Tour of Provence (Afternoon Part two)

Ok we are back in Avignon where it is pretty warm and sunny.  While we waited on the square for our driver and guide Caroline to round up the rest of the tour, Terry and I were able to run down to our favorite coffee shop and grab a cuppa to go.  Ah Bliss.  Rejuvenated we head back out with an additional 3 passengers Sid and Peggy from Chicago and Peta from Perth Australia.  This time we are crossing the Rhone River and heading to the west of Avignon where it is sunny and pretty warm.  Our first stop will be the remains of a 1st Century AD Roman Aqueduct. 

Pont du Gard

We arrived and got the lay of the land and headed out for about a 5-10 minute walk to the Aqueduct 

The Pont du Gard is a three-level stone aqueduct crossing the Gardon river valley.  Built by Marcus Agrippa, the son-in-law of Augustus and his band of merry engineers.  A testimonial to Roman engineers of the time.  It was built entirely without mortar, held together with iron clamps.  It was nearly 31 miles long carrying water from the springs near Uzes to the Roman city of Nimes.  It is believed to have taken about three years to build, employing between 800 and 1,000 workers.  It is the highest of all Roman aqueduct bridges and one of the best preserved.  

Just a big WOW!  A spectacular day to see this sight.

Coming up to it on the right side of the river

You can walk across the bridge on the second level of the three level aqueduct

As we crossed over we marvelled at the views.  

When we reached the other side of the river Terry opted to go up to the third tier and get the panoramic view.  I opted to go down to the riverbed and get that perspective.  I like mine much better right off.  No steep climb. Ha.

Anyway you look at it, it is a pretty spectacular view

Terry's panoramic view

As I walked back towards the visitor center the foliage and views were all about fall

Olive trees, maybe four hundred years old, I think she said

From here another village to visit

Les Baux de Provence a medieval village located on a rocky spur in Alpilles hill range of Provence.

The name "baux" means a prominent cliff, but has become more well-known for the bauxite named after this region. Bauxite was first discovered in the Alpilles, and named after the village of Baux-de-Provence.

Winding through vinyards at the foot of the range 

we made our way up to Les Baux

Our guide dropped us at the entrance gate to the village and this was our view over the wall and looking down into the valley we had just driven through

Awesome countryside

Our new friend, the Aussie, Peta

What's new, more cobblestones and steps, but did you notice my new sweatshirt.  My new favorite garment.  Trying to get a few hugs from somebody or anybody!

Peta and Moi

The Chapel of Penitents

The church just across the square (plain in comparison) 

Another view into the valley from the square by the chapel and church

Cookies and biscuits, we bought a few

I almost succumbed to this colorful pottery of Provence

especially the pitchers of all sizes and shapes

Peta did, she bought one of the little pitchers.  I nearly bought one like the second from left on the bottom shelf.  Olive motif, so Provence (and it is made in France)

While waiting for our driver/guide to pick us up, Terry took this picture of our merry little band.  Sid and Peggy from Chicago, Peta from Perth, Moi, Amanda and Eric from Jersey

and upon our guides arrival, of course Miz Terry

Caroline driver/guide extraordinaire and Moi

Driving back through the vineyards, so beautiful, to our last stop on the tour

Saint-Remy de Provence is the sight of two Roman monuments, the remains of a town built around a sacred spring with healing powers

The Arch marks the boundary and northern entrance to the ancient town

Next to it , the mausoleum suggests that the necropolis (or cemetery) lay beyond the town walls, which have now disappeared

The sun is beginning to set

An entirely different reason that this little area is famous is that Van Gogh committed himself to the nearby Saint-Paul de Mausole mental hospital and lived here for a number of months.  He did some of his most famous paintings while living here.  The hospital is still a mental institution.

This painting was painted at this very spot where we are standing.  If you note the background mountain on the left, it has to window-like holes in the rock

This is the current sight and you can just see one of the two windows in the rock that kind of stands alone in this picture.  The olive trees hide the other

The sun was setting quickly, so we headed back into Avignon arriving in complete dark at around 6:30.  Ah for the long days of summer.  Ha.  Anyway it was a good day and we met some nice folks along the way.