Swimming with the Fishes >*)==^---< a travel blog: Life in a Medieval Town (by Paul)

We always enjoy being in the medieval towns of Europe, and old Arles is no exception. There's something unique about wandering the narrow and twisting cobblestone streets that many thousands of other people have traveled over the centuries. We always get lost in the maze, and yes, we are often looking for a cheese shop. I never tire of these old cities, and I always marvel that the very ancient buildings are still inhabited centuries after being built.

And so here we were, nicely ensconced at the Hotel de l'Amphitheatre, on Rue Diderot. Yes, it's a short walk away from the Roman amphitheater and the Roman theater (different structures), and about a 5 minute walk uphill from the Rhone River. It's a great little town in Provence.

Some of the things we did in Arles (not including our educational tour of the French medical system, see previous post):
- the Musee Reattu: a very, very nice art museum with collections of paintings by the local Reattu, original drawings by Picasso donated by Picasso, sculpture, photography, and sound. We spent a very enjoyable afternoon there, almost alone.
- the Roman Baths, Roman Theater, and Roman Amphitheater...just like all the others we've seen throughout Europe, but each time is special because of the details and the glimpse of Roman life
- the wine of the region, both rouge and blank
- food, food, food (we plan to do a special about the food)
- all of the very nice people we met