Posts Tagged With: Tarascon

Tarascon Tour

Is a visit to a castle on your bucket list? It was on our friend, Jerry’s, and he was especially excited when the opportunity presented itself on day 2 of our Viking River Cruise. After a tasty lunch onboard, we set off on foot to see Tarascon Castle, or Château de Tarascon, as it’s called in France.

Rebuilt by Louis II, Louis III, the Dukes of Anjou, and the Counts of Provence in the early 1400’s on the site of the previously destroyed castle, Tarascon Castle was used both as a residence and a military base. When the castle was later converted into a military prison, graffiti engraved by prisoners appeared on the walls and is still evident today. None of the sumptuous furnishings that would have once filled the space remain but one can imagine how resplendent it looked.

IMG_0487

Jim and Jerry on the bridge at the entrance to Tarascon Castle

IMG_0350

Tarascon Castle

IMG_0412

Jerry at the Castle door

IMG_0353

The old moat

IMG_0357

Tarascon Castle

IMG_0360

Tarascon Castle gardens

IMG_0365

Tarascon Castle

IMG_0366

Tarascon Castle

IMG_0492

Studying the brochure

IMG_0369

Chapel

IMG_0370

Salle des festins where banquets were held, Tarascon Castle

IMG_0374

I was fascinated to see the toilet that emptied down the side of the castle wall

IMG_0376

View across the river to ruins of Beaucaire Castle from Tarascon Castle

IMG_0377

View of the town of Tarascon from the top of the castle

IMG_0378

Decorative drain spout at Tarascon Castle

IMG_0381

Jerry and Lori on the roof of Tarascon Castle

IMG_0382

View of the Rhône River from the roof of Tarascon Castle

IMG_0385

View from the top of Tarascon Castle with the Viking Buri on the right

IMG_0386

View across the top level of Tarascon Castle

IMG_0390

View of the garden from the top of the castle

After making it all the way to the roof and back down, we discovered we hadn’t visited all the rooms so we went back through to see what we had missed. The rooms containing graffiti engraved by prisoners were some of the most interesting to me.

IMG_0406

Graffiti

IMG_0407

Graffiti

IMG_0411

Graffiti

IMG_0491

Jim and I at Tarascon Castle

Jerry told us his first visit to a castle exceeded his expectations and he looked like he thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

IMG_0419

Jerry at the end of our visit to Tarascon Castle

When we left the castle, we continued into the town of Tarascon.

IMG_0493

Jim, Jerry, and I walking in medieval Tarascon

IMG_0422

Another view of Tarascon

The Church of Sainte-Marthe was built on the site where Martha, sister of Lazarus and Mary, lived in Tarascon. According to the Golden Legend, after the resurrection, Martha traveled to Provence and preached the word and converted the people to Christianity. She also tamed a fierce dragon, the Tarasque, by sprinkling holy water on him, after which the people of the town killed the dragon. Sainte-Marthe’s relics are entombed in the church.

IMG_0433

Church of Sainte-Marthe

IMG_0435

Interior of Church of Sainte-Marthe

IMG_0446

Interior of Church of Sainte-Marthe

IMG_0444

Crypt of Sainte-Marthe

IMG_0442

Sarcophagus of Sainte-Marthe

After a full day of touring first Arles then Tarascon which racked up more than 15,000 steps on my Fitbit, we were more than ready for dinner that evening. We decided to take our waiter’s recommendation and ordered the chef’s choice. We enjoyed a delectable dinner accompanied by French wine and authentic French bistro music.

 

IMG_0451

Lobster and shrimp bisque

 

 

IMG_0453

Poached asparagus with prosciutto, ricotta panna cotta, quail egg, and balsamic reduction    

 

 

IMG_0454

Châteaubriand

 

 

IMG_0456

Soufflé au chocolat

 

Following dinner, we enjoyed nighttime views of the Bridge of Avignon as we returned to the city where we would begin day 3 of our cruise.

IMG_0483

Based on events from October and November 2016.

 

References:

Tarascon Castle brochure obtained at the castle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Categories: cruise, Europe, Uncategorized | Tags: , , , | 1 Comment

A Walking Tour of Arles, France

We first glimpsed Tarascon, France through the early morning mist on the Rhône river. As the castle came into view, we knew that day 2 of our river cruise promised to be at least as delightful as the first. Our ship docked at this small town of 13,000 inhabitants, 11 miles (18 km) north of Arles. Tarascon would have to wait until later in the day, however, because we were scheduled for a walking tour of Arles that morning.

