Taking a break from walking up all those hills….

Cathedral

But this cannot outweigh the lechy men who sit outside cheap cafes and perve on you, the insane amount of rubbish strewn all over the place due to a severe lack of investment in bins, insane amounts of dog poo and a general feeling of mal à laise. The bin situation is the worst thing. In Selly Oak I have seen the odd rat, but in Marseille I saw about 20 of them. We were walking home after a very nice meal (with free wine of course) when we were walking past some bins that were overrun by rodents. This was the point that we discovered that one of our group is petrified of rats, who refused to move when he saw them. Then some drunkard who we didn’t know thought it would be hilarious to kick the bin and make the rats scatter all over the place. What a funny guy. The only way we could get our friend to move in any way was to carry him back to the hotel. To be fair the hostel we were staying at was very nice and like I said, the cathedral and basilica were lovely places (although the inside of the basilica looked like a cross between a golden palace and a charity shop, with loads of pictures hanging off of the wall and toy boats dangling from the ceiling.) Other things also made Marseille an ok place to visit, including my friend being pooed on twice by birds, which was hilarious but karma may get me back sooner or later for laughing so much, but all in all, I didn’t like the city and I don’t think I’ll be rushing to go back there any time soon!

Eating one of the best crepes ever

With our hostel being so close to the train station, we were for the first time, quite actually early to the train station to catch our train to Aix en Provence, which I was looking forward to the most because I have quite a few friends who are studying there and I wanted a good catch up (and also see what they thought of the French education system – turns out they think it’s just as rubbish). I also met up with my friend Becky, who also happened to be in Aix with her friends (completely by accident – we didn’t plan it this way). However, the weather decided that it was going to rain on our parade. We walked through the town looking at all the fountains and getting drenched, but it was one of the best days of the trip, not only because I got to see my friends, but because I also got eat one of the best crepes and we got to see Skyfall trying to take refuge from the rain. Of course we watched the whole thing in English with French subtitles because I refused to watch one of a well-known British icon be ruined by some Frenchman called Pierre pretending to  suave and sophisticated but really actually ruining the whole thing. It would have just been so wrong that I don’t think I would have forgiven myself. So we got to dry out and enjoy some chocolate (well I say enjoy – Becky ate most of the malteasers.) Then it was back out into the rain, to visit Sarah and more chatting before heading to a bar, where the day was completely ruined by the moodiest of Frenchmen who tried to do us over by charging us far more than was written on the menu. After a rather heated argument, finally he backed down and we headed back to the hotel.

In Aix, with the ever-expanding group

The next morning we had a hectic time trying to find the TGV train station because for some strange reason the Aix en Provence TGV station is not actually near Aix, but there is no train from the centre of the city to the TGV station. No, you have to take the coach there. So we were running around at half eight in the morning trying to find the bus stop and the station. Fortunately we got to it on time and made our way to Avignon. I must admit I was in an absolutely foul mood at the beginning of this day and I have no idea why (I just had so much hueva – basically means I couldn’t be bothered to do anything in Spanish). My mood was not helped any by the fact that we had nowhere to leave our bags as this was the last day of our trip and we we going straight back to Lyon that night. We tried the train station, only to be met with typical French helpfulness – the lockers were out of order. When asked why they were out of order, he just shrugged and said ‘because they are’ and didn’t point us in any general direction as to where we could leave our bags elsewhere. The bus station was also a dud, as was the tourist office, but at least there we got a tip that we may be able to leave them at the Palais des Papes. So we started walking in that general direction, me being a miserable so-and-so before coming to the Palais des Papes. It was amazing and not only because we got to leave our bags there. It was a genuinely interesting place to visit and unlike most tourist spots in England, we got an audio guide for free. Basically for one reason or another (political), the Popes had to leave Rome and decided that Avignon was the place to be. I would definitely give it a go if you’re ever in the area and you can get a joint ticket to see that and the Pont d’Avignon. With my mood considerably lifted, we made our way to the bridge next, which was also really interesting. The bridge isn’t really a bridge, more of a kind of pier because the original that did go over the river kept getting destroyed by floods until at one point, the French just decided to give up on rebuilding it any more. Before we knew it, the day was over and we had to hurry back to the train station for a long and really quite depressing train journey home. After having spent a week travelling with each other, it really was quite sad to say goodbye!

