Vincent Van Gogh has always been one of my favorite artists. I love his paintings, but I’m even more intrigued by his life. Several years ago I visited Arles, a town in the south of France where Van Gogh spent some time painting, and enjoyed many of the characteristics of the area that drew Van Gogh to it. The surrounding landscape is beautiful, the light can be breathtaking, and the cafes are charming. Van Gogh’s time in Arles was not just a time of artistic genius, but also of impending madness. It seems sad, that although the details of his death are inconclusive and often disputed, the fact remains, that he was driven quite mad during the last few of his 37 years on earth. His death, like so many other artists of many generations, premature and tragic.

If you are an admirer of Van Gogh’s, spending time in Arles, Saint Remy de Provence and Auvers-sur-Oise near Paris, will give you an intimate look at what inspired Van Gogh the man and the artist.