The camera stayed packed away today...well, for the most part!! (There's always something that catches my eye!!) But having "done" the major attractions, today was a day to browse the shops and wander aimlessly!
I started my morning at the post office shipping home what will probably be the first package of "stuff" that I don't want to lug across Europe! Then, I stopped into a coffee bar for a cafe au lait which I sipped leisurely while sitting at a sidewalk table while watching the world go by! One especially pleasing sight was a happy, little moonfaced man, probably in his late 70's, passing by with his baguette and a single red rose! It sent my romantic self all a flutter!! Who was the lucky lady? His wife of 50+ years? A new lady love giving him renewed hope after the death of his beloved wife? The possibilities were endless - although not all as lovely and virtuous as my first two!!
I moved along to the Amphitheatre and staked out a place on the steps. There seemed to have been an influx of tour groups overnight and the lines at the attractions were long and noisy. Virtual tsunamis of people advancing up and down the already cramped streets or appearing unexpectedly from around corners! HORDES of school groups too!! I have always thought it would be exciting to accompany a group of students to a foreign country. The group leaders here looked FAR from excited and, after watching and listening to the various groups, I quickly abandoned that notion for my own life!!! There are some things that just have to be seen and done without a gaggle of students in tow!!
There was even a brawl in front of the Amphitheatre. Not sure if it was the students, the locals or a combination of the two. Teachers were scrambling to get their students out of the way and the students were keen for the live "entertainment"!!
The cathedral square has become another "hub" where the teenagers gather at the end of the day and ride their bikes, skateboard and mingle. Far from the quiet, peaceful respite of a few mornings ago!
Off to what has become one of my favourite boulangeries/patisseries to pick up a quiche for lunch. No processed foods or packaged lunches here. Everything is fresh, prepared on site and for considerably less than the Lunchables the kids eat at school!! Tastes WAY better too!!
After lunch I strolled along the Rhone and came upon the site where Van Gogh apparently painted La Nuit Etoilee sur le Rhone. It really suffers in translation in daylight and the Rhone was a muddier colour than the lovely blues and greens that Van Gogh used!!
And this is the closest you will come to seeing an "I was there" shot from me! Taking the shot from another angle would have put me in the Rhone!!
Beside the river is a boules court and there was a group of men having a rousing game! I sat on one of the benches and watched. No fancy magnets on a string for this group - they bent over to pick up their boules!! Despite the laughter and camaraderie, you can sense that it is serious stuff so I took my photos from a distance!!
I wound my way back into the old town through the ramparts and gates. 
There's also a very decorative fountain just inside the walls. It's the first I've seen that includes a painting as well as sculpture and is not a separate structure.
I have been fascinated by santons since I started reading about Provence and was determined that I would have at least one as a souvenir of my time here. They became a popular artform and keepsake during the French Revolution when churches were closed. These little terracotta figures replaced the larger nativity scenes that were no longer allowed. The figures grew to include more than just the nativity figures and encompass a whole cast of characters - Frederic Mistral, shepherd boys, women at the well, queens (a huge honour for a single, 25 year old woman with long hair?! (so she can wear it up in the traditional style) who will be crowned Queen of the Arlesiennes on May 1st) and others from traditional daily Provencal life. They come in a variety of sizes (and prices!) and are captivating. I spent a considerable amount of time in one little shop looking at santons made by 4 or 5 different artisans. It was easy to see the incredible detail and painstaking artistry in some and the basic simplicity of others. I have been drawn to the fountains in each of the villages so it only seemed fitting that I buy a fountain! Of course you can't have a fountain without a woman with her jar beside it and I was given several choices. Interestingly, I chose the woman done by the same artist who had done the fountain - she just seemed to fit?! And since sheep are another of my new "loves", I bought a sheep to add to my own nativity crèche scene. Again the choices were overwhelming but the face of one particularly grabbed me so he will be my newest addition!
It was time to start to think about dinner so I cruised the sidewalk cafes reading menus. Maybe it was the vast selection but nothing seemed to appeal and, totally out of character for me, I didn't want to eat just for the sake of eating?! I settled for a bowl of ice cream to eat while I walked and picked up a salad for later in the evening if hunger hits.
And so ends my final full day on my own. Tomorrow my travel companions arrive!! I have enjoyed having this blog for those "I have to tell you" and "I have to show you" moments but it will be even better having Mom and Dad here to share the experiences with me. We do travel well together and I will continue to keep you posted on our adventures!
