When in France.....

Before leaving the French country side, let's head east to Provence. Yes, there is that book about the area and a movie, but this is more of the whiz-bang tour. Our ship was docked in Marseilles, there is a movie about there too, the French Connection, but it is a bit more violent than the other. The city of Marseilles is a very large busy port city, think French version of Newark, hence the bus took us quickly outside the city limits.
Once past the coastal hills, the countryside was vast and flat, we were traveling in the Rhone River valley. Farmers fields stretched to the surrounding hills, farmhouses were nestled in groves of trees. Since it was late in the year the fields were fallow, the trees leafless, and very few people were seen about. It was also the season of the Mistral, a strong wind from the north, that provided a clear blue sky.
This was the land of Van Gogh. He lived in Arles for a time starting in 1888. He painted over 200 canvases in his period there. The streets and countryside wee very inspirational to him. His favorite haunt was a small cafe near the remnants of the original city wall built by the Romans. Where they EVERYWHERE in Europe? A short walk away is the coliseum for the city and additional ruins.
The city is a mixture of old and new as is the norm in Europe. The main boulevard next to the Rhone with its canopy of sycamores and lined with cafes, connected with narrower streets that climbed up into the city. Shops and additional cafes, mixed with houses lined the lesser streets. Being ever practical, some stores offered vending machines for NEEDED items.
After Arles the tour continued farther inland and to a higher elevation to Le Beaux. The small town surrounds the ruins of a chateau on a high hilltop. The valley below and adjacent area is renowned for its limestone quarries. One vacant quarry is used for a theater during the summer season with laser show on the exposed walls as concerts are held. The view of the river valley is spectacular. The winding streets prevent access by automobiles, so there is a parking lot just outside the town gate for vehicles.
So if Provence sounds like an intriguing place to visit, contact Damron Vacations and get the wheels turning on a tour of the south of France. When combined with a barge or river cruise, relaxation, good food and wine will not be hard to find.