Sur le pont d’Avignon (I had the song stuck in my head for hours afterwards)

Despite the fact that we had spoken in English all week (I’m not sure if my French has recovered just yet), I did actually learn some things:

• Many Spanish/Mexican swear words (the most important part of learning a language)

• The French will lie through their teeth to get rid of you or just tell you that your problem has nothing to do with them

• Mexicans are hilarious (I will be visiting Mexico City at some point!)

• French children who have poor eyesight seem to be punished by their parents by getting them the most disgusting glasses ever (they were blue Harry Potter style glasses)

• Nice is nice

• How to avoid walking in dog poo which mainly involved shouting ‘poooo!’ to warn the others (although I did see a man slide in some and pretend to carry on as normal)

• I have a habit of walking into other people’s photos

So I would like to say thanks to Pati (our super organised tour guide), Chloe, Nora, Ricardo, Emilio, Kate, Joe, Sarah and Becky for such a great time (even if I don’t want to know exactly how much I spent or how much I ate!)

Onto the next adventure: Geneva!

A bientôt!

Le Palais des Papes

Pont du Gard

Avignon is an old little city in Provence. The architecture is quite interesting… the town center is surrounded by medieval stone walls that date back to the 14th century. The walls are apparently over three meters thick. Pictured above is the Pont d’Avignon which is located on the Rhône river. For a brief time, the Pope lived at the Palais de Papes in Avignon instead of Rome. You are welcome for those historical tidbits.

I had a relaxing weekend staying with my friend Marine and her family. I will get around to adding photos soon enough!

Now, for your entertainment…

I hope no one actually watches that.

My last night in Paris. Spring 2009.

“America is my country, and Paris is my hometown.” – Gertrude Stein.

This is the week. This is the week I book my one-way ticket to Paris. In the meantime, while convincing myself this whole France move is really happening, I’m reliving my three-month study abroad experience in Avignon through photos.

I hope you enjoy sharing some of my memories with me! Updates to follow…

Versailles gardens.

Fontaine de Vaucluse.

Fontaine de Vaucluse café.

Avignon. Place de l’Horloge.

Avignon. Palais des Papes.

Avignon alley.

Châteauneuf-du-Pape vineyard.

Rowdy crowd after Marseille match du foot.

Vive Marseille!

Les Calanques, Marseille.

Granville. Home of Christian Dior.

Mt. Saint Michel.

Sainte-Mère-Église, Normandy.

Le Pont du Gard.

Avignon par nuit.

Les fraises. YUM.

Provence.

France, je t’aime.

My walk to school in Avignon.

Sur le Pont d’Avignon, on y danse!

Avignon, take me home.

Degas at the Orsay, Paris.

Lavande.

The serene Seine.

“You will soon emerge victorious from the maze you’ve been traveling in.” Good fortune is coming, at least according to my P.F. Chang’s cookie.

Merci beaucoup to all for your continuous prayers, love, and support!

XX Bisous – Catherine

This is the famous bridge in Avignon that goes most of the way across the Rhone. The title of this week’s challenge is Summer, although this was taken at the beginning of October it was like a summer’s day with strong sunshine beautiful blue skies and long shadows oh and a wonderful reflection of the bridge.
If you look closely you can see a man taking a photo on the bridge and just behind where I stood to take this a woman sat on the bank under a tree sketching the scene. Avignon is lovely, if you haven’t been its a really nice place to relax and the end of September is a great time to go.

Pont d’Avignon

Mon 4 Sep 2005: Overnight the weather broke and we enjoyed the ferocious thunderstorms from the comfort of ‘Betsy’! We had an ongoing problem with an Omnistor Awning which we now needed to resolve, however giving up 3 days to the problem we failed. It was a combination of Omnistor closing for the months of August, and their agents in France Narbonne Accessories closing their service centres for the month of Sept. However, we did get to do the main sites in Avignon, which was the purpose of the exercise. The Pont d’Avignon in an ‘orage’ with rain in stair rods gives a different aspect to it.

Le Pont d'Avignon apres l'orage! (and pardon my French)

Over the years we have used The Rough Guide as our basic guide through France, we have found it detailed enough for our requirements, though we do carry a fair library of guides, the ‘eating out’ recommendations we have found to be generally reliable, this was the case in Avignon where a brasserie in the Place de l’Horlage, Le Venaissin was very much up to scratch and good value also, for the main drag in a tourist honey pot!
What’s not making it into the narrative here is the wonderful food we were having on board, the saucisson, fromage de chevre, foie gras, croissants, it goes on and on.
Tues 6 Sep: Walked to town today, sight seeing continued despite the thundery weather, todays highlight was the Palais des Papes, and one of our many sorties around the Pont. Also found an internet point in the University area where connection was at reasonable rates.

