Showing posts with label France. Show all posts
Showing posts with label France. Show all posts
There are travel moments when history doesn’t feel like “long ago”—it feels present. On our Viking Rhone River Cruise excursion into Old Town Arles (click HERE to read) we stepped through sunlit arches and into the living story of the Arles Amphitheatre, a monument that has held the city’s heartbeat since 90 AD. Built as a testament to Roman engineering, it still crowns the center of Arles with quiet grandeur and enduring strength.
Walking up as we approached it was an absolutely beautiful setting!
Raised during the height of Roman influence in Gaul, the amphitheatre was designed for movement and spectacle: two tiers of arcades, 120 arches, horizontal passageways and staircases that guided the crowds with impressive efficiency.
Measuring approximately 136 m by 109 m, it seated about 21,000 spectators for chariot races, gladiatorial combats, and public celebrations—the social theater of an ancient world that loved order, drama, and the shared ritual of gathering.
As the Roman Empire receded in the 5th century, the amphitheatre’s purpose changed with the times. The people of Arles transformed it into a refuge and a fortress, adding four towers and building a small town within the arena itself—more than 200 houses and two chapels. For centuries, life unfolded inside these stones: homes clustered in the oval, a public square at the center, and chapels anchoring prayer to place. It is impossible to stand in the galleries and not feel both eras speaking at once.
In the late 1700s, a new chapter began. An expropriation process started in 1826 and was completed by 1830, clearing the houses from the arena and returning the monument to public life. That same year, the first modern event was held here—a bull race—signaling the return of the amphitheatre’s role as a place for the city to gather. In 1981, it was inscribed as part of the UNESCO World Heritage ensemble, “Arles, Roman and Romanesque Monuments,” honoring its significance and preservation.
What I love most is that the amphitheatre remains vibrant—not a relic behind glass, but a venue that still hosts performances, concerts, and bull games across the seasons. Even when we were there for a tour- you could see students on a field trip learning about the History. You can feel the continuity: stone built for crowds still welcoming them, an ancient oval still holding light and story. We climbed, paused, and looked out over the city’s rooftops—thankful for places that gently stitch past and present together.
I definitely recommend a trip to the Arles Ampitheater- it is an amazing piece of History to see! If you want to go here are a few facts to help you before you go:
Location: 1 Rond-point des Arènes, 13200 Arles, France (city center)
UNESCO: Listed since 1981 as part of “Arles, Roman and Romanesque Monuments.”
Today: The monument hosts cultural events (including bullfights, performances, and seasonal reenactments). Hours vary seasonally—check the official listing before your visit.
Disability Friendly?: Yes - there were opportunities for those in wheel chairs to be able to get into the Ampitheater and also be able to see inside. There were other places- for climbing stairs that are not possible to access.
Thank you for stopping by and reading today! I hope that you enjoyed this brief overview of our walking tour and my time in historic Arles! I can't wait to share more about our adventures on this cruise! If you are interested in reading more about our Rhone River Cruise with Viking, you can click on the links below:
Viking River Cruise (2025):
Arles: // The Arles Ampitheater (Les Arenes D' Arles) //A Day in Arles France //
Viking Cruise Specific Posts: // Embarkation Day on the Viking Delling //
// Viking Rhone River Cruise: Answers to Your Most FAQ's // 9 Must Have Experiences on the Viking Delling //
Viking Rhone River Specific IG Reels: // The Incredible Crew of the Viking Delling (IG Reel) //
Historical details and visitor information adapted from Arles-Guide.
my tiniest one minute travel junk journal / paris and rouen france travel junk journal
November 5, 2025
Paris + Rouen | The Tiniest Travel Junk Journal I’ve Ever Made (in less than a minute).
From cobblestone streets to cathedral bells, each page holds a memory — a little bridge between film and ink, beauty and belonging.
This is the tiniest junk journal I’ve ever created for a trip — small enough to slip into my purse, yet filled with Paris and Rouen stories I never want to forget. Because sometimes the smallest souvenirs hold the biggest stories and storytelling doesn’t end when the plane lands… some journeys deserve to be handwritten. 💌
Do you journal your travels in film or are they handwritten?
