Day 44 - June 22nd: Love on The Camino
Arles to Vauvert: 25.6 miles / 1,179 total
Yesterday was the summer solstice, and in France, it’s celebrated nationwide with free music festivals. Completely by coincidence, it was also our day off—so we were treated to a perfect blend of rest, relaxation, and culture. After a poolside day and a great French dinner at La Bohème in Arles, we walked into a city absolutely alive. Music filled the streets—bands, solo performers, storefronts and stages. Every genre imaginable, and every street packed. So far on this trip, Arles is my favorite city. It’s the combination of preserved history, cultural depth, and raw energy. Then again, this place has been a hub for over a thousand years!
At night…
Arles was founded by the Greeks in the 6th century BC and later flourished under the Romans. At its height, it was a major Roman port and administrative center. The amphitheater, baths, and ancient theater are still remain for us to experience and reach back in time with. In the Middle Ages, it remained a pilgrimage hub, especially for those starting the Via Tolosana or Arles Way, the southernmost Camino route to Santiago.
And in the morning where the official trail begins.
Jax and I hit the road this morning, leaving our house at 8:10 a.m. under a muggy, hot and hazy sky. We ran into the center of Arles and picked up the official start of the Via Tolosana. The plan was for Laura and Peter to leave their car in Saint-Gilles, then have Monica drop them with me in Arles to walk a 17 km stretch.
Once we were all together, we left Arles by way of a small country road, eyes peeled for the red-and-white Camino markers. The road was quiet and flat, gradually easing into farmland. On our right: rice paddies and wheat fields. On our left: open terrain and grazing land. We saw white Camargue horses and black bulls, typical of this region and part of a protected nature reserve.
We settled into a rhythm—about 11 minutes per kilometer. The morning felt smooth and strong, which for me was dangerous because of the urge to push it. But walking with Laura and Peter today, I had to keep it chill and that was perfect for me.. As the sun climbed and the breeze disappeared, we danced from one side of the road to the other chasing slivers of shade.
After three hours, we crossed the Petit Rhône via a span bridge, then rolled into Saint-Gilles, a town rooted in deep medieval pilgrimage history. Its 12th-century Abbey of Saint-Gilles was one of the four main starting points of the Camino de Santiago in France. The abbey’s Romanesque façade is world-renowned, and its crypt holds the remains of Saint Gilles, a hermit monk revered throughout Europe in the Middle Ages.
Laura and Peter stopped for lunch, and I pushed on alone for the remaining 17 km to Vauvert. The day got tricky fast. I missed a trail marker and ended up on the D6572. I switched from the Buen Camino app to Google Maps, which sent me onto a dirt road. After a few kilometers, I reached a large gate at a winery. I crawled through the opening and followed the road between rows of vines, only to reach a fenced-off dead end. The map said go straight—so I climbed over. No harm done, but I was glad Laura and Peter missed this part.
Eventually, I crossed a canal that irrigates much of the farmland in the area. Then—another fence, and this one I couldn’t get past. No obvious path, no Google help. I picked a direction (left), skirted the edge of a massive winery, and after another 7 km, I reconnected with the Arles Way.
From there it was survival mode. No shade, no breeze, no water. But I made it to Vauvert, where Laura and Peter were waiting—at the same spot I’d passed through one week ago before pushing eastward to Grasse. Today, the circle closed. Route connected. Mission accomplished.
Dehydrated and hungry, we drove the 41 km back to Arles, buzzing with stories. We returned to a welcome spread of French cheeses, meats, and bread—courtesy of Monica, Tina, and Jax. The pool felt like a return to life.
Tonight’s our last night all together before we break camp in the morning. Everyone heads in different directions—but for me, the road continues east from Grasse.
Thanks for the support.
Cheers,
David
