau de Gigondas has a vast selection of tiny bottles for sampling filled directly from the barrel and a donation-if-you-don't-buy system ( on Gigonda's main square, tel. 04 90 65 82 29). Here you can compare wines from a variety of private producers in an intimate, low-key surrounding.

Palace of the Popes

In 1309, a French pope was elected (Pope Clement V). At the urging of the French king, His Holiness decided he'd had enough of unholy (and dangerous) Italy. So he loaded up his carts and moved to Avignon for a secure rule under a supportive king. The Catholic Church literally bought Avignon (then a two-bit town), and popes resided here until 1403. Meanwhile, Italians demanded a Roman pope, so from 1378 on, there were twin popes — one in Rome and one in Avignon — causing a schism in the Catholic Church that wasn't fully resolved until 1417.

A visit to the mighty yet barren papal palace comes with an audioguide that leads you along a one-way route and does a credible job of overcoming the lack of furnishings. It teaches the basic history while allowing you to tour at your own pace.

As you wander, ponder that this palace — the largest surviving Gothic palace in Europe — was built to accommodate 500 people as the administrative center of the Vatican and home of the pope. This was the most fortified palace of the age (remember, the pope left Rome to be more secure). You'll walk through the pope's personal quarters (frescoed with happy hunting scenes), see models of how the various popes added to the building, and learn about its state-of-the-art plumbing. The rooms are huge. The "pope's chapel" is twice the size of the adjacent Avignon cathedral. Nearby, a staircase leads to the tower for a view and windswept café (tel. 04 90 27 50 74).

St. Bénezet Bridge ("Pont d'Avignon")

While only four arches survive today, the original bridge was huge: Imagine a 22-arch, 3,000-foot-long bridge extending from Vatican territory to the lonely Tower of Philip the Fair, which marked the beginning of France. A Romanesque chapel on the bridge is dedicated to St. Bénezet. While there's not much to see on the bridge, the audioguide included with your ticket tells a good story. It's also fun to be in the breezy middle of the river with a fine city view.

Roman Aqueduct of Barbegal

To reach the Aqueduct coming from Arles, take D-17 toward Fontvieille, then, 1.5 miles before Fontvieille, follow signs for L'Aqueduc Romain on D-82 (it's signed coming from Fontvieille to Arles as well, on the left). In less than two miles, park at the pull-out (no sign, just after Los Pozos Blancos sign, where the ruins of the aqueduct cross the road). Leave no valuables in your car; the gravel twinkles with the remains of wing windows.

Follow the dirt path to the right through the olive grove and along the aqueduct ruins for 200 yards. Approaching the bluff with the grand view, you'll see that the water canal split into two troughs: One takes a 90-degree right turn and heads for Arles; the other goes straight to the bluff and over, where it once sent water cascading down to power eight grinding mills. Romans grew wheat on the vast fields you see from here, then brought it down to the mega-watermill of Barbegal. Historians figure this mill produced enough flour each day to feed 12,000 hungry Romans.

Hôtel le Calendal***

5 rue Porte de Laure
Arles
tel. 04 90 96 11 89
fax 04 90 96 05 84
contact@lecalendal.com

Arlaten Folk Museum

Given to Arles by Nobel Prize winner Frédéric Mistral, the museum was to give locals an appreciation of their cultural roots, presented in tableaux that unschooled villagers could understand — "a veritable poem for the ordinary people who cannot read." The museum offers a unique and intimate look at local folk culture from the 18th and 19th centuries. As it's undergoing a massive renovation, only about a quarter of the collection is on display. A visit is still worthwhile, and a well-done English handout explains the entire collection. However, the museum is entirely closed for renovation in 2010.

A one-way route takes you through several rooms showing old costumes, religious objects, and popular traditions, watched over by guards in traditional dress. The last room holds two dioramas, the museum's pride and joy. The first diorama shows "the great supper" — a Provençal feast served on Christmas Eve before midnight Mass. It's 1860, and everything on the table is locally produced. Traditionally, 13 sweets — for Jesus and the 12 apostles — were served. Grandma and grandpa warm themselves in front of the fireplace; grandpa pours wine on a log for good luck in the coming year. In the second display, a wealthy mom is shown with her newborn. Her friends visit with gifts that represent the four physical and moral qualities hoped for in a new baby — good as bread, full as an egg, wise as salt, and straight as a match. The cradle is fully stocked with everything needed to raise an infant in 1888 .(29 rue de la République, tel. 04 90 96 08 23).

Fondation Van Gogh

A refreshing stop for any art-lover, and especially interesting to Van Gogh fans, this small gallery features works by contemporary artists who pay homage to Vincent through thought-provoking interpretations of his works. Many pieces are explained in English by the artists. The black-and-white photographs (both art and shots of places that Vincent painted) complement the paintings. Unfortunately, this collection is often on the road July through September, when non–Van Gogh material is on display here (24 bis rond-point des Arènes, tel. 04 90 49 94 04).

Updated for 2010.