We left our base camp at Los Madriles in Murcia, Spain, on Sunday 19th May and travelled for three consecutive days up the Mediterranean coast into the south of France. We headed for St-Remy-de-Provence, where we plan to stay for a week. We are again now seeing new and interesting places, so the blog can continue.
As background, St Remy was our first caravan holiday destination back in 1989 when we borrowed Mum & Dad’s caravan. We’re not at the same site but in the same area on the edge of town, with a spacious and pleasant pitch.
The lush vegetation
is partly kept under control by these chaps. Hopefully, they won’t need to stand
on the caravan roof to reach the highest branches.
The town of St Remy
was founded as Glanum on the Roman via Domitia, built in the 2nd
Century BC as the first road to link Rome and Spain, crossing Provence to do
so. At the edge of town is a triumphal arch from 20 AD celebrating Caesar’s
conquests in Gaul and a mausoleum from the same era. These formed a gateway
into the town of Glanum whose excavated remains can be visited (we didn’t). Now-
is the arch extra small or Jane extra large?
Right across the road from the Arch is the mental sanctuary, the monastery of Saint-Paul de Mausole, where Van Gogh spent a year trying to recover his sanity after cutting off his own ear. I suppose that's better than cutting of someone else’s ear. This is the entrance now, followed by Van Gogh’s 1889 painting of it.
Surrounding the
monastery are walkways with Van Gogh’s paintings at the very spot where he
painted, e.g. the one above. This is another example, where the shape of the
hill is clearly recognisable.
We remember the
town of St Remy as elegant and up-market, and set off to see if it’s changed.
We arrive at the edge of town to see diversions and streets closed: we have
stumbled on the festival of St Eloi who turns out to be the patron saint of
farmers, horses and farriers. Here are all the cart horses lined up waiting to
start the parade.
Off they go, and
last in line is the float dedicated to St. Eloi. It appears that several plane
trees are growing out of the float but be assured that they are firmly anchored
to the pavement behind.
The parade is accompanied by folks in traditional dress, like the lady in the next photo.
Into the shopping
area now, and the town is just as swish
as we recalled. This is one of the pretty streets: just as well you can’t read
the price tickets!
But it’s a most
pleasant atmosphere, for example this corner with a small fountain.
Plenty of
restaurants, too, in picturesque squares - and not a McDonald’s in sight!. This one could almost be a Renoir painting
There’s more to
explore around this area so please hang on in for the blogs to follow.
