A Postcard from Arles - Europe’s Lesser-Known Art Destination
A Postcard from Arles - Europe’s Lesser-Known Art Destination
ROOV Postcard 1
A postcard reveals a dynamic place we recently visited.
Arles
Emblematic of France, the Camargue city worn at the edges with the laissez-faire attitude cultivates a wild and artistic atmosphere. It has the absolute ability to unfold in a new way each time and has a special place in our story. Here’s our lead that will bring you there.
I first visited Arles in the pandemic when the world was asleep and we all needed inspiration.
Having last seen my love for my birthday in Paris just prior to lockdown and before there were more restrictions, I was on the first flight to the south of France for a long-awaited reunion.
Based in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, and sensitive to the time, we sought to minimize unnecessary movement. We enjoyed modest, distilled experiences infused with increased meaning. In the tiny Twingo, we set out for nearby Avignon, Aix-en-Provence and Arles - the latter which became a standout in my mind.
Hand-in-hand we wandered through the streets, took in art, marveled at the soon to open Luma, walked on the Rhone, peered at the colosseum and through closed shop doors.
Another unexpected and much anticipated visit had me enjoying dinner en plein air with new friends, discussing the development of guides with a travel writer, dancing barefoot in a closed restaurant at 3am and being escorted safely back to my hotel by one of Macron’s cousins at dawn.
Arles is the embodiment of France - cool in an unassuming way but still extremely cocky. A deep identity of art, culture, cuisine; a laissez-faire attitude, worn at the edges with the ability to unfold in a new way each time.
Arles Recommendations
Hotel: Le Cloître still our favorite
Walk: Along the Rhône and around Les Arènes d'Arles
Aperitif: On Boulevard des Lices or L’Arlatan
Dinner: En plein air at Monstre
Night: Théâtre Antique d'Arles should have something to see
Breakfast/ Lunch: Le Cloître toujours
Shopping: Market - Wednesday and Saturday mornings on boulevard Emile Combes - 2.5 kms of stalls of fruit, veg, spices, olive oil, Camargue rice, arts, crafts, flowers, Galette Arlesienne + Librarie Du Palais because French bookstores are worth the visit.
Lunch: A terrace on the Place de Forum like Le Nord-Pinus
Art & Culture: Les Rencontres de la Photographie + Luma + Fondation Vincent Van Gogh