Please head on over to watch, comment, and like the reel HERE! Thank you all so much for your engagement on things like this! It makes more of a difference then you know as a content creator. Even a simple "like" is meaningful. Thank you.
Thank you so much for all of the interest! It was fun to share a reel like this! I hope you have a wonderful Wednesday friends!
Caravan Sonnet | Travel Junk Journal | Paris and Rouen France
a day in arles france / viking rhone river cruise / my viking story / arles, france
November 3, 2025
There are certain places where you feel as though you’ve stepped into a storybook — cobbled lanes, sun-warmed stone, whispering history — and Arles is one of them. Nestled along the southern curve of the Rhone River, this Provençal gem invites you into its embrace: ancient and alive, gentle and grand, quiet and full of texture. I will tell y'all right now that I have about a thousand pictures from Arles alone, but don't worry- I am not going to share all of them! Haha! On a serious note though- Arles was one of my favorite places we spent time in on this cruise (and yes, you will hear me say that often over these posts because I fell in love with these charming cities along this route).
Arles was our first full day (we embarked in Avignon (read a post HERE or watch an IG reel HERE) and then traveled to Arles) - and it was a highlight of the trip. Our tour lasted for approximately 3 hours and it was a lovely morning exploring and learning more about this charming French city. This was truly an amazing way to start off our excursions on our River Cruise… I was so enamored with this beautiful place that I went back in the afternoon to explore more. It is hard to pick a favorite place on this trip, but this was the absolute perfect way to start our tours! Arles to me was a place where you wanted to linger in corners that felt part museum, part film-set, part Beauty and the Beast dream.
After breakfast aboard the ship, we disembarked and walked into Old Town Arles. If you have been on other Viking trips- this was a bit different because typically you get onto a tour bus, but for Arles and many of the stops along the Rhone river you walked right into the town from the ship.
The air held that golden Provençal light; the stones beneath our feet seemed to hum with stories.
Our Viking guide led us through the Roman Theatre, the city walls, and the remnants of Roman Gaul’s urban might and artistry. Arles had been a hub — commerce, culture, empire — and you sense those layers everywhere, beneath shutters and behind arches.
We did spend a brief amount of time at The Arles Amphitheatre (Les Arènes d’Arles).
Built in 90 AD, it once held more than 20,000 spectators, alive with the thunder of chariot wheels and the roar of the crowd. Walking into its heart, I felt the weight and wonder of centuries.
The arena still hosts concerts and the distinctive Camargue bull games; the past is not locked away but still breathing. I have an entire post about this place coming, so for now I just am sharing a few brief pictures.
Mom and I had to smile at this point in our walking tour. Do you see the man above? He was singing and playing in the square and it was beautiful. It also made us smile because it reminded us of our time in Heidelberg, Germany on our Viking Rhine River Cruise- with a man singing in the square. Both were lovely experiences! You can read more about our time in Heidelberg (and our Rhine River cruise) HERE!
After our tour ended, mom and I headed back to the ship on our own and marved at our beatuiful morning as we meandered through the winding and beautiful cobblestone lanes.
After lunch, I decided to return solo to Arles. As many of you are aware mom had injured her knee severely the day before we embarked onto our cruise and we decided that it would be wise for her to rest it so that she could join in the future activities.
As the afternoon sun draped the city in amber light, Arles revealed a different side — gentler, quieter, introspective.
There was a wonder in stepping off the main path and into the side alleys, where vines climbed ancient walls and café chairs waited beneath pastel shutters.
I meandered through the Place du Forum, paused at the café that once captured the gaze of Vincent van Gogh in 1888, where he painted the light of the south and left more than 300 works behind.
In those moments I felt as if I had stepped into a Beauty & the Beast town (which I shared on Instagram- click HERE) — elegant yet wild, charming yet a bit uncanny in its preserved grandeur. The amphitheater by day, the silent courtyard by dusk — both real, both dramatic. I could almost hear the echoes of scenes past.
Travel often teaches us that the most luminous moments are the unhurried ones — when we let the place breathe us in, rather than rushing from one sight to another.
In Arles, I discovered that the old and the present don’t just coexist — they converse. Stone whispers to paint, shadows to sunlight, memory to moment.
When I returned to the ship that evening, the Rhone glinted like melted gold, and the city behind me seemed to glow with all I’d seen and felt. Arles had worked its quiet alchemy.
