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Jodi Does Europe
Avignon was absolutely adorable. It's much more accomodating to English-speaking tourists than Aix: they even accept US dollars at some cafés! Not so Chez Moi; it's nearly impossible to manage without speaking French. And forget about using dollars!
I was comforted by the degree of tourism--I knew I would seem much more acclimated than most people, which was nice. The waiters were pleasantly surprised when we conducted our business in French, and we ate a delicious lunch in the square in front of the Palais du Papes, which we toured at length. During lunch, actors from countless plays in the theater festival would pass singing and handing out brochures, all in costume, all highly entertaining. We only had a short time to explore the rest of this lovely city.
Before arriving in Les Baux, we stopped at a "Cathedral" to see an "exhibit" of Cezanne's work. It was inside a cave, and they projected images of paintings on the walls, ceiling, and floor while music played, and there was a thematic progression that was quite moving. The village itself, when we arrived, was a hike up a steep mountain. It turned out to be cloyingly touristy. The architecture was beautiful: really, really tiny streets, stone everywhere. Really medieval. Still, the presence of countless souvenir stands, touristy restaurants, and a zillion Americans sort of killed it for me (sorry Americans).
When we departed for Aix, I was relieved to be headed home to my delightfully French town. As much as Cezanne fever has attracted tourists, most of them come from other parts of France, and the town refuses to change to accomodate them. I like that.
I must return to Avignon in the future. Ideally, I will get to watch all those plays I saw advertised!
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