A bully time in Arles

Savannah, The Gladiator

ARLES - Arles is  pretty cool city about an hour and half from us that's known for its Roman Coliseum and Theatre (or ruins thereof). Actually, the Coliseum, or Arenes d'Arles as it is called, is in pretty good shape and they still use it for events (if the painted seat numbers on the wooden bleachers are any indication - I don't think they had those back in Spartacus' day). It's being restored, too, and it is supposedly one of the best preserved of the Roman-style coliseums in the world.

The big thing in this part of France is the bulls and horses, which roam nearby in the Camargue, a uniquely French version of the Wild West but stunningly beautiful. They raise the bulls here that participate in many of the bull fighting events that happen throughout the south of France, and this is where young kids train to be matadors, too. The area is known for its wild white horses and les gardiens, the French cowboys whose tradition goes back to the 1600s, and who would be equally at home on the plains of Texas.

Sure, they're brave when no bulls are around

We went there with the visiting Greenwoods, and since they live in Barcelona, we wanted to show them we have a lot of old stuff, too. Plus, the bullfighting theme seemed appropriate. Apparently, the style of bullfighting in this part of France does not end with the matador killing the bull (or vice versa), but the removing of a flower that is pinned to the head of the bull, in some kind of bovine mindmeld experience.

We got a late jump on the day and just barely got in before the closing time at the Coliseum. In fact, just as the kids snuck down on to the floor of the arena (which was surprisingly easy), the 'last call' announcement came over the loudspeaker, echoing in a somewhat frightening manner throughout the arena. Of course, we told the kids that they had just announced the bulls were being released, which made them move faster than they had all weekend.

Arles is a deceptively larger city than it first appears, and there looked to to be lots of interesting nooks and crannies to explore. We weaved our way through many of them as we attempted to find the cars in the dark, in a steady rain. I wished we had planned a bit better and spent more time there, and even used it to foray into the nearby Camargue. The cold damp day motivated us to seek more comfortable environs (read: wine by the fireplace)  so I'm willing to give this place another shot to see if it can move up on our Places to See list, especially if there is a bullfight on (in April, they have their own running of the bulls, too, albeit a bit less wild than the Pamplona version).

If all else fails, there's an annual Nude Photography Festival that happens in Arles, too, so that sounds like a decent excuse to go back.