“Van Gogh in Provence” Tour
“La
Vie en Jaune” – “life in Yellow” as Van Gogh
used to write when describing his beloved Provence. With 300 days
of sunshine per year, fertile soil, fragrant herbs, a fascinating
history and unusual clear light Provence extends an invitation
to our senses! In its medieval villages each step reveals a small
mystery, a massive old door, a noble dwelling or a small flower
garden. Elsewhere time flies - here it remains suspended. The
sun drenches life with a “fragrance of eternity”.
Day 1: Avignon - Isle de Barthelasse
- warm-up ride
We'll welcome you at the Avignon TGV station at 2:00 PM and
then transfer you to our unique 4-star hotel (a superbly restored
cloister) in the center of town. Avignon, "city of art"
was the center of Christianity in the 14th century and has been
recently classified as one of Unesco's World Heritage monuments.
After a short orientation meeting we leave with our local guide
for a walking tour in the center of Avignon. Not only will you
see the, 12th century St-Bénézet-Bridge of
the famous children's song "Sur le Pont d'Avignon",
but also the impressive Palace des Papes, one of the largest
buildings created in the Middle Ages, plus the beautiful town
hall, impressive churches, city walls and intimate squares Avignon
is known for. In the late afternoon our warm-up ride will
take us by ferry across the River Rhône for delightful flat
cycling on the Island of Barthelasse, now partly a recreation
area for the inhabitants of Avignon. We'll bike back to Avignon
crossing the river this time over a bridge with great views on
the Palais des Papes. On arrival at our hotel you'll have some
time to admire the courtyard, with beautiful, centuries old plane
trees or try the small swimming pool on the roof terrace before
our first scrumptious Provençal dinner in an intimate restaurant
in Avignon.
Day 2: Avignon - Pont du Gard
Today we'll pedal to the Pont du Gard, a beautifully
preserved aqueduct, one of the wonders of the Ancient World and
a "must see" in Provence. We'll leave Avignon in
the direction of Villeneuve, crossing the River Rhône, and
soon will be biking through the surrounding vineyards with nice
views. We'll visit the picturesque village Rochefort-du-Gard,
with its steep little streets and small shaded squares before
we continue on to medieval Saze, where time seems to stand still.
Before lunch we'll reach the River Gard (or Gardon) and the 2000
year old bridge, part of a Roman aqueduct that long ago provided
Nimes with water from a source in Uzès. We'll climb
up to the top for a superb view and some picture taking. After
lunch we'll spend some time in the brand new "Grande-Expo-du-Pont-du-Gard",
a very well produced multimedia exposition. Weather permitting
we'll dine outside tonight on the lively, romantic Square with
a wonderful view on the Palais des Papes, remembering the time
long ago when the world was confused by having two Popes!
Day 3: Avignon - Isle-sur-la-Sorgue - St-Rémy-de-Provence
We'll follow a quiet bicycle route from Avignon and soon will
be out in the picturesque countryside on our way to Le Thor, a
vegetable and tree growing center. Its bridge over the River Sorgue,
church with clock tower and charming little square make Le Thor
an interesting short visit. Next we'll reach, L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue,
another lovely town lined with dappled plane trees on the River
Sorgue. All small streets and alleys in the old center lead
to the Baroque 17th century Notre Dame des Anges Church, with
its ornate gilded decorations definitely worth a visit. Interesting
also are the old watermills in the River Sorgue that once
provided the town with all the energy for its industry. Through
a green oasis of nurseries and apple orchards we leave this charming
city and continue on to Caumont, where we cross the River Durance
on our way to St-Rémy-de-Provence, the immensely popular
town that seems to symbolize the essence of Provence. This
evening we'll sample more wonderful Provençal cuisine in
a terrific local restaurant and after dinner we'll stroll through
the old town center with its charming squares with plane trees,
fountains, galleries and shops.
Day 4: St. Rémy - Graveson - St-Michel-de-Frigolet
- Tarascon - St. Rémy
In the morning we'll walk from our hotel to the Ancien Monastère
de St-Paul-de-Mausole, the 12th century monastery that was
converted to a psychiatric hospital. It is here that Vincent van
Gogh voluntarily admitted himself for a year and created some
of his most famous paintings including "Starry Night".
St-Paul-de-Mausole is still a sanitarium today and its moving
to visit the peaceful space where the great artist tried unsuccessfully
to rid himself of his demons. Close by we'll visit "Les
Antiques" where we'll find two extraordinary Roman monuments,
the Triumphal Arch dating from 20 AD and the particularly well
preserved funerary monument dating from 30-20 BC. It was constructed
by the Julii (descendants of an important Roman family) in honor
of their father and grandfather and has magnificently sculpted
sides. Afterward you might decide to spend time in the Roman
town of Glanum, still being excavated today, to visit the museum
or the Roman ruins or roam around in St. Rémy, rich in
culture and history and definitely "chic". Shopping
opportunities abound here! In St. Rémy you could also visit
the well conceived Centre d'Art in the beautiful 18th century
mansion Hotel Estrine where an audiovisual display and thematic
exhibitions illustrate Van Gogh's work and the time he spent
at St. Rémy. After lunch we have planned an optional bike
ride first to the nearby attractive town of Graveson and then
on to the Abbey de St-Michel-de-Frigolet, founded in the 10th
century by monks of close by Montmajour. The abbey is in a
lovely location, surrounded by cypresses, pines and olive trees.
