South of France Trip Report
Mar 6th 2003, 10:43 pm
#1
Guest
Posts: n/a
South of France Trip Report
We finally got to Provence during February 2003, and thought that perhaps
some of these notes might help tourists who find themselves on a similar
path.
1. Dining. We like to eat well, but find that restaurants with more stars
don't necessarily have better food or service! For example in Avignon, the
famed Christian Etienne wasn't that special (despite the Michelin rating).
Yes, we had a reservation, and no, we didn't order the cheapest menu, and
yes, Mr. Etienne himself was in the house. The food was satisfactory, but
undistinguished, and the service though friendly, was lackluster, excepting
the sommelier who was helpful with our wine selection and deserved a better
supporting cast.
We did have one outstanding meal in Avignon, thanks in part to a
recommendation posted here. L'Isle Sonnante is a smaller and unpretentious
place (seats around 20), but the four-course 50 euros prix fix menu was
truly excellent. The foie gra wrapped in cabbage in an orange broth with
carrots and other root vegetables was outstanding in its clarity of flavors
and texture, as was by contrast the rabbit breast with olives served with
grilled eggplant. The deserts were also first rate and the portions
generous; we sampled several!
2. Avignon. A real walled city, Avignon was a good base of operations for
us. We did not rent a car, and the SNCF station is right across the street
from the main gate, while a bus to the TGV station stops just within it. We
ended up at the Cloitre St. Louis Hotel, a striking setup around a real
cloister which provided an excellent value (4* at only 79 euro/night for two
with breakfast, although discounted in part because unfortunately their
restaurant was closed for the season). The city itself was big enough to
make for interesting walks both early and late, including to Les Halles. If
you're into indoor markets do stop by, although the outside is not pretty,
the venders inside have nice displays of fresh produce and regional
products. The town's chief tourist spot, the Papal Palace, featured a
multi-lingual audio guide, although at least in February some of the
displays it discussed were missing; don't miss going up to the ramparts to
enjoy the view of the town from the top.
3. Orange. Roman ruins are everywhere in the South of France (and were a
major focus of our trip), but whatever else you see, don't miss Orange.
Orange has THE Roman theater and THE arch. The Theater in Orange has the
most complete back stage wall remaining in Europe from Roman times, and also
has an excellent multilingual audio guide included in the admission price.
The arch on the other hand stands in silent glory in the middle of a traffic
circle on the other side of town, and, for example, leaves the two in Nimes
trailing in the dust by comparison. Orange also struck us as a less touristy
spot, although we did encounter a solid gourmet shop featuring Daskalides
(Belgian) chocolates as well as local products (41, Rue Victor Hugo).
4. Pont du Gard. It is worth a special trip. We chose to stick strictly to
public transit, and both the Provencal Tourist Office and the Avignon bus
station staff assured us it was impossible to reach Pont du Gard via public
bus in winter. They're wrong! Even in February there is regularly scheduled
service from Nimes (the bus station abuts the SNCF station), the walk from
the (clearly labeled) bus stops (coming and going) to Pont du Gard itself is
less than half a mile, and the new visitor center there is very nicely done
(including public facilities and shops). Unfortunately when we were there
access to the river bank was blocked off, but one of the most amazing Roman
remains in the world is free to all.
5. Nimes. Nimes has the widest range of Roman ruins. The Coliseum is right
in the center of town, a direct walk up from the SNCF Station, but far and
away the most spectacular piece is the Temple (Maison Carree). It really is
a complete structure (with a small display inside), although sitting in a
pit in the center of town with the rest of the forum long gone it does look
a bit like a fish out of water. The Roman Tower and fragments of the Temple
of Diana (do walk inside, there are some lovely architectural details) are
off in the Jardin de la Fontaine, which itself is well worth a visit for
those who like formal park gardens. The town's two Roman arches are less
impressive. The Porte Auguste is the larger of the two, but fragmentary--you
can't walk through it. The Porte de France is a single arch, but still
standing.
