Advertisement
Published: April 30th 2016
Edit Blog Post
April 1, 2016
It wasn't meant to be an April fool's joke but in my jet lagged stupor I wrote some crazy misinformation. I single handedly moved ancient Roman ruins from Arles to Nice. So let's start over again with the ruins in their rightful places in Arles.
This was my first visit to France. I had no pre conceived ideas about the country in general only that the food was supposed to be the best. I thought of Paris being wide avenues lit up at night and the Eiffel Tower dominating the entire city. I expected every woman to look like a fashion model and every man to wear a striped shirt, a little beret, and a pencil thin mustache. Obviously, I had watched too many movies.
I was surprised to learn that France, while the largest country in Europe, is smaller than Texas With a population of 66 million. That gob smacked me into realizing how much world history centered around France as well as how influential it is in our food and dress. Today it is one of the world's most highly developed economies. The gross domestic product per capita is $34,000 - one of
the highest in the world. So without getting all bookish here are some things I learned:
It has mountains, plains, forests, farmland, and beaches.
Mountains stretch along its borders with Italy, Switzerland, and Spain.
The highest peak in Europe is Mont Blanc (15,771 feet).
The Rhone River starts in Switzerland and runs through southeastern France emptying into the Mediterranean Sea
French sovereignty extends to the island of Corsica and ten overseas territories.
It has bull fights!
It is self sufficient in most foods.
Nuclear power plants generate more than half of their power.
If students pass an exam, higher education is practically free - including the Sorbonne.
Medical care is free and available to all. People can carry additional insurance if they wish to go to a private clinic.
Women have the second longest life expectancy in the world second only to Japan.
French is the official language of the United Nations and is second to English ( yay! lucky for us monolinguals) in use between nations for communication, business, and diplomacy.
Faithful readers know I like to learn the history of the places I
visit. I never heard the words 'Ottoman invasion' on this trip but that doesn't mean that at some point they were busily invading some town or port. My high school Latin came flashing into my head with Julius Caesar's famous words "Gallia est divisa en tres patrias." Now it all made sense. In ancient times France was settled by the Celts and was called Gaul. It had also been conquered by the Germanic tribes in the 5th century and was called the Latin word Francia meaning " Country of the Franks", and, I think some Brits were there as there is still a part of France called Brittany.
So the Romans set up in Arles making it the 'breadbasket' of the western empire as well as a crucial port and shipbuilding center. In the 4th century Arles was the capital of Gaul, Britain, and Spain. As mentioned, erroneously in my first blog, the city is filled spectacular Roman ruins: a theater that is still used for outdoor performances; an arena built in the 1st century AD, originally with 20,000 seats, was used for gladiator battles with exotic animals. It is still used today for bullfights- more men fighting animeals.
Roman baths- didn't see these but you can go to my blog list and read 'Baths and Brothels' from when I was in Ephesus, Turkey last year. I kind of think the Romans had one city plan which they built everywhere they invaded. Lucky for us they were master builders and architects as so many their structures still stand today 20 centuries later.
I was was excited to be in Arles for two reasons- Valentine' and Van Gogh. Valentine' has been my writing workshop leader the past 6 or 7 years. I was so excited to find her here in Memphis because she was trained by AWA, Amherst Writers and Artists, as my former writing teacher, Genie Zeiger, had been in Massachusetts. Their philosophy is that " a writer is someone who writes and that every writer has a unique voice." She is French and, sadly for those of us who love her, she is moving back to Arles. When I first heard that news a little " trumpian" voice in my head thought "How can she leave the finest country on earth?" But when I was in Arles I thought "How could she have ever left this beautiful
place to live in Memphis?" I remembered Mark Twain's words:" Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness...." So I envy her her new life in her house near a tiny square with market vendors, and sidewalk cafes where you can sit all day and watch local life or clueless tourists go by. I am so glad I got the chance to see her new home as now I can envision her sitting there with her sweet dog Lola.
I've heard said that Salzburg, Austria is musical heaven. Well, France must be artist's heaven. Arles is where Van Gogh lived for 15 months in 1888 and 1889. He painted over 250-300 canvases while there but, alas, not one resides in the town today. The word is that one is coming back when a new museum opens in a year or so. Most people know his sad story. Today it is thought that he might have been bi-polar. Gaughin was with him for a few months in Arles but they fought terribly and he left. Van Gogh continued to paint all around the city. As I walked around there would be reproductions of his painting placed in front of the
exact spot where they were originally done. Truly it made paintings I'd seen for years come to life.
While his paintings are beautiful his story is not pretty. His mental state deteriorated. He cut off his ear and almost bled to death. He went to a hospital where he continued paint. But this was not enough. His brother, Theo, got him a placement in an asylum in St. Remy that is still standing. He painted many of his famous sunflower pictures as well as irises, lilies, tall elegant cypresses and twisted olive groves while a resident there. Poor man. He left the asylum and went to Auvers- sue- Oise in northern France. There he painted 80 canvases in 70 days. It was here he died of a fatal gunshot, with his brother by his side.
Van Gogh had traveled far to find the right locations for his paintings - the colors, the light, the natural beauty, but he never found peace. He painted for only ten years, but, oh what a legacy he left. The words of Don Mc Lean's song "Vincent" (sometimes known for its opening line "Starry, starry night" kept worming its way into my brain.
I remembered so many beautiful references:
"Weathered faces lined in pain/ are soothed beneath the artist's loving hand"
"Flaming flowers that brightly blaze"
Best to google it and listen to the full version.
More later......
Carolyn
Advertisement
Tot: 0.154s; Tpl: 0.013s; cc: 14; qc: 55; dbt: 0.0984s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.2mb
D MJ Binkley
Dave and Merry Jo Binkley
A+
You go to the head of the class for correcting the misinformation. That jet lag can play with your mind. Glad you are enjoying artist heaven. Thrilled you finally made it to France.