Trip Highlights (early May)

We arrived in Avignon by TGV from Paris, rented a car, then drove to small town outside Arles, where we stayed 6 nights. Loved having a home base. Daytrips (no more than 1 hour away) included:

(1) Arles. Well-preserved Roman antiquities and many of the places Van Gogh painted. Great food at White Mule. Liked the ancient history museum very much.

(2) Les Baux and St. Remy. St. Remy is perfectly charming, but Les Baux was fabulous. Ancient splendor all restored; also enjoyed seeing Picasso images dislayed on limestone cave walls nearby.

(3) Luberon. Our favorite town was Lourmarin; Rouissillon was pretty but too much like Santa Fe - crowded with tourists and trinkets.

(4) Isle Sur la Sorgue and Fontaine de Vaucluse. The market at Isle was extremely crowded but very colorful and fun; we bought picnic fixings and took them to Fontaine de Vaucluse {(15 minutes away) where we enjoyed a lovely picnic beside the river. Papermill was interesting, too.

(5) Aix en Provence and Cassis. Museums in Aix are closed on Mondays, so we stayed only long enough to walk around a bit and eat. And buy art supplies. The drive to Cassis was pretty and we enjoyed a boat tour of the calanques.

(6) Pont du Gard and Avignon. The Pont du Gard museum is close to the far parking lot, but the views are better walking from the near one. Avignon is good for walking; museums are okay, food excellent. Palais due Papes disappointing.

HIGHLIGHT: Getting our car stuck in a ditch. Locals saw our plight and very kindly brought a big group of strong young Frenchmen to pull us out. No communication but gestures. Wow!

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Glad you enjoyed the trip. Provence has to be one of the most charming places in the world. We stayed at a house right in Isle sur la Sorgue and had a great time touring out and about.

By the way, the %26quot;caves%26quot; with the projected images are actually bauxite mines (hence Les Baux) where huge blocks of the bauxite were removed. It reminded me of the Temple of Karnak the size was so immense. We got Van Gogh last year as they change the presentation each year. For those who have not seen them, they are called the Cathedral d%26#39;Images.

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Sounds like a wonderful trip - we are travelling to the same areas in October - the tips are helpful. I%26#39;m an oil painter and would appreciate any info on your art supply shopping. i.e. store location, prices. thanks very much -- Balerina 7, orlando FL