Orange

The Gagnons decided to visit Orange, in part because of Mario's great interest (some would say obsession) in Roman history.

The first monument visited was the Arc of Triumph, dated from the early 1st Century, and celebrating Caesar's victory against the Gauls. That's obviously not counting the continuous resistance led by Asterix and Obelix.

The arc has some beautifully preserved carvings of various military themes. It has survived to this day in part because it was not mined for stones during the Middle-Ages, but rather incorporated into the defensive wall protecting the city. It has since undergone important restorations. It is interesting to see how it has served as a model for numerous other arches in France, including the Arc du Carrousel and the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.

The other very important monument in Orange is the Roman theater. It was partially mined for stones and was also buried under a shanty town, but was dug out and successively restored over the last few centuries. It is still used today for theater and lyrical performances. In fact, during our visit, some features were hidden by stage props for the evening performance. The stage wall is the largest one remaining from the Antiquity, and greatly contributes to the quality of the acoustics. It is part of a vast complex of Roman buildings found in central Orange.

There was also a more modern theatre - from the Renaissance.

All in all, a fascinating visit through history...

Sault

One of the most famous images from Provence is the incredible fields of lavender. And Michael P. was determined not to leave Provence without seeing the real thing. So while the Gagnons' colour of the day was Orange, Kate, Alan and the Michaels chose Lavender by visiting Sault – the home of those renowned lavender fields. En route, the scenery was beautiful as we travelled switchbacks in the highlands of the area, first glimpsing fields of lavender from afar.

Even before reaching Sault, we came face-to-face with a field of deep purple lavender, where Alan tried to hide among the odoriferous vegetation. He wasn’t too successful, though, despite his camouflage shirt.

The drive to Sault was very scenic, but it was especially dramatic to see the fields from the heights of Sault, where we enjoyed the view while partaking in a “café crème.”

After Sault, we continued on to the Rhône via les Gorges de la Nesque, that gave us beautiful scenic vistas.

Later that evening, we met up with the rest of our gang for a late dinner in Montluel, a small town not too far from our destination, an old castle outside the tiny village of Le Montellier.

Pont du Gard

The Gagnons, their friend Mark Campbell, who was visiting from Milan, and Mike H. travelled to one of best known sites in Provence -  the Pont du Gard.

This spectacular wedding cake-like structure was built by the Romans 2000 years ago. It's the longest, highest and best preserved Roman aqueduct in the world.

This incredible feat of architecture was part of an aqueduct system carrying about 40 000 cubic meters of water per day more than 50 km to the city of Nimes. The difference in elevation between the starting point and the arrival is only of about 13 meters.

Our group had a great time wandering around the site, enjoying the spectacular views and even a little dip in the cool water.

Les Baux de Provence

The whole gang undertook a late afternoon assault of the medieval ruined fortress of Les Baux de Provence.

This spectacular site is perched on the edge of a cliff in the Alpilles Mountains. It was very hot and incredibly windy with breathtaking views. From its highest points, you can see as far as the Mediterranean which made it a natural strategic site.

The tour takes you to an extensive array of replicas of very impressive war machines like this giant crossbow. 

Only the bravest knights deserve the honours of their Lord...

...while the miscreants deserve to be pilloried.

The rock formations offered a variety of bizarre shapes.

Associated to its name is the bauxite mineral, first discovered in 1846 as the main source of aluminum. The soft rock was extracted from a huge cavernous quarry until 1990.

Today, the flat whitish walls inside the quarry are used for beautiful light and music shows. We enjoyed the cool and dark ambiance of the quarry for a spectacular presentation of Van Gogh and Gauguin paintings surrounding us from all directions. It was like being inside the paintings! The cool temperatures inside the cavern weren't the only reasons we felt goosebumps.

Avignon and Carpentras

While the Gagnons, Mark and Michael H. went to Pont du Gard and Avignon, Kate, Michael and Alan visited Avignon and then Carpentras. On arriving in Avignon, Kate and the boys had a coffee and got the lay of the land. Then they started to wander and were overwhelmed by the crowds, much increased, no doubt, due to the 3-week fringe festival that was on at the time.

 It was sensory overload with many different actors roaming the streets giving “sneak previews” of their theatrical offerings. The variety was huge!

After having a quick lunch, we reluctantly left Avignon, feeling that it was just a tease. We definitely need to go back and spend more time there. Sadly it’s not going to happen on THIS trip! We hit the road for Carpentras, and got there in time for a guided tour of what is purported to be the oldest European synagogue still in use.

We were immediately struck by the pride that the inhabitants of Carpentras take in their town. There were beautiful flowers everywhere and the streets were festooned with original canvases displaying the talents of many different artists.

We arrived at the tourism office just in time for free tastings of the local products - two different olive oils and three different honeys, including one made with lavender flowers. Yumm!

Unfortunately for Michael especially, the tour was in French, but he was able to piece things together after the tour when Alan explained what he gleaned from the guide, who was extremely knowledgeable.

In the late 14^th and early 15^th centuries, Jews in the area were allowed to live in only four communities. The lord of the land that included Carpentras agreed to let the Jews live there because a) that would increase his tax revenues and b) having Jews in servitude to you held a certain value as it seemed to continue their “punishment” for having “killed the Saviour”. The Jews were restricted to living on one street, with a gate at each end, restricting their movement. No windows were allowed to open onto “Christian neighbourhoods.” It was pretty bleak. As politics changed, Jews were banished from Carpentras and then several years later were admitted back, but on a different street, farther away from the town’s walls, surrounded by Christians who could “keep an eye on them.” Their choices of profession were restricted to “vendor of used clothing” or “moneylender.”

It’s amazing that the synagogue survived over the years. Over time, the community was able, to buy back the synagogue’s fixtures and furnishings.

Sadly, though not surprisingly, the community now consists of about 80 families. The children in these families tend to move away, so there may be no community left in another twenty years or less. It’s a beautiful house of prayer, with faux marble painting and baroque décor and well worth the visit.

After the tour of the old city, we grabbed a quick coffee before joining the rest of our gang in the hilltop community of Gordes.

Arles

After La Camargue, we travelled to Arles, which is known for its Roman amphitheatre and also for being a place favoured by Vincent van Gogh in many of his most famous paintings.

We explored the amphitheatre, built around 80 AD, which is one of the largest and best preserved Roman amphitheatres. It is still used for bullfights twice a week during the summer months. We also explored the markets and a couple of eating establishments.



Many buildings preserve beautiful architectural features ranging from the Roman period, through the Middle-Ages and the Renaissance.

Unfortunately, our visit was too short to allow us to experience Van Gogh’s Arles, or any of the other charms this lovely town offered. We all left, determined to return one day for a longer visit.