6. Arles. Arles has a functioning coliseum (like Nimes) as well as an
amphitheater and a Roman bath. Get the combination ticket (at your first
stop, whatever it may be) to enter all of these as well as Les Alyscamps,
the legendary funereal walk. Unfortunately what mostly remains is the walk,
the detail having largely worn off the tombs that still stand. Also be sure
to visit the early Cathedral of Saint Trophime, and don't fail to walk next
door to the separate entrance to the cloister (your combination ticket will
get you in). It is a wonderfully serene two-story cloister truly detached
from the rest of the busy city and preserving beautiful medieval details.
Finally, the Saturday morning market on Boulevard des Lices is worth it for
those who love food. Not everything is local, but regional tapenades and
honeys are nicely packaged in glass jars suitable for those who may wish to
export a souvenir.
7. Aix-en-Provence. The Cours Mirabeau in Aix is a busy avenue, and although
it has more fountains than elsewhere, plane trees can be found shading many
a main street in Provence. The Atelier de Cezanne is a pleasant spot,
walkable from downtown, but rather thickly planted and busy enough in
February that one shudders to imagine the crowds in better weather. The
Cathedral of St. Sauveur and attached Cloister (enter from the main
sanctuary) are worth a stop, but don't count on seeing their famed Burning
Bush Triptych by Nicolas Froment soon, even though we visited on a Tuesday
afternoon as advised, signs claimed it was closed for restoration. Speaking
of restoration the much touted Boyer d'Eguilles Building courtyard is also
being worked on, although the building itself remains open. Albertas Square
was open, but I wouldn't make a trip to see it. We did have a pleasant lunch
at Le P'tit Puits (14, rue des Bernardines), and although we went with
traditional fare rather than the house specialty of fondue potatoes, if we'd
been in town longer we would have tried both!
8. Fine Art. We like fine art, and there is some, particularly in Avignon
which has an extensive museum of early Italian painting--the Petit Palais,
but skip the Musees des Beaux-Arts in Marseille and Nimes. Each is a fine
19th century building, but neither has a collection worth a stop for most
visitors (nothing, by comparison, at the level of say the outstanding
smaller museums in the north of France in Chartres, Reims, or Rouen, for
example). Then again, for my time, despite again being a lovely building and
unquestionably having a large collection of material, the Musee de Beaux
Arts in Lyon isn't necessarily worth a special trip either if your focus is
European painting (although admittedly none of their post-1900 painting was
up when we were there--then again, that says something about their
priorities as well).
9. Modern Architecture. Nimes lived up to its reputation with works by
Nouvel, Foster, and Starck, but none necessarily each architect's finest
(Foster's new London [England] City Hall, by contrast, is worth a detour).
In Lyon, Nouvel's renovation of the Opera House is worth a look, and
although we didn't get to experience the main hall, the basement
amphitheater in which we heard a recital was a fine space, acoustically and
visually. In Marseille, finally, it is easy to reach Corbusier's landmark
housing complex Ville Radieuse via public transit (we took the underground
and then a local bus). It is still a striking work a half-century later.
Although my traveling companion is a competent Francophone (unlike myself),
few would mistake us for Frenchmen, but we encountered much courtesy from
those we met from bus driver to restauranteur. Some anti-war graffiti was
evident, but there is often political graffiti evident in France, and that
shouldn't keep away those with an interest in history and culture.
some of these notes might help tourists who find themselves on a similar
path.
1. Dining. We like to eat well, but find that restaurants with more stars
don't necessarily have better food or service! For example in Avignon, the
famed Christian Etienne wasn't that special (despite the Michelin rating).
Yes, we had a reservation, and no, we didn't order the cheapest menu, and
yes, Mr. Etienne himself was in the house. The food was satisfactory, but
undistinguished, and the service though friendly, was lackluster, excepting
the sommelier who was helpful with our wine selection and deserved a better
supporting cast.
We did have one outstanding meal in Avignon, thanks in part to a
recommendation posted here. L'Isle Sonnante is a smaller and unpretentious
place (seats around 20), but the four-course 50 euros prix fix menu was
truly excellent. The foie gra wrapped in cabbage in an orange broth with
carrots and other root vegetables was outstanding in its clarity of flavors
and texture, as was by contrast the rabbit breast with olives served with
grilled eggplant. The deserts were also first rate and the portions
generous; we sampled several!
