Our Location

May 17, from St. Gilles to Arles and a weekend in Arles

	Today we cruise upriver on the Petit Rhone to the split with the Grand Rhone above Arles and then down-river into Arles. We enter the Petit Rhone at the St. Gilles, a lock with quite large dimensions, 195 meters long and 12 meters wide. The level of the lock varies with the water level of the little Rhone. At this time it is less than half a meter. Above Arles the Rhone splits into the Petit and the Grand Rhone. Both branches lead to the Mediterranean Sea. The Petit Rhone is navigable only from the split to the St Gilles Lock.
	The Petit Rhone can be quite a fierce river (you wouldn't know it from these pictures). If the water level is high then the rivers carries a lot of sand which can make the river quite shallow in certain areas. These shallow areas are marked by black and red buoys. These buoys are mounted using steel and concrete mountings - so even if there is enough water the danger to hit a steel bar outside of the marked waterway is always present. So it is quite important to stay between the buoys.
	The bridge at Fourques. By now we have cruised about 8 hours from Beaucaire. To reach the bridge by car it only takes about 15 minutes.
	Arles, the old Roman city. The remains of the Amphitheater are visible on the left side of the picture. Today the Arenes the Arles are used for a modern version of Gladiator style entertainment - Bull-fights! Not some tame version of it, but the real thing. But don't get me started on it ....
	Our mooring on the Rhone. Only a short walk from the town center on the opposite side (left bank) of the Rhone. So yes, we are properly moored upstream (in case you forgot we still have our teacher with us).
	Speaking of our teacher. Here he is enjoying a drink opposite the Roman Amphitheater.
	Sunday morning breakfast in Arles. One thing that always seems to work in France are bakeries. Bread is so important to the French that most bakeries are open on Sundays. Some even over lunch-time! If you have not lived in France you might not know how important lunch-time is. Everything is closed! Stores, locks, banks, .... - I guess if someone were planning an invasion in France they just would need to start at 12:30 and the army would be enjoying lunch and couldn't be bothered.
	The Avanti B in good (large) company. A commercial barge pushing up-river past our mooring.