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Provence

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Video: Something Old, Something New: Nîmes’ Museum of Romanity

Romanity! It’s Roman humanity, and there’s a shiny new museum about just that in Nîmes: The Museum of Romanity is opening on June 2, and I got a sneak preview (shared in this clip). I’ve never seen southern Europeans scramble so hard — because in a few weeks, it’s the grand opening.

Nîmes is famed for its ancient ruins but, until now, it had no appropriate museum. This is big news. Wandering the unfinished rooms of this museum, I was thinking about how Europe loves to invest in — and share — its heritage, and how it’s the world’s heritage, too. When you pay $10 to go into a great museum, remember what it takes to make that experience possible.

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Video: Going to Market in Nîmes

Bonjour! It’s Day 22 of my 100-day trip to Europe, and I’m in Provence, France. Each city here has a great market hall, and Les Halles de Nîmes has a special extra touch: The merchants’ names and photos are hanging from the ceiling. In this clip, with my good local guide Silvie, I share a special budget tip: Eat at the diners in the markets — the quality is great, prices are amazing, and you might even meet a politician trying to win your vote.

The south of France is so comfortable in May (no crowds, great weather). Expensive? $100 hotel doubles, $10 lunches, and lots of free fun if you know how to travel. Tips? You’ll find about 600 pages of them in the Rick Steves guidebook for this corner of Europe.

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Video: Good Morning from Arles

Waking up with the church bells in Arles is a fine start to another Provence day in the south of France. I just had to share my groggy stream of unconsciousness…the smell of the sheets (Who slept here?), that lovely confusion before you first open your eyes (Where am I?). Then, throw open the shades and greet the world — it’s Provence!

When on the road (and traveling well), each day is a cornucopia of learning, images, people, new ideas, and memories. Inspired by this hotel balcony view, I’ll slog happily through another day of research to make our Rick Steves’ France guidebook work even better for our travelers.

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Video: Drunk History in Arles

Moonlight, wine, and history — with a Roman obelisk as a swizzle stick. That’s my way to cap a hard day of guidebook research updating Arles in the south of France.

I like the idea that a good guide can be dropped in any square in Europe and give an impromptu talk to inspire their travelers to love history: an ancient obelisk, a people’s toilet, a Van Gogh sky, and a Romanesque tympanum…all woven into some happy travels.

Wine is an amazing value here — and if you wander around town with your romance pedal to the cultural metal after a glass or two, it gets even better. Trappy Havels!

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Video: The Gentle Metabolism of Aix-en-Provence’s Morning Market

Buried deep in Aix-en-Provence is a thriving morning market. Provence, in the south of France, is a land of markets — colors, people, a relaxed vibe, and a love of life have all existed together in tight quarters for centuries. When you have a small fridge tucked under the sink (rather than a freezer in the garage), you need to go shopping each morning — and you get to check in with your neighbors.

When you actually reach out and get to know it, you learn that the world’s not going to hell in a handbag, it’s going to the market with a shopping bag. (I love pondering such thoughts while I’m updating our Provence & the French Riviera guidebook. And this work never gets old, thanks to the encouraging smiles and happy feedback from the travelers my co-author Steve Smith and I keep meeting.)

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