Day 6, May 30 (Arles, France and Barcelona, Spain)

To begin, here is another sound clip from the concert last night in Aix en Provence:

Christiansen, "Glorification"

Today we bid adieu to France and made our way to Spain. Before leaving the country, we made a stop in Arles, another town in the region of Provence, famous for its Roman ruins, bull fights and famous residents. Arles is roughly halfway between Rome and the Spanish coast, and as it is situated on the Rhone river, it has historically been an important location. We departed the hostel at 9 am and drove for a little over 1 hour. Our guides began by walking us through an incredible outdoor market, filled with every imaginable food, flower, craft and novelty item. We then saw the remains of the Roman theater, built in 12 BC, with columns made from marble imported from northern Africa. Some of the marble was later used to build a church in the center of town in the 12th century. Near the church is a courtyard made famous by the most important artist to live in Arles, Vincent Van Gogh. Although he lived here for only 1 1/2 years, he completed 250 paintings, including many that feature locations throughout the city. Winding through the city streets, we came upon another major Roman ruin, the amphitheater. Like the Papal Palace in Avignon, this site has been used for various purposes throughout the ages, and these days, it is used for bull fighting. We learned a lot about the intricacies of this sport, which has become an important part of the local economy. We then enjoyed some free time--most of us ventured back to the market to sample some of the food items.

Then came the primary activity of the day--traveling to Barcelona, Spain. This took approximately 6 hours, with two short stops along the way. When we approached the border with Spain, we encountered another mountain range, the Pyranees, which at times resembled our own Blue Ridge mountains. Upon arriving at the Gran Hotel Roy Don Jaime in Castelldefels (a suburb of Barcelona), we were treated to a wonderful meal. We also said farewell to four people who have made this trip so wonderful and worry-free, our guides Favio and Laura, and our drivers Alessandro and Fulvio. It is amazing how quickly bonds form on a tour like this, and it was difficult for all of us to say goodbye to our new friends. Luckily, we have two new guides to take over, Josu and Nacho. Tomorrow, we look forward to spending the day in Barcelona with all its treasures and surprises.