2. Avignon. A real walled city, Avignon was a good base of operations for
us. We did not rent a car, and the SNCF station is right across the street
from the main gate, while a bus to the TGV station stops just within it. We
ended up at the Cloitre St. Louis Hotel, a striking setup around a real
cloister which provided an excellent value (4* at only 79 euro/night for two
with breakfast, although discounted in part because unfortunately their
restaurant was closed for the season). The city itself was big enough to
make for interesting walks both early and late, including to Les Halles. If
you're into indoor markets do stop by, although the outside is not pretty,
the venders inside have nice displays of fresh produce and regional
products. The town's chief tourist spot, the Papal Palace, featured a
multi-lingual audio guide, although at least in February some of the
displays it discussed were missing; don't miss going up to the ramparts to
enjoy the view of the town from the top.
3. Orange. Roman ruins are everywhere in the South of France (and were a
major focus of our trip), but whatever else you see, don't miss Orange.
Orange has THE Roman theater and THE arch. The Theater in Orange has the
most complete back stage wall remaining in Europe from Roman times, and also
has an excellent multilingual audio guide included in the admission price.
The arch on the other hand stands in silent glory in the middle of a traffic
circle on the other side of town, and, for example, leaves the two in Nimes
trailing in the dust by comparison. Orange also struck us as a less touristy
spot, although we did encounter a solid gourmet shop featuring Daskalides
(Belgian) chocolates as well as local products (41, Rue Victor Hugo).
4. Pont du Gard. It is worth a special trip. We chose to stick strictly to
public transit, and both the Provencal Tourist Office and the Avignon bus
station staff assured us it was impossible to reach Pont du Gard via public
bus in winter. They're wrong! Even in February there is regularly scheduled
service from Nimes (the bus station abuts the SNCF station), the walk from
the (clearly labeled) bus stops (coming and going) to Pont du Gard itself is
less than half a mile, and the new visitor center there is very nicely done
(including public facilities and shops). Unfortunately when we were there
access to the river bank was blocked off, but one of the most amazing Roman
remains in the world is free to all.
5. Nimes. Nimes has the widest range of Roman ruins. The Coliseum is right
in the center of town, a direct walk up from the SNCF Station, but far and
away the most spectacular piece is the Temple (Maison Carree). It really is
a complete structure (with a small display inside), although sitting in a
pit in the center of town with the rest of the forum long gone it does look
a bit like a fish out of water. The Roman Tower and fragments of the Temple
of Diana (do walk inside, there are some lovely architectural details) are
off in the Jardin de la Fontaine, which itself is well worth a visit for
those who like formal park gardens. The town's two Roman arches are less
impressive. The Porte Auguste is the larger of the two, but fragmentary--you
can't walk through it. The Porte de France is a single arch, but still
standing.
6. Arles. Arles has a functioning coliseum (like Nimes) as well as an
amphitheater and a Roman bath. Get the combination ticket (at your first
stop, whatever it may be) to enter all of these as well as Les Alyscamps,
the legendary funereal walk. Unfortunately what mostly remains is the walk,
the detail having largely worn off the tombs that still stand. Also be sure
to visit the early Cathedral of Saint Trophime, and don't fail to walk next
door to the separate entrance to the cloister (your combination ticket will
get you in). It is a wonderfully serene two-story cloister truly detached
from the rest of the busy city and preserving beautiful medieval details.
Finally, the Saturday morning market on Boulevard des Lices is worth it for
those who love food. Not everything is local, but regional tapenades and
honeys are nicely packaged in glass jars suitable for those who may wish to
export a souvenir.
