Spring in the south of France

The story

DAY 1 - NICE

We set off as a couple for a short trip in our car from Milan, A26 motorway (always very clear), heading for Ventimiglia, destination Nice..

We find no traffic and by mid-morning we cross the French border and make a stop in the characteristic "Cité Medievale" of Eze, village d'art et de gastronomie, a few km from Nice. We visit the tiny stone village, enjoying the narrow alleys adorned with geraniums and climbing plants.

Every corner, every glimpse is a potential photograph. We appreciate the pretty little local craft shops, tastefully arranged, and the characteristic restaurants. But the trip has only just begun: too early to shop and it's not lunchtime yet to taste the local "gastronomie". So, after carefully inspecting every corner, we set off again.

We arrive in Nice and first of all locate our hotel: an ordinary little hotel near the centre; immediately after we begin visiting the city. In Nice there are no historical buildings or museums of particular note; the city is essentially to be seen from the outside. It's pleasant to stroll in the vieille ville (old town), which we prefer by a margin to the modern, touristy part with the big hotels. Interesting is the marché de fleurs, which in the evening transforms: away go the flower stalls to make room for the tables of the open-air fish restaurants, where we have dinner. A romantic after-dinner stroll along the seafront and back to the hotel.

DAY 2 - ARLES

The guide recommends a stop at AIX EN PROVENCE. However, the city turns out to be of little interest in our eyes, so, after a brief look, we continue to Arles, a border town between Provence and the Camargue. Here you breathe a Spanish air, perhaps because of the arena that towers in the city centre. Arles is an ancient, monumental and folkloric city.

Our hotel, near the Amphitheatre from which it takes its name, is enchanting: it presents itself as an old-style building, with a monumental staircase, decorations, period furniture and Gregorian chants in the background. A suggestive setting with extreme care for detail that we will hardly forget. And to think it's a very modest 2 stars!.

We visit the ancient part of the city, particularly appreciating an old cloister in the main square. In Arles everything speaks to us of Van Gogh, who lived here for a time of his life. We buy souvenirs in the little tourist shops near the arena. In the evening Arles empties out; the numerous afternoon tourists seem to have vanished, perhaps they were only passing through.

We dine in an open-air restaurant set in a small square; the main course is tasty bull meat.

DAY 3 - AVIGNON

After a thorough, if excessively slow breakfast in our hotel in Arles, we collect the car from the guarded car park where they advised us to leave it for safety reasons, and set off for AIGUES MORTES in the Camargue region.

Aigues Mortes is a fortified little town surrounded, as the name itself says, by water.

Inside, cheerful alleys; outside, many boats for visiting the surrounding waterways. We too let ourselves be tempted and opt for a short tour of the canals. Had we had more time, we could have taken a longer cruise with a more detailed itinerary. But we still manage to see the classic wild horses typical of the region. We have lunch buying typical sandwiches in the many shops inside the walls, and then get back in the car.

On the way, as planned, we stop at Tarascon to visit the castle, inside which we appreciate a period pharmacy.

We reach Avignon in the late afternoon, a bit exhausted from the brisk pace of the day.

So we decide to postpone visiting the city to the following day, limiting ourselves to strolling the streets of the centre, where, luckily, our hotel is.

This hotel too pleases us. Hotels in France, even 2 stars, turn out to be welcoming...almost luxurious, besides having convenient prices. All the hotels on our trip were booked online, selected from search engines and booked only after carefully reviewing their own websites, features and location. For booking, all hotels require a confirmation email indicating credit card details as a guarantee of the booking made.

DAY 4 - RETURN HOME

We get up early to visit the imposing Palais des Papes (the ancient residence of the Pope during the period when the papal seat was moved to Avignon). The palace, so fascinating from the outside, is rather disappointing inside, as it's bare and poor in decoration.

The visit to the famous "Pont d'Avignon" is a must, offering material for beautiful photos.

And then the return home, where we'll arrive in the evening.

"Sur le pont d'Avignon, L'on y danse, l'on y danse; Sur le pont d'Avignon, L'on y danse tout en rond" (midi file in the background)