- Itinerary: Twenty-two days by train in France
- Back from France: Intro to Upcoming Series
- Days 1&2: Bordeaux, Sleep Deprivation, and the Case of the Missing Driver
- Day 3: Saint-Émilion, Wine, and Glimpses of Heaven
- The Arguing Old Couple. “Il est trés fou!”
- Day 4: A Travel Buddy in Amboise
- Day 5: Chateau Amboise and Solo Travel Revelations
- Day 6: Being Lazy in Amboise
- Day 7: Chateaux of the Loire Valley
- Amboise and Rude Americans
- Day 8: Dark Alleys and Fear in Sarlat-la-Canéda
- Solo Travel: Crushing Loneliness
- Day 9: Touring Les Plus Beaux Villages de Dordogne
- Day 10: An Evening of Tears in Carcassonne
- Day 11: Arles and Falling in Love
- Day 12: Gender Normative Behavior in Arles
- Day 12: Roman Ruins, Van Gogh, and Body Positivity in Arles
- Day 13: Catcalls and a Lost Reservation in Nice
- Day 13: There’s No Cerveza on this French Menu!
- Day 14: The Beauty of Nice
- Day 15: Eeeezeeee Does It At Éze Village
- Day 16: Wishing for Longer in Lyon
- Day 17: Getting To Chamonix-Mont-Blanc By Train Is Not For The Weak
- Day 18: L’Aiguille du Midi
- Day 19: Annecy
The journey from Carcassonne to Arles provided a 90-minute layover in Nîmes, where it was 65 degrees and sunny. I sat outside a cafe near the train station, thoroughly enjoying a mediocre and incredibly overpriced glass of white wine, which I later found out wasn’t at all overpriced. I’d misheard the server.
It’s been a glorious day. The trip is back on track.
The adventure is now half over. I am now in Arles, which is as far south as I’ll go. From here the journey takes me east, then north, then west to Paris.
The day started in Carcassonne. I did not see last night’s dinner companions at breakfast, but I did make friends with two longtime besties who are in the middle of a road trip. We explored the medieval city together for a bit before we parted ways.
The train ride to Arles was uneventful except for the views of the sea, which utterly captivated me. And then, well…
Upon arrival in Arles I immediately fell in love. I swooned with delight.
The streets are just as narrow as in Carcassonne. The buildings and streets are in the same state of disrepair. But the open areas have trees and greenery and the storefronts seem welcoming.
Plus, there are women around. In Carcassonne the women hurried between destinations while clusters of men on the streets and in bars waited to leer at whoever might pass by. I haven’t seen that here. It’s quite the opposite.
After dark the streets in Arles aren’t just well-lit, they’re lit cheerily and with lots of color. There is noise around, noise of conversation and fun, noise of safety nearby should it be needed.
Oh, and that structure you see in the background in some of these photos? Yes, that’s a Roman amphitheater, and I cannot wait to get a closer look tomorrow.
