Arles

We camped 7kms east of Arles and experienced the windiest night  so far. The conditions were extreme and we were considering heading north for relief – an unusual concept.

Fortunately today’s weather was  moderate and sunny so we spent a day in Arles. The ancient ruins – the theatre, the arena, the forum are all attractive but we were happy to view them from the outside. We wandered around the ancient streets and  discovered some of Van Goghs  paintings hiding in the streetscapes. Once again there were school kids and tour groups but  it was generally pretty relaxed and when we found a sunny square and sat for a while to enjoy a coffee and a soft drink all was well in the south of France. Even the view of the terrible Van Gogh night café which continues to operate at extortionate prices and very few customers couldn’t wipe the smiles off our warmed faces.

Arles also has a nice little run of second-hand bric-a brac type shops which are quite cool for a browse.