7. Aix-en-Provence. The Cours Mirabeau in Aix is a busy avenue, and although
it has more fountains than elsewhere, plane trees can be found shading many
a main street in Provence. The Atelier de Cezanne is a pleasant spot,
walkable from downtown, but rather thickly planted and busy enough in
February that one shudders to imagine the crowds in better weather. The
Cathedral of St. Sauveur and attached Cloister (enter from the main
sanctuary) are worth a stop, but don't count on seeing their famed Burning
Bush Triptych by Nicolas Froment soon, even though we visited on a Tuesday
afternoon as advised, signs claimed it was closed for restoration. Speaking
of restoration the much touted Boyer d'Eguilles Building courtyard is also
being worked on, although the building itself remains open. Albertas Square
was open, but I wouldn't make a trip to see it. We did have a pleasant lunch
at Le P'tit Puits (14, rue des Bernardines), and although we went with
traditional fare rather than the house specialty of fondue potatoes, if we'd
been in town longer we would have tried both!
8. Fine Art. We like fine art, and there is some, particularly in Avignon
which has an extensive museum of early Italian painting--the Petit Palais,
but skip the Musees des Beaux-Arts in Marseille and Nimes. Each is a fine
19th century building, but neither has a collection worth a stop for most
visitors (nothing, by comparison, at the level of say the outstanding
smaller museums in the north of France in Chartres, Reims, or Rouen, for
example). Then again, for my time, despite again being a lovely building and
unquestionably having a large collection of material, the Musee de Beaux
Arts in Lyon isn't necessarily worth a special trip either if your focus is
European painting (although admittedly none of their post-1900 painting was
up when we were there--then again, that says something about their
priorities as well).
9. Modern Architecture. Nimes lived up to its reputation with works by
Nouvel, Foster, and Starck, but none necessarily each architect's finest
(Foster's new London [England] City Hall, by contrast, is worth a detour).
In Lyon, Nouvel's renovation of the Opera House is worth a look, and
although we didn't get to experience the main hall, the basement
amphitheater in which we heard a recital was a fine space, acoustically and
visually. In Marseille, finally, it is easy to reach Corbusier's landmark
housing complex Ville Radieuse via public transit (we took the underground
and then a local bus). It is still a striking work a half-century later.
Although my traveling companion is a competent Francophone (unlike myself),
few would mistake us for Frenchmen, but we encountered much courtesy from
those we met from bus driver to restauranteur. Some anti-war graffiti was
evident, but there is often political graffiti evident in France, and that
shouldn't keep away those with an interest in history and culture.
Mar 6th 2003, 10:48 pm
#2
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: South of France Trip Report
"New Yorker" wrote in message
news:JB%[email protected]...
> We finally got to Provence during February 2003, and thought that perhaps
> some of these notes might help tourists who find themselves on a similar
> path.
Thanks for your impressions. It's nice to get some sort of feedback from
people (even though Ididn't help on this one).
Glad you had a good trip!
Tim.
news:JB%[email protected]...
> We finally got to Provence during February 2003, and thought that perhaps
> some of these notes might help tourists who find themselves on a similar
> path.
Thanks for your impressions. It's nice to get some sort of feedback from
people (even though Ididn't help on this one).
Glad you had a good trip!
Tim.
Mar 6th 2003, 11:41 pm
#3
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: South of France Trip Report
New Yorker schrieb:
> 4. Pont du Gard. It is worth a special trip. We chose to stick strictly to
> public transit, and both the Provencal Tourist Office and the Avignon bus
> station staff assured us it was impossible to reach Pont du Gard via public
> bus in winter. They're wrong! Even in February there is regularly scheduled
> service from Nimes (the bus station abuts the SNCF station), the walk from
> the (clearly labeled) bus stops (coming and going) to Pont du Gard itself is
> less than half a mile, and the new visitor center there is very nicely done
> (including public facilities and shops).
See http://www.stdgard.com/images/reseau.jpg
http://www.stdgard.com/html/horaires/avigales.htm
http://www.stdgard.com/html/horaires/nimespdg.htm
Regards, ULF
> 4. Pont du Gard. It is worth a special trip. We chose to stick strictly to
> public transit, and both the Provencal Tourist Office and the Avignon bus
> station staff assured us it was impossible to reach Pont du Gard via public
> bus in winter. They're wrong! Even in February there is regularly scheduled
> service from Nimes (the bus station abuts the SNCF station), the walk from
> the (clearly labeled) bus stops (coming and going) to Pont du Gard itself is
> less than half a mile, and the new visitor center there is very nicely done
> (including public facilities and shops).
