We landed in Montpellier and quickly got our car organised and away we went. Drove along the water through the Carmargue – known for its horses, cowboys, flamingoes , riz and salt  and arrived for lunch in Arles.
Arles is on the river Rhone and is friendly, old and excited! There is a bull fight coming to town.  Complete with famous French bullfighter. We decided we couldn’t miss out on the spectacle so bought tickets. I’m in it for the beautiful bull fighters and their outfits. Hope there is not bull killing while I’m around.
Lunch was a beautiful Niçoise salad – something I always order and every time it’s different. This one was just right coming out of a 29 hour journey from Australia.
We walked up the hill and turned the corner and found the 1st century Roman Colloseum. It’s is another reason we are going to the bullfight. It’s in this amazing Colloseum.

We wandered around it and then went to  the remains of the Roman theatre nearby and imagined what it would have been like all those centuries ago.

Our Hotel room. top floor with terrace

After lots of walking we rewarded ourselves with our first gelato and sat in the gardens. Beautiful.
Back to the car and off to St Remy.

First impressions. A beautiful town , winding tree lined streets, our lovely hotel set in the town centre, but well and truely discovered by the tourists. The fashionable tourists. We saw lots of men in very colourful shorts. Red, lime, pink! It’s often the men who stand out in France! Lots of gorgeous shops but I had no girl power so didn’t get to browse too many. Little book club girls we would have had a ball!

St  Remy Hotel de Ville and the first poster of the Van Gogh trail

Stopped at an appropriate tree covered cafe and ordered a drink to settle the dust of the journey and made our plans. Selected a restaurant for dinner, guided by our friend of the hotel and planned our day tomorrow. We are doing the Vincent Van Gogh walk. It’s a kilometre or so out of the town past places and scenes  he used to do his 150 paintings whilst a patient  in the hospital in the town.  He must have been a very busy man!

Then a little rest and off to dinner. Oh my the food was wonderful. My entree tasted like the sea. I’ll try and post a photo. It had sea flavoured foam around an island of fennel, prawns and little flavourings. So totally balanced. It was delicious. Followed up with lamb with little stops of eggplant moussaka and yoghurt herb dressing and dessert was amazing. It was white – blanc! Hidden inside underneath the layers of white yoghurt , ice cream was a rhubarb gel. Yum is all can say.

Home and fell into bed!