The Lauds, the morning prayer, is at 6 AM, and I gladly participate as a token of gratitude for the hospitality of the sisters. There is also a donativo system here: you give what you want to give. The small church is quite filled so early in the morning, and the Lauds (the praising of God at the start of the day) lasts 75 minutes. Waking up with beautiful hymns isn't difficult—quite the opposite. After the service, I have a simple breakfast of bread and jam from the nuns. I always bring my instant coffee with me, as they mostly drink herbal tea from herbs that they gather themselves. Twice a week, guests can join the sisters in nature walks around the monastery to collect herbs and other leaves. I drink my instant coffee with a good spoonful of jam in it and without milk. It even tastes good. At 8:15, I am on my way to Arles, in the middle of a Provençal landscape (on the edge of the Ardèche) surrounded by singing cicadas. Apparently, that noise comes from the wings of male cicadas, which they use to impress the female cicadas. Cycling through such a landscape is truly blissful. I head toward Uzès, a small town I reach after 25 km.
Cycling along provençal ways. The town of Uzès
Around 10 AM, I ride into the town and accidentally come across the marché aux herbes, which is something like the main square of Uzès. It's built like the squares of most bastides and fortified villages or small towns, with covered walkways under the houses on all sides of the irregular square. Along the small alleys, already with some tourists, I cycle past the old castle and the Hôtel de Ville, back to the circular street that surrounds the town. On this street are two churches, of which the cathedral is the most famous.I
The cathedral of Uzès: Portal and interior. Evelyne
I step inside because I want a stamp for my credential. In the sacristy, where the vestments and chalices, etc., are kept, there's a reception where a lady, Evelyne, welcomes me with open arms when she hears that I am a pilgrim who wants a stamp. Her 38-year-old son is on the road from Le Puy-en-Velay (Via Podiensis), near Cahors (with its beautiful bridge), where I was last year with Bruno. She immediately slips a 5-euro note into my bag as a contribution to the fund; there's no refusing. The pastor is busy polishing his silverware with special gloves that make it shine, as there is a liturgical service later. I take some photos of his silverware. After visiting the interior of the church, I go outside to take photos of the typical Lombardic Romanesque round tower that stands next to the church.
Uzès: tower of the cathedral. The covered walkways and the castle
I leave the town in the direction of Remoulins, but I realize that I'm only 12 km from the Pont du Gard, the famous Roman aqueduct. A 'voie verte' (greenway) even leads there, and from there, another 'voie verte' takes me to Arles. Just like in Belgium, these 'voies vertes' are often on old railway beds. I happily take the extra kilometers to take photos of this magnificent structure for our Moses, Motje, who loves Latin and classical culture. It's incredibly busy there, a real tourist invasion, but I don't like that at all.
The Pont du Gard
After trying to take photos for half an hour, I flee back to my 'voie verte' via Remoulins, Beaucaire, and Tarascon towards Arles. Now I'm fully in Provence, of course. The last part of this 'voie verte' is still under construction: there are practically no trees (so it's sweltering), and workmen are just setting up the first concrete table with a crane at a rest area. They insist I try it out, which I'm happy to do, as I have everything with me: French bread, pork cheeks with pickles, and a cold beer bought a few kilometers earlier, near Tarascon. The 'voie verte' ends along the Rhône in the port of Arles, still a neglected stretch of road, but after one kilometer, I'm at a beautiful part of the harbor, as this is where 'tourisme fluvial' (river tourism) is in full swing: large flat cruise boats are unloading tourists from all over the world, who are flooding the city.
The St Trophime church and my pilgrim and my pilgrim accommodation
I cycle through the town past the St. Trophime Church, a Romanesque masterpiece, past the Roman theater and the famous Roman arena to my pilgrim accommodation in Rue des Chanoines. An older lady from Antwerp, Myriam Van Reeth, renovated an old house a year and a half ago, with a part for two pilgrims. You can only stay there if you have a credential. A refreshing menthe à l’eau (mint water) is waiting for me. I share the room with a Canadian pilgrim who is leaving early tomorrow morning. I am very warmly welcomed: it couldn't be better. I can have dinner and breakfast here. I will stay for two nights to rest for a day before cycling the Via Tolosana or the voie d’Arles. After some rest, I head to the old town center nearby after 5:30 PM, then have a pleasant dinner, and go to bed early, sleeping until 7 AM.
The Roman arena of Arles
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