IMG_0140

Dawn on the Rhône River approaching Tarascon

IMG_0144

Tarascon Castle from the Rhône River

But first, a good breakfast was in order to fuel our explorations. We were offered an outstanding array on the buffet or we could order from the menu or both.

IMG_0142

IMG_0149

Scrumptious breakfast

Following breakfast, our motor coach waited to transport us to Arles, pop. 50,000. Arles was settled by the Greeks as early as the 6th century, BC, and the city was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its Roman monuments dating from the 1st century, BC, and Romanesque monuments from the 11th and 12th centuries.

As we walked through the city, I was charmed by almost everything I saw.

IMG_0182

IMG_0183IMG_0184IMG_0194IMG_0196

The Roman Amphitheater, still in use today for bullfights and other events, was built in the 1st century AD to accommodate 21,000 spectators.

IMG_0201

Lori and Jim at the Roman Amphitheater

IMG_0209

Inside the Roman Amphitheater

IMG_0217

Inside the Roman Amphitheater

The nearby Roman Theater, built in the 1st century BC, was not as well-preserved as the amphitheater but it, too, is still used today for outdoor performances, accommodating audiences of 8,000.

IMG_0237

IMG_0240

As we continued our stroll toward the Place de la Republique, I captured a few views along the way.

IMG_0243

IMG_0246

The Place de la Republique, where the Hôtel de Ville (City Hall) is located, is the center of the historic district. The ancient Egyptian obelisk was moved here from the amphitheater in 1676.

IMG_0249

Place de la Republique

Facing the Place de la Republique is another UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Church and Cloister of St. Trophime, named for an early bishop of Arles. The facade of the Romanesque church features sculptured scenes of the Last Judgement including Christ in Majesty surrounded by symbols of the four Evangelists above the doorway, the righteous being delivered to the saints on the left, and the chain-bound souls being delivered to hell on the right.

IMG_0253

IMG_0256

Christ in Majesty with the Evangelists

Version 2

The righteous delivered to the saints

IMG_0259

The damned with chains around their waists delivered to hell

IMG_0273

Inside the Church of St. Trophime

IMG_0263

Church of St. Trophime Interior

IMG_0270

Church of St. Trophime

IMG_0266

Church of St. Trophime

Incidentally, the Church of St. Trophime is a stop along one of the pilgrimage routes of the Camino de Santiago. We didn’t see any pilgrims while we were there, however.

Vincent Van Gogh arrived in Arles in 1888 at age 34 and spent 15 months here producing 300 paintings including some of his most famous. It was here that he cut off his ear and was hospitalized at the old Arles Hospital where he painted Le Jardin de la Maison de Santé a Arles. Today this hospital is a cultural center featuring many of Van Gogh’s works. Sadly, the artist died young in 1890.

IMG_0284

Sign to mark the place where Van Gogh painted Le Jardin de la Maison de Santé a Arles

IMG_0282

In the footsteps of Vincent Van Gogh

IMG_0297

Sign to identify the cafe where Van Gogh painted Le Café Le Soir

IMG_0306

Location of the painting Le Cafe Le Soir (Cafe Terrace at Night)

IMG_0302

Another view of the café

IMG_0323

Marker for Van Gogh’s La Nuit Étoilée

IMG_0324

View of the river where La Nuit Étoilée was painted by Vincent Van Gogh

We saw one more ancient Roman monument on our walking tour, the Baths of Constantine, dating from the 4th century.

 

IMG_0313

Baths of Constantine

 

 

IMG_0319

Baths of Constantine

 

Before boarding our bus to return to Tarascon, I took a few photos of The Bridge of Lions. The bridge was destroyed in a WWII bombing but the lions have been restored and stand regally on guard on the embankment of the River Rhône. IMG_0326

Upon our return to our ship, the Viking Buri, we were greeted by staff with a welcome aboard drink for us.

IMG_0340

Check back for a tour of Tarascon Castle.

 

Based on events from October 2016.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Categories: cruise, Europe, Uncategorized, UNESCO | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Powered by WordPress.com.

%d bloggers like this: