Day 47 – Friday 7 April

Avignon, France (Day 7 of 8).

Arles / Tarascon, France.

This morning we drove less than 1 hour south-west to the city of Arles. We strolled around the compact historical centre, visiting several of the attractions.

The Amphitheatre – built around 90 AD, holding 21,000 spectators.

The Roman Theatre – built at the end of the 1^st Century BC.

The Town Square, with its Saint Trophine’s Church and Cloisters, dating from the 12^th Century AD, and the Cryptoportico (underground forum), built around 30 BC.

We then strolled through the Jardin d'Ete, before having lunch.

We then visited the Reattu Museum, which displays fine arts, and modern and contemporary art, including a Picasso collection.

We then visited the Baths of Constantine – built around 4^th Century AD.

On our return to Avignon, we made a slight detour to the small city of Tarascon. We visited Saint Martha’s Collegiate Church (built around 12^th Century AD, though the crypt dates from the 3^rd Century AD), saw a statue of a Tarasque (the legendary dragon, half mammal and half fish), then strolled around the Castle of Tarascon (built in the early 14 Century AD).