See http://www.stdgard.com/images/reseau.jpg
http://www.stdgard.com/html/horaires/avigales.htm
http://www.stdgard.com/html/horaires/nimespdg.htm
Regards, ULF
Mar 7th 2003, 2:49 am
#4
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: South of France Trip Report
On Fri, 07 Mar 2003 11:43:37 GMT, "New Yorker" wrote:
>We finally got to Provence during February 2003, and thought that perhaps
>some of these notes might help tourists who find themselves on a similar
>path.
Thanks for the interesting trip report.
One of the interesting points in Arles was a visit to
the mental hospital where they used to cart old
Vincent when he was being a nuisance.
>We finally got to Provence during February 2003, and thought that perhaps
>some of these notes might help tourists who find themselves on a similar
>path.
Thanks for the interesting trip report.
One of the interesting points in Arles was a visit to
the mental hospital where they used to cart old
Vincent when he was being a nuisance.
Mar 7th 2003, 2:57 am
#5
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: South of France Trip Report
In article ,
[email protected] (New Yorker) wrote:
> We finally got to Provence during February 2003, and thought that
> perhaps
> some of these notes might help tourists who find themselves on a similar
> path.
Very interesting post, thanks -- it's given me lots of ideas for a
forthcoming trip to S. France.
[email protected] (New Yorker) wrote:
> We finally got to Provence during February 2003, and thought that
> perhaps
> some of these notes might help tourists who find themselves on a similar
> path.
Very interesting post, thanks -- it's given me lots of ideas for a
forthcoming trip to S. France.
Mar 7th 2003, 7:28 am
#6
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: South of France Trip Report
"New Yorker" wrote in message
news:JB%[email protected]...
> In Lyon, Nouvel's renovation of the Opera House is worth a look, and
> although we didn't get to experience the main hall,
We found the all black interior decoration of the main hall rather
oppressive. I understand it is claimed that it avoids distraction from the
performance but it is a rather eccentric solution.
Anyway Sophie von Otter is difficult to be distracted from.
Michael Forrest
news:JB%[email protected]...
> In Lyon, Nouvel's renovation of the Opera House is worth a look, and
> although we didn't get to experience the main hall,
We found the all black interior decoration of the main hall rather
oppressive. I understand it is claimed that it avoids distraction from the
performance but it is a rather eccentric solution.
Anyway Sophie von Otter is difficult to be distracted from.
Michael Forrest
Mar 7th 2003, 11:07 am
#7
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: South of France Trip Report
On Fri, 7 Mar 2003 20:28:24 +0000 (UTC), "Forrest"
wrote:
>"New Yorker" wrote in message
>news:JB%[email protected]...
>> In Lyon, Nouvel's renovation of the Opera House is worth a look, and
>> although we didn't get to experience the main hall,
>We found the all black interior decoration of the main hall rather
>oppressive. I understand it is claimed that it avoids distraction from the
>performance but it is a rather eccentric solution.
>Anyway Sophie von Otter is difficult to be distracted from.
So is Anne Sofie von Otter....any relation? Or were you distracted?
Brian
wrote:
>"New Yorker" wrote in message
>news:JB%[email protected]...
>> In Lyon, Nouvel's renovation of the Opera House is worth a look, and
>> although we didn't get to experience the main hall,
>We found the all black interior decoration of the main hall rather
>oppressive. I understand it is claimed that it avoids distraction from the
>performance but it is a rather eccentric solution.
>Anyway Sophie von Otter is difficult to be distracted from.
So is Anne Sofie von Otter....any relation? Or were you distracted?
Brian
Mar 7th 2003, 8:26 pm
#8
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: South of France Trip Report
"> >
> >Anyway Sophie von Otter is difficult to be distracted from.
> >
> So is Anne Sofie von Otter....any relation? Or were you distracted?
She was giving a recital in the main auditorium which we went to.
Michael Forrest
> >Anyway Sophie von Otter is difficult to be distracted from.
> >
> So is Anne Sofie von Otter....any relation? Or were you distracted?
She was giving a recital in the main auditorium which we went to.
Michael Forrest
