Inside the Arena at Arles |
Notre-Dame-de-la-Major |
Van Gogh's hospital |
Inspiration for Café Terrace at Night |
“It’s a ruined village, a hill village south of Avignon. I believe it’s a queer wild sort of place – just ruins and a deserted village and an inn and a wonderful eerie view. It’s just what I feel like, anyway, miles from anywhere.”
Charity gets up very early to witness the arrival of dawn.
I got up, stretched, stood for a moment looking at the growing light. Waiting, perhaps unconsciously, for the trumpet to blow its shrill aubade across the stars.
Something moved behind me.
Moved and spoke.
As I whirled, my heart stampeding, my hands to my throat—
‘’So I’ve found you again,” said Richard Bryon.
He was standing barely three yards away from me. In the darkness I could see him only as a looming shape on the slope above me, but I would have known that voice anywhere, hard, incisive, with an edge to it, and an unpleasant undertone of mockery.
A fountain outside Hôtel de Ville d'Arles |
6 comments:
Now I’m going to have to go back and re-read Madam, Will You Talk. In fact, I’m going to re-read all the Mary Stewart books that I lived as a teenager! Great trip!
“Loved” as a teenager. I’m going to have to start proofing better.
I read Mystery in Arles by Mabel Esther Allan in 2019 - before the original date we were supposed to go on this trip and it was pleasant but not memorable like Madam, Will You Talk?
I love the connections to Madam, Will You Talk? I don't think I have a copy of that but sometime I will find one.
I've been to the Atelier des Lumieres exhibit in Paris which was mostly Van Gogh and it was spectacular, one of the most memorable experiences I've ever had. Recently it's been recreated in the US and I don't think it's nearly as good (and it was a LOT more expensive, I think I paid about €15 in Paris). I really hope they add more artist experiences, it was wonderful. And how great that you got to see the famous cafe in Arles!
The tour guide said they were doing a new one every year but it was unclear to us whether it toured after leaving this cave-like building. It was stupendous but we thought we might have got more out of it if we had been better prepared. Also, I felt one really needed to be sitting down to appreciate it and there were no chairs or benches, We were lucky to find a sort of ledge to sit on. But once we were settled down, it was really beautiful albeit overwhelming! I would definitely seek out more.
I don't recall how much this one cost because our fees were paid in advance but I do remember one of the passengers in our group hadn't brought his vaccine card and the guide had to talk him in. We got tested daily but he didn't have that either.
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