Arles was the final port on our river cruise.  South of Arles, The Rhône is not navigable, as it divides into several smaller rivers before reaching the Mediterranean Sea.  Arles had been a major city for centuries by the time that it was incorporated into the Roman Empire as a provincial capital.  It has never lost its importance, nor its charm.  Its warm, sunny weather has long made it a haven for Europeans fleeing the greyness of their Winters, including Parisians and other residents of northern France.

The arena may be the most impressive of Arles' numerous Roman ruins.

         The clear skies of Provence had a particular appeal for artists, particularly those who painted outdoors, en plein air.  Van Gogh was by far the most famous of these.  The Dutch artist, once obscure and reviled, has become so popular that it was impossible to visit Arles without acknowledging it as Van Gogh Territory.  The brilliance of the light, and the colors of the city and its surrounding countryside, had inspired many of Van Gogh's best known compositions.  His last eighteen months, spent in Arles and the neighboring village of Saint Remy-en-Provence, constituted his most productive period. 

The hospital, or Hôtel Dieu, where Van Gogh was a patient has been converted into a cultural center.

The garden at the former Hôtel Dieu was in full bloom.

       Under the intensely azure sky, we went on the walking tour of Arles with our local guide.  The two-tiered Roman arena was the most prominent landmark, situated on a hill above the harbor.  The heat wave persisted, so we did not go to the ruins of the Roman baths or any of Arles' medieval churches and cloisters.  Our guide did show us the places in the city that Van Gogh had frequented.  Several were still recognizable as the subjects of his paintings.  

The yellow café that Van Gogh painted still stands.
 

        After dark, in blissfully cooling temperatures, HL and I strolled along the curving quayside.  A plaque marked the spot where Van Gogh must have gazed at the nocturnal scene that he painted as Starry Night over The Rhone, in 1888.  We stopped there to look at the waterfront's lights reflected in the river.  There were no stars in yellow halos visible above us, as on Van Gogh's canvas.  Your imagination must supply those for verisimilitude. Otherwise, the photograph that HL took replicates the scene, and serves handsomely as our Adieu to Arles.    

Nightfall over The Rhône at Arles