On the Road Again – From Arles to Saint-Rémy-de-Provence

After ten days in Arles we hit the road again for a short drive to Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, to meet up with dear friends from the states, Shirley and Jim. It was so nice to be together in person. We thoroughly enjoyed our time together, and exploring Saint-Rémy. This quintessential, provencal town is the perfect place to spend a long weekend. It has shops, restaurants, Roman ruins, and much more.

Saint-Rémy is where artist Vincent van Gogh received psychiatric treatment at Hôpital Saint-Paul à Saint-Remy. As most of you probably know, Van Gogh was a troubled but gifted soul who found relationships, and life in general very difficult. He alienated most of his close friends and family members, and usually felt troubled and alone. Not long after his argument with fellow artist Paul Gaugin at the yellow house in Arles, he cut off his ear and ended up at the psychiatric hospital in Saint-Rémy.

A walking tour of the locations that inspired Van Gogh’s paintings in Saint-Rémy was one of the highlights of our stay in the village. The tour is lined with reproductions of the paintings in the very locations where he found inspiration for them. Each panel has a little information about the painting and the details he shared with friends and family about his thoughts and recovery progress. There are a total of 19 panels throughout the tour.

These markers on the ground will guide you from one panel to the next.

The walk is mostly flat and is about 1.2 miles (2 km) round trip. It takes you from the town center, through a quiet residential area before opening up near olive groves with nice views of the Chaîne des Alpilles mountain in the distance.

The hospital, Hôpital Saint-Paul à Saint-Remy, is set in a beautiful location at the base of the mountains. This 20 acre (8 hectare) facility is a lovely tranquil location that is still in use today, although the treatments are much more humane now than they were during Van Gogh’s stay.

There is a 6€ admission fee to see the grounds, monastery – Saint Paul de Mausole, and the room where Van Gogh lived between May 1889 – May 1890 while receiving treatment.

Sadly, Van Gogh and Paul Gaugin never saw each other again after their vicious fight in Arles; however, they did exchange some letters. Such a sad story, but his art and legend lives on.

We had some delicious meals in Saint-Rémy. Shirley and Jim have enjoyed La Cantina on multiple occasions, so of course, we had to try it as well. This Italian restaurant is absolutely delicious.

Another fabulous restaurant is Gus. We ate here after our walking tour, and the food was delicious.

There’s still more to share about our road trip in southern France including stops in Les Baux-de-Provence, Gordes, L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, and more about our time with Shirley and Jim. However, we’re off to Norway tomorrow to spend time with other dear friends, Tim and Lisa. I love it when friends and family are on the same continent; can’t wait to see them tomorrow!

Wishing you grand adventures,

Tricia