Gordes and Arles

Cher Famille et Amis,

A week has passed since our trip to Russillon, Gordes, and Arles. Nevertheless, here is a brief summary of our trip to go along with the pictures that have already been posted.

On Monday, we went with Joe's parents, Ranee, and Lilia to visit the coast of France, including Cassis and the Calanques. Although it rained over the weekend, the weather cleared long enough for us to spend a fun day on the beach and cruising the Mediterranean.

The next day, we drove to the Luberon valley to visit some of the hill-towns of the region. First, we took the family to see the red ochre colored buildings of Russillon. Although the town was quiet and many shops were closed, Joe's parents and Ranee enjoyed exploring the alleys and churches and seeing the view of the surrounding area.



We next drove about 30 kilometers to the city of Gordes. Although close to Russillon, the color and architecture of the buildings were completely different. We arrived just in time to visit the open-air market and purchase sausage sandwiches from a local vendor.



From Gordes, we drove a hour and a half to the city of Arles. Established as a retirement community for Roman soldiers, the city has an impressive number of Roman ruins, including a Colosseum and a museum filled with artifacts gathered over the years.



The Colosseum is composed of two levels of arches that supported seating for approximately 20 thousand.



Amazingly, these arches were converted into 212 individual homes and two churches in mideval times. These homes were later removed in the early 19th century, leaving the structure largely as it was in ancient times.



Our last stop of the day was to visit the Ancient History Museum of Arles. This building housed more Roman-era sarcaphagi, busts, statues, and masonry that is possible to describe on this blog.



Among the items that caught our attention was a thin brass plate upon which were written Greek characters. This plate was very similar to what the golden plates must have looked like both in terms of size and antiquity.

Chow,

Grandpa & Grandma Onstott, Ranee, Lilia, Joe, Julie, Nicolas, Elyse, and Nathaniel