Gare d’Arles

I spent the whole day exploring the ancient city of Arles. I was surprised to see how much ancient Roman history was in this city. I got to appreciate more facets of ancient Roman society than I would have expected. There were various aspects of Roman life which were exposed here, from their entertainment in the form of the amphitheater and the ancient theater. The Roman baths were another aspect of life which isn’t very commonly exposed when it comes to archaeology, the ones here give visitors and idea of how the Romans kept clean and enjoy while doing it. The cryptoporticus was true to its name a hidden part of the life of the ancient Romans, this is where the stored stuff and there happens to be a large one under the former Roman forum. Finally, the necropolis of Alyscamps is perhaps the most intriguing one I have visited here. The ancient cemetery is just outside the walls of Arles and also another part of Roman culture which is on display here in Arles.

I was surprised how long it took me to explore these places. Then again, I was really taking my time this and not rushing from place to place. I think it was a wise decision to do that since it would have been disservice to Arles to just breeze past all the sights and not understand them. Unfortunately for me, the nights were shorts this time of the year and I decided to head back to Avignon. The train station Gare d’Arles is a short walk away and I was lucky it wasn’t freezing cold then. The Gare d’Arles station was surprisingly small considering how important it is as a tourist destination. Perhaps it doesn’t figure too much when it comes to tourism with Paris taking the lion’s share of the tourist euros. I think that would be better since places like Arles won’t be overcrowded. Trains back to Avignon are frequent and shortly I was one board the train and making my way back.

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