Like many other cities in France, Arles was a part of the Roman empire, and thus there are many Roman ruins that still remain. We saw a theatre built in 1st century BC that is still used for concerts today. A few blocks from this is a 1st century BC Roman Arena, similar to the coliseum in Rome, but much smaller. Today it is used for bullfights.
In the afternoon, we drove up to Chateauneuf de Pape, with a short stop in Avignon along the way. Avignon was home to the popes in the 14th and 15th centuries, during which they built walls around the city along with a huge palace, the Palais des Papes (Palace of the Popes).
We didn't have time to pay the admission fee and tour the inside of the palace, but instead ate lunch in the square outside the palace, then headed onward.Back when the popes called Avignon their home, they produced their wine in the nearby town of Chateauneuf de Pape (translated as "New Castle of the Pope"). Today, the town has established a considerable reputation with wine enthusiasts, and is arguably the most famous appelation in the Cotes du Rhone.
We made it up to Chateauneuf de Pape in time for some tastings before the wineries closed (the picture below is at Maison Bouachon).
We also visited a Museum of Wine. The wine harvest had just begun (the grapes are harvested in early Sept). . . so there was a slight bit of "traffic" with trucks full of grapes and tractors rolling through town.
Additional thoughts/notes:
- (Kim) - Ever since before we went on the trip, Brian has been practicing how to correctly say (in a French accent) Chateauneuf-de-Pape. It is his favorite French word to say, and he had gotten pretty good at saying it. He had been saying it all morning in anticipation of our visit, but a funny thing happened when we got there - he completely chickened out. At the wineries we stopped at, he just avoided saying the word. "What grape varieties are in, um, . . . this wine?" "What other wineries should we visit in, um, . . . this town?" Hilarious. So much for all that practice.
Brian and Kim,
ReplyDeleteMy favorite cuisine, French; my favorite period in art, impressionism; my dream: to see all of France, but especially Provence; one of my favorite wines, Chateauneuf de Pape!
I'm curious as to what the picture with the glare was as it appears to be an old man etched in glass, or did you mean the Nu in the background? Can you describe it?
Matt can pronounce French very well; I was a French minor for one year a long time ago.
Thanks for the tip about Il Panino which I intend to try next weekend.
I don't know how much longer you're going to be away, but I'll miss Brian and Kim's Excellent Adventure when it happens.
Bon Appetit(accent grave over the e, and say it like Julia---you must see the movie)
Jeanne Hand
The picture with the glare is actually a copper sculpture of a man playing the piano. The photo didn't do it justice because of the glare from the window (they wouldn't let us take pictures inside the gallery). The piece is done in such a way that it looks like some of the parts are just floating in air, which I thought was a cool concept.
ReplyDeleteThe Il Panino we frequented was the one in Cambridge, which is kind of a hole-in-the-wall. You always see at least 4 or 5 policemen/firemen in there at any given time, so you know they make good pizza!
Also, if you want some good ice cream try Toscanini's in Cambridge. The NY Times rated it the best ice cream in the world. They rotate in new flavors on a regular basis, but I still prefer the chocolate.
We just made it back last night, so unfortunately there won't be much more blog left... however, we still have to post the last few days.
I'm sure Kim would love to see the Julia movie... she read the book while we were on the trip!
Thanks for your comments!
--Brian