How can one not love a penguin or a flamingo? The penguin for waddling in a tux, the flamingo for its stately pose in pink finery. It’s only fitting that we made our journey to the gathering of the flamingos in France. Their upright stillness, the long graceful loop of their necks as they dip their beaks in…
Day: November 10, 2024
Good place to crown a king
The Saint-Trophime Catholic Church holds a prominent corner of the large square in the center of Arles that once was the Roman forum. It was first constructed in the 12th century. It was built in the Romanesque tradition as you can tell from the pillars fronting the entrance. When it comes to medieval churches, I prefer Gothic…
Dining next to Van Gogh
Post by Ella Yesterday, Grubb wanted to soak up the Van Gogh vibe (along with a lot of rain) so after he snapped a dozen or so photos of the closed Le Cafe Van Gogh, we sat down for lunch under an awning at L’Apostrophe right next door. We both opted for burgers. I went…
Flamingos
Post by Ella The Carmague, a regional park south of Arles is known for its abundance of birds and other wildlife including flamingos and white horses. In Arles, the Rhône splits in two and between the two branches, in the area close to the sea, there are abundant salt marshes. At the Ornithological Park within…
Non, non, not that table!
This shot of colorful boat-shaped tables outside a seaside cafe in Menton had me recall tables we had come across near an outdoor museum kiosk a few days earlier. The museum kiosk had, unbeknownst to me, a hierarchy of tables. I thought we could sit down and have a cup of coffee, but was quickly informed…
The cryptoporticus of Arles
I forgot to mention that in the midst of our Arles rain walk we took a brief tour of the cryptoporticus, a “semi-subterranean gallery whose vaulting supports portico structures aboveground” such as the forum which served as the Roman marketplace of the city. No one is quite sure went on down there during Roman rule,…