Oct 14 - Avignon

10-14: Today is our last full day here in Avignon. We did sleep in and do some laundry. We ate lunch at the apartment and then we headed out for the day. We started out by visiting the Pont d’Avignon. We walked all along the remaining bridge and Stuart walked along part of the city wall as well. More about the bridge is outlined below. After we did the bridge, we walked back into the center of town. Yes, I could not resist purchasing a couple more tea towels. I really cannot tell you where we walked and what we saw but before we knew it, the sun was going down! We aren’t too hungry but we did stop along the way and had wine and a cheese and meat platter before heading back. It was a very full day. 10K steps for the day is really a lot for me with my mobility issues. It was a great day!  

The Pont d'Avignon, officially known as the Pont Saint-Bénézet, is a medieval bridge built between 1177 and 1185 to cross the Rhône River in France. History and Facts:

• The Legend: According to local tradition, a young shepherd named Bénézet arrived in Avignon in 1177 and claimed that angels told him to build a bridge across the river.

• Original Construction: The bridge originally spanned about 900 to 920 meters, featured 22 stone arches, and was roughly 4 meters wide.

• Strategic Role: It served as a vital border crossing and toll station between the Papal states/Holy Roman Empire and the Kingdom of France, boosting local trade and pilgrimage traffic.

• Destruction by Floods: The powerful Rhône River frequently flooded, repeatedly destroying or damaging the stone arches. After a devastating flood in 1660 destroyed a large portion, the city abandoned efforts to rebuild it.

• Current Status: Only 4 of the original 22 arches remain standing today. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995.

• The Famous Song: The bridge gained worldwide fame through the traditional French children’s song "Sur le pont d'Avignon".

Oct 11, 12, 13 - Avignon

10-11: Today is a day of rest for the most part. We did do laundry and Stuart walked to both the grocery store and the towel shop today. He wanted to get a few little things for Christmas gifts from the shop we went to yesterday.

10-12: Today we walked back to the center of town because Stuart saw a taco shop and we were hungry for tacos! We saw several interesting sites along the way. It is quite amazing to use Google Lens and the get all the information about what you are looking at. We have enjoyed that feature identifying several ancient sites in Avignon. I am not saying I will remember much of it but it is fun to use for some old buildings to know their origin. In addition, we made a brief stop at Carrefour and a lovely little cheese shop.

10-13: Today we took the tourist train in Avignon. It was a fun 45-minute ride. Cost is €6 each and I think worth the small price. The audio is recorded but it has a lot of fun information. It begins and ends right in front of the Palace of the Popes.

Oct 10 - Avignon

10-10: Our first full day in Avignon, and it was a full and fun day. First, we slept in, which was very nice after a travel day. Before noon we headed out to our Michelin Star lunch, at La Mirande. It is in a hotel of the same name. It is an 18th-century historic mansion and former cardinal's residence located right at the foot of the Palais des Papes (Palace of the Popes). Lunch at La Mirande in Avignon offers a Michelin-starred gourmet experience featuring modern, creative cuisine with Provençal and Italian influences led by chef Michele Donvito. It certainly was impressive and delicious. We had 6 courses; each consisted of 2-4 dishes each. Yes, of course, these are small in size or one could never eat it all. However, each course is served with a different wine and the lunch took 3 hours! The 4 tastes of the appetizer were not even considered part of the 6 courses. Yes, we were satisfied and enjoyed it very much.

Now we are ready to search out a linen shop. For me, a crucial point of coming to Avignon was to secure tea towels for the kitchen. I could remember the look of the store I went to and a general location, but we walked quite some time to no avail. Stuart even went down extra side streets to look for possible shops. I was getting tired and ready to give up. We were by the merry go round near the center of the city and ready to try one more street. Well, Stuart went to look and then texted me that he found the place! I was thrilled. We shopped and I especially enjoyed looking at all the kitchen linens. We left ecstatic with a new array of tea towels! I need a rest, so we stopped at a café for drink. I must add, it is a lovely day in the 70’s with sunshine. We stayed there for some time. Then we decided to walk back toward a restaurant we passed and have a light dinner before heading back to our apartment. It was a very tasty Italian place and we both had pasta, which we could not finish. It was an Uber back after that.

About taking an Uber. It is much faster to walk around Avignon if you have no mobility issues. The GPS says it is so many minutes to drive and so many minutes to walk. It typically takes 3 times as long to ride than walk! The streets are almost all one-way and very narrow. They twist and turn around the city center like a maze. One really needs a good GPS for walking directions. Our phones have worked just fine. This walled city is one of the most beautiful cities to take a walk and see historic structures. Almost everything is made of stone and beautifully unique.

• Avignon is a historic city in southeastern France located on the left bank of the Rhône River in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, famous as the "City of the Popes" and more.
• City of the Popes: From 1309 to 1377 (and continuing with antipopes later), seven successive popes resided in Avignon rather than Rome, making it the capital of Christendom.
• UNESCO World Heritage Site: Designated in 1995 for its well-preserved medieval architecture, historic center, and ramparts.
• Pont d'Avignon (Pont Saint-Bénézet): The famous 12th-century bridge over the Rhône River, immortalized in song, with four remaining arches.
• Rocher des Doms: An elevated public park and garden offering panoramic views of the city, the river, and Mont Ventoux.

I’ll end with saying it was an exceptional day. I love Avignon!

Oct 8 & 9 - Paris, Paris to Avignon

10-08: Paris. We arrived to Paris in the middle of the night. I think it was 4:30a when I heard us docking. It is cold outside, 58˚ with clouds. Our plan was to go to Rue Cler and enjoy one more café lunch sitting outside. We opted to stay in. Tomorrow we will leave for Avignon where the weather prediction is in the 70’s. I sure hope so. We did have an accordion player for entertainment tonight. He was actually pretty good. Happy Birthday toast to Debra! 

10-09: We were up early, got everything packed, and had it outside our door before 8:00. 8:45 was the latest to put it out. We went up to breakfast they had a nice array of food some of it was actually hot. We sat in the lounge for a while after that. Then we braved the cold to get an Uber to the Gare de Lyon train station. Brr it's 57° earlier it was 54˚predicted high is only 60˚ so it is cold in Paris today. We had a very strange Uber driver who kept talking to himself and using multiple squirts of hand sanitizer, at least he got us to our destination. The traffic was horrible. We have heard of riots and different things something to do with schools but we haven't seen any indication of any problems. Once we got to the train station, we looked for a few shops and found one that had some coats so now I have a new jacket! I will be warmer, at least on the ship on the way home too! After purchasing the coat we found a restaurant that had inside seating (warmer and quieter) inside at the train station. We have a long wait for our train. We weren't very hungry so we split a hamburger. Our train is not leaving until 3:15p. It was going to be at 1:15p but when we were unsure of our ending location in Paris, so we moved it up. We will have plenty of time to get to Avignon. We've communicated with our host and we have the lock box information. Finally on the train from Paris to Avignon. Everything was uneventful, all the people are so super friendly and helpful. The weather is quite cool, but we did have sun when we arrived to Avignon. As we are getting off the train the first thing we see is a fruit stand setup about 20 feet long with all kinds of fruit and vegetables and even some wine! We bought two pieces of quiche in Gare de Lyon so that, with the tomatoes and fruit - plus the wine, we have dinner!