We disembarked the SS Catherine in Arles this morning after an amazing 7 day river cruise. It is certainly going to take a minute to adjust to life without the incredible food served on board! We are now on our own to explore the south of France at our own pace for the next week.
It’s Sunday and the city is much quieter. It’s also European Heritage Day when admission to all the city’s municipal monuments and museums is free. We started with the Amphitheatre which was built at the end of the 1st century and modelled after the Colosseum in Rome. It was used to host large games such as gladiator fights, in front of more than 20,000 spectators. Today bull-fights and bull-themed events are held here.
On our way to the next monument, we happened upon a little parade of floats being pulled by massive tractors and later learned that it was a celebration of the harvest.
Just off the Place de la Republique is the Saint-Trophime Cloister, a well-preserved 12th century Romanesque cloister. It’s famous for its intricate sculpted columns, capitals and detailed stonework carvings depicting religious figures, saints, animals and foliage.
Located directly beneath the Town Hall and the former Jesuit College, also on the Place de la Republique, is the Cryptoporticoes, an underground architectural complex dating back to the 1st century BC. Built to support the Forum, the heart of civic life, it served as a structural foundation for the public square while also providing storage and administrative spaces.
The temperatures have continued to be to high and today reached 32 degrees. So it’s no surprise to see how some find creative ways to seek relief from the heat.
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