Our last stop was in Arles in Provence, possibly the most charming of all the charming towns we visited in France. It features a fairly well preserved Roman Amphitheater which has done service as a housing complex during the middle ages and is currently being used for bull fights and bull races. 
As we had a rare morning that didn’t start at 8am I was able to take a camera walk around the neighborhood. Our hotel was literally right next door to the amphitheater but the winding streets in the area prov
ed to be very photogenic. It is no wonder that Arles is home to France’s national school of photography.
Next we had a walking tour of Arles in which it was easy to get confused about the many centuries of history. We stopped by the site of Van Gogh’s yellow house which, unfortunately was too close to the train station an
d was destroyed by bombing during World War II. All around town there are signs showing Van Gogh’s paintings at the locales featured. It was in Arles that he cut off his ear and landed in an asylum. We also had a pleasant stroll along the Rhone River. Unfortunately I can’t share all the pictures here but I did like these blue shutters and awnings near the arena.
After enjoying lunch
at a creperie we boarded the bus for a trip to another charming village called Les Baux-de-Provence. Built on a hillside in and area which features houses built into the cliffs called troglodytes, our clime to the top of the village street was rewarded by an amazing view of the Povencal countryside.
We ended the day with a stop at a family run olive farm wh
ere we were treated to tastes of their olives, some tapenade, and even some of the neighbor’s wine.