Day Six: South of Avignon

After checking into our hotel late the night before in Avignon, we continued our roadtrip south of Avignon. We were delighted to find ourselves surrounded by countryside dotted with beautiful sunflower fields. We couldn't help but stop and play in those too.

We stopped in St. Remy-de-Provence for lunch, an artsy town for painters, writers, musicians, etc. We walked around to explore the architecture and an old cathedral (empty, dark, and cold, but very pretty). Van Gogh stayed in St. Remy for a time (there is a mental isylum just south of town) and painted many famous paintings around the area. There is a trail here that you can walk with 21 signposts noting places where he painted. The most recognizable painting that came out of St. Remy is "Starry night." I'm sure we all remember the Don McLean song about Vincent and his struggles revealed in his paintings...

Starry, starry night

Paint your palette blue and grey

Look out on a summer's day

With eyes that know the darkness in my soul

Shadows on the hills

Sketch the trees and the daffodils

Catch the breeze and the winter chills
In colors on the snowy linen land...