Arles2019 Provence Trip (Arles Ferias, Nimes Pont Du Gard)
Provence, South of France’s picturesque county, ranges from the Rhone valleys to the Mediterranean sea. The vast diverse landscape includes regions of the Mediterranean calanques seacoast, the Camarague wetlands, the Côte d’Azur, the Luberon, and Haute Provence (Provencal Alps). In our trip, we visited the Provencal towns of 3As (Arles, Avignon, Aix), dipped into the sublime Calanques national park, and drove through the Rhone valleys. Driving is the best way to explore Provence’s diverse landscape, roaming historical Romanesque ruins, trekking the narrow inlets of the coastal cliffs, and navigating the narrow alleys of old town centers. At the front passenger seat, I relished the commanding views of the panoramic plains and hilltop Provencal towns. I am most thankful for Dad, driving through the beautiful Provence and experiencing the ups and downs along the journey together.
The Provence towns we visited can be categorized by size and geographical landscapes. There were larger towns with preserved Romanesque ruins, including the towns of Arles, Avignon, and Nimes; and picturesque small towns perched on mountain tops radiating distinct charms. Lastly, there was the big city of Marseille, an industrial port with the Calanques national park along its coast.
Arles- The Ferias
Arles is situated where the Rhone delta extends to the wetlands of the Camargue, with a historical old town and extensive nature territories of the Alpilles, plains, and wetlands. With roots dating back to the Romanesque period, Arles has more than 2500 years of history and boosts remarkable Romanesque architectural marvels. The ancient sites include the Arles arena, the amphitheater, the Alycamps, and the Romanesque baths. With multiple festivals held throughout the year, Dad and I were very lucky to take part in the Arles Feria: a spring celebration with bullfights and street performances.
The Arènes d’Arles dates back to the 80 AD (first century), a monumental Romanesque marvel that boosts a center stage surrounded by two levels of terraces and arcades. Compared to my previous visit 2 weeks ago, the arena came alive with the Feria celebrations: with vibrantly colored decorations, a local orchestra that drummed along the celebrations, and thousands of spectators hungry for the upcoming dual.
We were seated beside 2 well-dressed elderly French gentlemen, each in matching floral printed vests, formal shirts, and cowboy hats. One of them turned towards Dad and asked, “Is this your first time in Arles? Do you know a bit about French bullfights?” “Not much, but we heard that in France, they don’t kill the bull.”, said Dad. “We have Spanish style bullfights here in Arles, and we do kill the bull.”, exclaimed the gentleman. “I remember my first bull fight, around 40 years ago. Back then, I knew nothing about the culture and rules. I will help you understand the rules during the bullfight when I can. There are moments of excitement, and also moments that are not so pleasant–a matter of life and death.”, said the gentleman. Throughout the dual, he walked us through the rules and cultural codes, and we were extremely grateful for the hearty introductions opening doors to the local flair.
The orchestra seated along the top rows of the arena consisted only of male musicians dressed in fiery red suits, starting the lively music at 4:30 pm sharp. The toreros (bull fighters), dressed in brightly colored suits of red, pink, blue, and white, marched gracefully into the arenas. They were accompanied with “picadors” riding on horsebacks, as there are different categories of toreros with distinct functions in corridas. The game started with a wooden cardboard introducing the bull’s weight (mostly 520–590 kilograms) and breed. What followed was a series of rituals that characterized Spanish corridas, with “Le picador” on horsebacks pricking the bull, “Le banderillero” charging the bulls with banderilles, “Les peones” waving brightly colored cloths distracting the bulls course, and leaving the final stage for “Le matador” to fight the bull to death.
Sitting on the stone steps of the Arles arena watching the bullfight below was a surreal experience. The arena radiated an ambience of nervous anticipation, local festivity, and suppressed tension. The live orchestra intensified the atmosphere with cliffhanging tunes celebrating the grace of toreros and hinting the climax. “The orchestra stops the music while the torero changes his sword for the final aim.”, said the French gentleman. The live trumpets and drums molded the ambience of the game and amplified the tension inside the arena. The audience played a pivotal part, with applauses, hoots, cheers, and gasps for breath amplified around the arena. One of the bullfights that struck the deepest impression was when the bull charged with astonishing speed and strength towards the horse, toppling it on all fours and sending the picador crashing onto the ground. The picador scrambling back onto his feet immediately and with the help of securities quickly climbed back onto the horse and fell down again with the bulls second charge towards the horse. The audience hushed, gaped, and roared as the picador climbed back onto the horse to safety. Such were moments of danger that were a matter of life and death, “This is very common in bull fights, scenes that aren’t so pleasant. Yet, you feel that people are all inside the arena. It is part of the culture.”, commented the French gentleman.
The grace, elegance, and strength of toreros left a deep impression, with their slender figures dancing along with red flags on hand and charging at the bulls with speed and accuracy. With the roaring crowd, the enraged beast, the loud orchestra, and your reputation at hand, the toreros must be under immense pressure in such performances. Yet, it wasn’t all bloody and merciless. There was a celebration for honor and courage of the toreros, and respect for the bull as well. After one of the extremely tense and gripping duals, we saw the torero placing his hands on the dying bull holding on to its still warm body as it collapsed onto the arena. The bull was then “circled around the arena” by horses under the crowds demand, another unique cultural code in the world of bullfights. It was an interesting introduction to the traditional art of Southern French entertainment for Dad and me, and definitely an unforgettable cultural experience.
Nimes- The Pont du Gard
The Pont du Gard is situated at a 30 minute drive from Avignon at the city of Nimes, another Provence town with rich Romanesque heritage. The aquaduct is built around the first century, and continued to be in use by Nimes townspeople drawing water from the nearby Uzes river until the 5th or 6th Century. An astronomical marvel looming above the calm Gardon river, its peaceful reflection shimmered against the water under broad daylight. Dad and I visited on the week of Easter, and we enjoyed the festive ambience with live orchestras marching on the Pont Du gard. Built with huge limestones with a 3 story structure, there was a sense of tranquility and harmony with nature as it blended into its surrounding limestone riverbed and densely grown shrubs. Dad and I enjoyed a picnic on the riverside, watching visitors scrambling up and down the aqueduct and marveling against this ancient architectural masterpiece.