Thank you for stopping by and reading today! I hope that you enjoyed this brief overview of our walking tour and my time in historic Arles! I can't wait to share more about our adventures on this cruise! If you are interested in reading more about our Rhone River Cruise with Viking, you can click on the links below:
Viking River Cruise (2025):
Viking Cruise Specific Posts: // Embarkation Day on the Viking Delling //
// Viking Rhone River Cruise: Answers to Your Most FAQ's // 9 Must Have Experiences on the Viking Delling //
Viking Rhone River Specific IG Reels: // The Incredible Crew of the Viking Delling (IG Reel) //
Happy Monday friends! I hope that you had the most lovely weekend! Today I thought it would be fun to share a short reel about my leaving Paris for a medieval city in Normandie. You can watch, comment, and like it HERE!
Just a little over 2 hours by train, it felt like stepping into another century. Cathedrals that inspired Monet, cobblestone streets filled with stories of Joan of Arc, and cozy restaurants that make you want to linger forever.
Rouen you are incredible.
Rouen you are incredible.
Thank you so much for all of the interest! I have several longer posts coming all about this beautiful city and definitely why you should add this to your bucket list of places to travel, but it was fun to share a brief look into my beautiful time there! Also, thank you for just all of the views, comments, and likes. It might seem strange, but as a digital content creator who loves sharing about all of my travels all of those things are important for my job and I truly appreciate them!
Again, you can find the IG reel HERE!
I hope you have a wonderful Monday friends!
Caravan Sonnet | Rouen France | Normandy
Happy Monday friends! I hope that you had the most lovely weekend! Today I thought it would be fun to share a short reel about my beautiful time at the luxury castle like Hotel de Bourgtheroulde. You can watch, comment, and like it HERE!
In the heart of the beautiful Rouen Town Center, this 15th century castle like hotel awaits.
But it is more than just a magnificent hotel. It is a historic five-star hotel with five centuries of history stories of old. And much like the property that has been carefully restored over time, from the first step across the threshold, to an enchanting first evening on the terrace in the beautiful interior courtyard with live music, delicious food, and lovely company, the Hotel de Bourgtheroulde is a charming haven of rest and gateway to discovering Rouen and the beautiful surrounding region.
Thank you so much for all of the interest! I have a longer post coming, but it was fun to share a brief look into my beautiful time there! Also, thank you for just all of the views, comments, and likes. It might seem strange, but as a digital content creator all of those things are important for my job and I truly appreciate them!
Again, you can find the IG reel HERE!
I hope you have a wonderful Monday friends!
Caravan Sonnet | Rouen, France | Normandie | French Hotel
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less than twenty minutes outside rouen sits the most beautiful and peaceful abbey in normandy's countryside / jardins de l'abbaye saint-georges de boscherville / normandie, france
October 6, 2025
.jpeg "less than twenty minutes outside rouen sits the most beautiful and peaceful abbey in normandy's countryside / jardins de l'abbaye saint-georges de boscherville / normandie, france")
Happy Monday friends! I hope that you had the most lovely weekend! Today I thought it would be fun to share a short reel about my beautiful time at Jardins de' L'Abbaye Saint-Georges de Boscherville in Normandie. You can watch, comment, and like it HERE!
Less than 20 minutes from Rouen in the Seine Valley, the beautiful and peaceful Abbey Saint-Georges was stunning to visit. Built in the 12th century, it was absolutely lovely to be warmly welcomed and spend several hours on the property. For most of tLhe time I had the church and grounds to myself which provided a much needed retreat due away from a very painful situation I am walking through. The quiet and the expanse provided a stunning backdrop. No matter where life finds you when you visit it is a delightful place you will enjoy! From the top you can enjoy the exceptional view over the gardens, the whole abbey and the Seine-Valley.
Thank you so much for all of the interest! I have a longer post coming, but it was fun to share a brief look into my beautiful time there! Also, thank you for just all of the views, comments, and likes. It might seem strange, but as a digital content creator all of those things are important for my job and I truly appreciate them!
Again, you can find the IG reel HERE!
I hope you have a wonderful Monday friends!
Caravan Sonnet | Normandy France | French Abbey
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