Ô, so Arles are these windows and shutters painted sunny Provençal colors délavés by the elements. In French, full-paneled shutters, above, are called volets, as opposed to persiennes which are louvered, below. We can't help but think of the lilting and so typically French-style film music of Les Volets Clos when looking at them...(click on the title to hear the vintage hit.)
 Did you know that Arles is second only to Rome in number of Roman ruins? Arles' arena, theatre and cryptes date to the first century B.C., and its Roman baths and necropole date the to 6th and 7th centuries, A.D. But that's not all; no less that five thematic pedestrian circuits guide visitors along the Arles of Antiquity, the Arles of the Middle Ages, the Arles of the Renaissance and Classic periods, the Arles of Vincent Van Gogh, and finally a special tour focused on Arles as a world heritage site. More to come... Vocabularly delavé(e): washed out Les Volets Clos: the closed shutters Fermons la fenêtre et laissons les volet clos: Let's shut the window and leave the shutters closed.  Text & photo ©2011 P.B. Lecron |
