Beautiful Arles
Marseille is the capital of
the Provence district in France and is known as the Gateway
to Provence. While Marseille itself is an underrated port
with a ton of experiences to offer its visitors, the wonders
of Provence are what beckons visitors to Marseille. I think
the ideal way to experience the port is to visit one of the
villages in Provence and also, see a bit of Marseille.
Fortunately, this is quite easy to do on your own. The ships
all sell shore excursions to the villages in Provence, but
you are much better off to do this one on your own and here
is why. You will probably port in the outer harbor and if
you purchase the ship's shore excursion to Arles, you will
likely not get to visit Marseille. Plus, Arles is not the
kind of place you can enjoy with a group of 40 of your
closest friends. Sure, you will get a walking tour of Arles, but its charm and beauty lies in
your personal experiences. Here is how to do it.
Immediately engage a taxi when
you disembark the ship and have them take you to the
Marseille
St Charles railway station (note that this is a different
trains station than the one you would go to to visit Aixen
Provence). Trains leave here approximately
every 20-minutes for Arles. The fare is approximately 10
euro and it will take about half an hour to get there.
The Rhone River by Arles,
France
Once you
arrive in Arles the train station is located just north of
the old section of Arles. Simply walk to the south to enter
Arles or you can walk a block or so to the Rhone River and
follow it south into Arles. It couldn't be easier.
The Arles Open Air Market
Outside of the Walls
You will
soon see the Arles Open Air Market that resides along the
street just outside the walls of the old section. This is an
authentic French market selling everything under the sun.
Provence Spices For Sale
The market
is broken into several sections. As an example, all of the
spice vendors are located next to one another.
Garlic Anyone?
The
sights, smells and general flavor of the market is
overwhelming. One could spend hours here inspecting the
fish, meat, cheese, wine, spices, vegetables, fruit and so
on.
Arles Medieval Past
Once
inside Arles old section one finds a complex mixture of
ancient history and modern day conveniences. While Arles
dates back to 575 B.C. its combination of sophistication
amongst ancient ruins is what gives Arles its special
flavor.
Arles Roman Amphitheatre
In the
center of town, the ancient Roman Amphitheatre is surrounded
by chic coffee houses, boutiques and wine bars. This is what
makes Arles so wonderful.
Arles Shopping Street
Arles
offers some excellent souvenir shopping and also some shops
selling wonderful Provence specialty items. Wandering
through Arles pedestrian streets is fun and a great way to
spend an afternoon.
A Typical Arles Shop
Look for
everything French to be sold in Arles. The shops are small
boutiques offering lots of collectible items.
Inside One of Arles Shops
You can
see how eclectic the array of merchandise can be in these
shops.
One of the Man Churches in
Arles
Wandering
around Arles allows one to grasp what Provence is all about
and one finds themselves feeling quite at home here.
The Windows or Arles
Another Arles Window
Arles'
charm, sophistication and downright beauty will embrace you
and woo you to return. But, as everyone knows, every day
must come to an end. To return o Marseille, simply return to
the train station and take the next train to Marseille and
then grab a taxi back to the ship. If you have time, have
the driver drop you at Vieux Port and explore Marseille for
a bit. It is also a beautiful port.
