Ruth ’27 and Simona ’28 reflect on their final days of immersion in the culture, cuisine, and community of southern France.
After a week and a half in Arles, I have really started to get to know the city. This Wednesday morning, Nyeema and I arrived particularly early, just as Katie was opening the gate to Arles à la Carte at 8 AM. We had a good thirty minutes before our departure by bus, so Nyeema and I decided to get a small snack.
At this hour, the only people on the streets were Nyeema and me, along with various shopkeepers opening up their stores for the day. It was cooler than usual, with a breeze weaving through the streets, yet the sun shone bright enough to keep us warm. Eventually, Nyeema and I arrived at a little café and ordered pastries and tea before heading back to meet our peers at Arles à la Carte.
We continued our morning along the quiet quais of the Rhône, each person sparking conversation as they walked along the tranquil river. On the bus, Iris greeted us with fresh strawberries, cheese, and a crispy baguette that she had boughtfrom the market. We all munched on various snacks as the bus drove by the beautiful limestone cliff formations of Les Alpilles.
When I got off the bus, I was struck by the beauty of the small mountain village of Baux-de-Provence. Here is where we spent the rest of our day. Whether promenading through the old picturesque streets that overlook the surrounding countryside or smelling perfumes with my friends in the savonnerie, I was determined to appreciate all that Baux-de-Provence had to offer.
Eventually, Ruth, Nyeema, Emily, Iris, Liou (Emily’s host sister), and I made our way to the ruins of a château. We climbed numerous unstable stone stairs in an attempt to reach the highest point on the cliff. A few times, the wind almost blew us away! Thankfully, we survived and descended to the safety of the ground… and the glacier (ice cream stand), obviously.
Afterward, we regrouped with our team and headed to the Carrières des Lumières, a giant stone quarry that displays art expositions. I will admit that I was a bit skeptical at first. I didn’t think I would have much fun in a quarry, but the moment I entered, it felt as though I was in a different world. The beautiful art was accompanied by animations and music, forming an almost surreal ambiance. Light covered the towering walls and encapsulated everyone immediately. I think many of my peers would agree that it was honestly one of the coolest experiences.
In the afternoon, we all went to Katie’s, the director of Arles à la Carte, and enjoyed a home-cooked meal, swimming, and laughing around jeux de société (board games). Eventually, we all parted ways as we returned to our host families with various plans to fill the remainder of our day.
This evening, I went to watch the training for the course camarguaise (not bull fighting, but more like a game). I watched the young kids run around the bull and, even more intriguingly, watched the taureau continuously jump over the fencing. The evening ended, as usual, with a calm dinner with the family, all the kids helping clean up, and then we returned to our rooms for the night one by one.
As our stay in Arles ends, I have become extremely grateful for the relationships and routines I have found in what used to be such a foreign place to me. With very few days left on this trip, I hope to continue enjoying time with others and appreciating everything around me.
-Simona
Today, June 11th, was an amazing day. I started the day the same way I usually do: by getting ready for classes and then grabbing a small breakfast on the way out the door.
Today was our last day of classes at Arles à la Carte after two weeks. We each gave a presentation about our favorite spot in Arles, one that we would recommend to someone else. I did my presentation on the Espace Van Gogh, which is a beautiful garden in the center of Arles. This is my favorite spot in Arles because of its rich history and the delicious crêperie located inside the garden. After we finished our presentations, one of our teachers, Coralie, led us in a short activity where we walked around the city, finding all the places in Arles that inspired Van Gogh’s paintings.
Every day for the past two weeks, we have had language lunches where we eat at a restaurant together in two groups and speak French. Today we all ate together, as it was our last one. We ate at a restaurant that specializes in tartes, and it was delicious. After we ate, we headed to the LUMA Tower, where we walked to the top and rode the slide inside the building. We also spent some time exploring the gardens surrounding it.
After the visit, we were given free time to roam through the city before returning to our families. So, Nyeema and I decided to have a photo shoot. We went to the Espace Van Gogh to take pictures in front of the garden, and then we took pictures near the Amphitheater. Before we returned to Arles à la Carte to be picked up by our host families, we couldn’t forget to say goodbye to our jeweler, Frankie, who has a jewelry stand near the Amphitheater with gorgeous pieces.
After I was picked up by my host family, we went to the supermarket to shop for ingredients for dinner. Tonight we ate linguine pasta with carbonara sauce. After dinner, my host family and I watched a movie.
-Ruth
