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Tuesday 16th August
We got up early as we had to catch the 8.20am bud to Avignon. Paul had told us how much he enjoyed Avignon and that it was not to be missed. You can’t sleep in anyway as the bells of the churches start chiming at 7.00am. It wouldn’t be so bad if they all did go off at 7.00 but there is this progression of chimes that last all of five or six minutes. Fruit, yogurt and the local “Fruit and Fibre” – it’s the hardest cornflakes that I have ever had. You can’t eat it quietly and would sound really loud if a family of 4 or 5 were eating at the same time.
Walked to the bus stop and the bus arrived right on time. We paid for our fares - €1.50 and that has to be the cheapest best value thing we have had in France! The distance from Uzes to Avignon is 34 kms but the way the bus went it must have added on 6-10kms as we visited every village in the area. The area between Nimes, Ales, Uzes and Avignon is totally covered in grape vines. It’s a bit like Marlborough except the grapes here are in rows the same but the vines are only about one metre high. We drove into the bus station in Avignon and got out and went outside. WOW.
The city of Avignon is surrounded entirely by a huge wall and ramparts – there is no walk on the wall as we did in Chester or in York. We wanted a coffee first and then to the Information Centre to get a map. There was this chap at the counter in front of us and wanted to know where he could change a €500.00 note. Shades of us when we first got to Joigny where I tendered one that we had got in NZ at a supermarket and they wouldn’t take it. We were luckier in Auxerre where the supermarket did take it after putting it through a mobile scanner. Jannie collected the map and away we went on the green walking tour. The first museum wasn’t open until 1.00pm so we headed for the Palais des Papes. I have to say at this stage that the temperature was 25 degrees!
Avignon has a history of over five thousand years. Due to its geographical location Avignon has been the crossroads of cultures and exchange for centuries. Avignon was once the capital of the Cavare Tribe, then a Phoenician trading post, then an opulent city under the Romans. The famous bridge was built in the 12th century and as the choice of the papacy in the 14th century, Avignon became the capital of the Christian world.
We were headed for the Palace of the Popes. The palace is huge and next to the palace is the cathedral and the petit palace which is now a museum. UNESCO has declared this magnificent architecture, the Avignon bridge and the ramparts as a World heritage site. We paid our euros and collected our audio guides and off we went through the doors and out into the inner courtyard. It never ceases to amaze me the pushing and queue jumping of people! The inner courtyard is huge. From 1309 when Pope Clement V arrived until 1409 when Benoit XIII died there were twelve Popes reigning from here. The rooms are all huge and not in any way reeking of huge monies spent, unlike anything that the royals did. The view over Avignon from the tower was lovely and the countyside in the distance showed vines in all directions.
Now it was hot and we decided to do the Pont Saint Benezet before we found some place for lunch. The bridge was built in 1177-1185 and is made of stone. This replaced the earlier woodern bridge. They had problems with bridges in Avignon as the flood waters of the Rhone washed away most of the bridges more than once. Three quarters of the bridge was destroyed by Louis VIII in 1226 and it was gradually replaced but after it had been washed away for the fourth time it was abandoned in 1633 and another bridge was built further upstream to replace it. We walked across and back and up onto the ramparts which were part of it and then back up the street to find a beer.
In the Place de l’Horloge there were restaurants and umbrellas by the mile. We settled on one place and ordered a beer – midi size, boy am I glad I didn’t order the grande size as the chap next to us did and he got the biggest handle I have ever seen. It held 1000mls – ours only 500mls. We ordered omelettes and enjoyed them so much, a real change from salads. We walked very slowly after lunch. Every Pharmacie, and there are lots and lots of them in France, has a green square neon sign outside that flashes and moves and tells you the time, date and most important for us the temperature. It was now 36 deg. So we found our way back to the Angladon Museum. This is a private home turned into a museum. The Angladons made their money in the fashion industry and spent some of their money on art works. Some of the rooms are set out exactly as they were when the family lived in the house. They have masterpieces from the 19th and 20th centuries, Degas, Manet, Sisley, Van Gogh, Cezanne, Picasso, Modigliani to name a few and extensive photo exhibition by Degas, Bonnard and Vulliard. It was a lovely hour spent in the cool.
Out in the sunshine again and time for an icecream so keeping to the streets that were in the shade found ourselves a shop and a seat. We had about had enough and hailed the electric tourist car - €1 for the two of us and we bumped our way over the cobbles to take in a complete circuit of the city. The girl driver stopped at the exact place where we got on and we had to walk back along the wall to the bus station in order to catch the 4.20pm bus. Eventually it came at 4.30 and Jannie was getting a bit anti about the lack of signs and the position of our bus inside the bus exchange. It didn’t help that they were saving power by not putting the lights on but we eventually got on a bus bound for Uzes.
Off to the supermarche for olives, cucumber and some more gherkins for our salad (left over from last night) and home to throw open the shutters and sink our lips into a cold beer!
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