Although the cathedral was newly added in the 19th century, you
can still visit the 11th century chapel decorated with nice Baroque
paneling and the original plain monastery St. Michel Church. Through
beautiful countryside we bike on to Tarascon where we'll visit
the magnificent castle, towering over the swift flowing River
Rhone. This castle is very well preserved and considered to
be one of the finest medieval chateaux in France. Today the
terrace on top of the towers offers a panoramic view of the surrounding
towns. Easy to imagine that enemies were thrown into the river
from this now peaceful lookout point! We'll cruise back to St.
Rémy where dinner this evening is on your own in one of
a number of very fine local restaurants.
Day 5: St. Rémy - les Baux - Arles
Before we leave today there is time to visit the fragrant open-air
market in St. Rémy. This is a chance to buy some of
the fresh produce Provence is so famous for to enjoy at a picnic
lunch later in the day. Then we'll leave St. Rémy and slowly
climb up into the Alpilles with terrific views on our surroundings.
Almost on top we'll be able to recognize Les Baux. This village,
rightly classified as "one of the most beautiful villages
in France", is a bare rock spur with dramatic vertical cliffs
and a ruined castle on top. Here in the Middle Ages, the lords
of Baux, whose motto was "warriors all - vassals never",
ruled with an iron fist. You'll learn more about their history
when you visit the chateau on the upper level of the village,
from where on a clear day the Mediterranean Sea is visible! In
the village below we'll find well preserved Renaissance houses,
cobble stoned streets, delightful boutiques, shops and café's.
After lunch we'll glide downhill on our way to Arles but first
we'll stop at the Abbey of Montmajour, founded by Benedictine
monks in 948. In its exciting history the abbey has been used
by soldiers and even though it is in poor condition today, it
is listed as a Unesco World Heritage Site and well worth
a visit. From here we continue on to Arles and we will find
our antique-filled 4-star hotel on the Place du Forum inside the
old city walls and across the square from Van Gogh's famous "Night
Café".
Day 6: Arles - Camarque - Arles
This morning our local guide will tell us about the "Golden
Age" of Arles as a Roman capital in the time of Julius Caesar
and as a major religious center in the Middle Ages. We'll
visit the quite well preserved Roman Amphitheatre, dating from
the end of the first century and the unfortunately more damaged
Roman Theatre. From the Middle Ages we'll visit the magnificent
Cloister and Church of St. Trophime, two gems of Romanesque art.
We'll also walk part of the "Van Gogh Trail" in the
city. Van Gogh came to Arles in 1888 and rented a small house
on the Place Lamartin that unfortunately was destroyed. The Provençal
countryside and the peculiar light inspired Van Gogh and he painted
here non-stop. In the afternoon we'll bike to the Camarque,
the unusual nature park, an original and totally unspoiled area
in the Rhône Delta where we'll spy wild white horses and
grazing black bulls. The Camarque is a Paradise for bird lovers
(although the best bird watching is really very early in the morning)
and if conditions are right we'll see flocks of flamingos
feeding in the shallow estuaries. Bring your small binoculars
or opera glasses to get a better view! In the late afternoon we'll
bike back to Arles for our farewell dinner and toast our cycling
accomplishments and new friends with another wonderful glass of
"Côtes du Rhône" vintage!
Day 7:
Individual departure after breakfast to catch a train back to
Paris for your trip home or the next leg of your European vacation.
2006 Tour Dates: May 10-16and
September 23-29
This tour is limited to 16 people!
Tour Begins: at 2:00 PM in the TGV train
station in Avignon. You can easily reach Avignon from Paris by
TGV train (about three hours). For last minute train schedules
visit the website of the French Railways, www.sncf.com. We'll
meet at the "Meeting Point" in the north side of the
TGV station, just outside of Avignon.
Tour Concludes: in the morning of day 7
after breakfast. It's a 5 minute cab ride from our hotel to the
train station in Arles.
2006 Tour Price: $2095.00 per person ($425.00
single supplement)
Tour price includes 6 nights of double
occupancy lodging in two four star and one 3 star hotel with private
facilities each night. Also included: 6 breakfasts and 5 dinners;
guided walking tours of Avignon and Arles; entrance fees to the
"Grande Expo-du-Pont-du-Gard" and the St-Paul-de-Mausole
Psychiatric Hospital; outstanding, personalized leadership; support
van, daily route directions, baggage handling and all taxes and
gratuities for the hotel and restaurant portions of the tour.
Not included in the tour: air fare, one
dinner, alcoholic and bar beverages, lunches, independent sightseeing,
transportation other than scheduled transfers and other items
of a personal nature.
Bicycles: 18 or 21-speed hybrid Specialized
bikes can be rented for $140.00 per bicycle for the tour. Bicycles
come equipped with: handlebar bag, bell, lock, cage and water
bottle, bike computer, optional toe clips, rear view mirror and
rear pannier. It is also possible to replace our pedals with your
own "clip on" pedals. Helmets are not included; please
bring your own helmet! If you are considering bringing your own
bike please note that bicycles can be transported on local trains
but not the TGV trains!
Weather and Climate: this region is known
for its mild climate. Average daytime temperature in spring and
fall is 70 F. In August it is 82 F.
Cycling: The average distance is between
25 and 40 miles per day on mostly flat terrain with light rolling
terrain on day 2 and a short steeper hill on day 3, 4 and 5.
Level of Difficulty: easy to moderate but
cycling experience is needed to deal with up and down hills and
periodic car traffic.
