Arles

Arles was the home of Vincent van Gogh and many of the scenes he painted are still part of the town for example the cafe at night and the hospital gardens. Arles was established by the Greeks as early as the 6th century BC (thanks Wikipedia) and has some amazing Roman ruins including a Roman arena that, I believe, is as impressive as the colosseum in Roma. 

I thought the pillars needed some support so held them up for a while and the other photo is of the Roman forum with the arena in the background as well as an ever present church. Restoration of the arena and forum are well underway and both are used for community events such as concerts and bull fights. 

The last time we were in Arles we visited van Gogh's bedroom. It cost us a bit but we thought it was too good an opportunity to miss. As a teenager, I was a big van Gogh fan and when I moved out from home, I set my new bedroom up to be as close to his painting as possible. Well, mine looked more authentic than the one we visited in Arles, at least I had a real bed and chair! We had  stood at the top of the stairs looking into an MDF and paint replica of van Gogh's bedroom and fell about laughing. We still laugh about that now and believe it or not, the display was still set up for tourists in the same way. We declined to revisit, opting instead for a coffee at the local cafe and some people watching. 

Arles is one of those places in the world where I could happily live.