Taking it all in at the Palais des Papes

Wed 7 Sep: The rough weather continued so we travelled down to St Remy en Provence, a lovely town with a really good municipal campsite. It’s inclusive facilities include, usual swimming pool, with hammam (Turkish Bath), sauna, and Jacuzzi in adjoining building, internet access is offered free in the bar area (15 mins at a time), though go over 5 mins and you have watch tappers annoying you!!
Thurs 8 Sep: Nice walk into town, dodging showers for a little sight seeing. Among the stalls in the village was a Perfume essence place, so the Christmas shopping was started, Lavender candles and sprays, and essence sticks and holders.  St Remy is a lovely little town, the church organ in Collegiale St Martin is world renowned and a series of recitals run each Sat from Jul to end Sept, we were viewing the church at 3 pm when the instrument ‘erupted’, a full rehearsal, tingling stuff! The rest of St Remy was lost to another ‘orage’. We’ll hit it again.
Fri 9 Sep: Aix en Provence was favoured by the co-pilot over Marseille, so we moved there, weather was still very ‘unsettled’ to use that euphemism beloved of Irish forecasters, a very busy campsite at Val St Andre about 3 km out of town but on a busy bus route.
Sat 10 Sep: Sat is the main market day for Aix, it has markets for different commodities all round the old city, the colour is magnificent, the banter around the area was great.

Savouring the market In Aix

The nuns stall adds great colour to the market

We had a lovely lunch, loup de mer for me and a greek salad for her, in Place des Cardeurs a busy ‘restaurant square’ at the back of the Hotel de Ville, during lunch we noticed wedding parties heading towards the town hall, so after lunch a pleasant hour was devoted to eyeing the glam, and there was plenty of it, as there appeared to be a wedding every 15 mins.

Eyeing the glam at the Hotel de Ville, a wedding every 15 mins

We then discovered that the bar that we were sitting outside was the local for the Aix Rugby Club, the Toulouse v Narbonne match was on the box so a short rugby fix was grabbed, she remained watching glam.

and even more glam

Eventually rain stopped play at the Hotel de Ville, and shortly afterwards everything else as well (powercut). This ‘orage’ lasted a couple of hours, ofcourse 2 of the 3 brollies were in the van, so eventually just dashed to the bus through the torrents. Discovering roof vents had been open and that bedding was wet, was annoying, to say the least, discovering that 2 sets had been carried was delightful.
Sun 11 Sep: Poor ‘Betsy’ had to be pushed off her pitch, 3 strong park attendants plus a few helpful neighbours generated enough momentum to get her on to some good ground. Aix en Provence abandoned and nose pointed, in hope towards the coast at St Tropez!!

Some more pics from our day around Aix:

Buskers are plentiful on market day

Buskers at the Town Hall before the Weddings arrive

In other news, life has been good recently! It is full spring here and I am happily wandering around in summer sun dresses (with sweaters for modesty), enjoying the soleil and lovely temperatures. Last weekend I spent the day in Avignon exploring and seeing the sights. I did not sing on the Pont d’Avignon unfortunately because it cost like 6 euros entrance which seems a little extreme for a bridge that is only half way across a river… Anyways I had a wonderful wonderful time! Avignon was great. I even got a little sun burned on my shoulders and saw an old fat man in cut off jean shorts soooo… that was the cherry on top.

palais des papes, what up old pope palace

finally i'm not wearing my leather jacket! view from the palais des papes

pont d'avignon, and palais des papes... view from the other side of the river

grotto! wheres hef?

JORTS!!!!! you'd think you were in America seeing this...

Also I FINALLY got all my OFII dramz sorted out. I finally went and got the stamp for my passport. It seems silly though because I’m leaving in 6 weeks (triste!!!) even though I don’t want to. I’m finally starting to feel settled in Nyons, to have friends, to feel like I know what life is here and to have to leave so soon… It breaks my heart it really does. But i’ll find out this month if I got re-accepted to the Assistant Program which I’m hoping I did. Not necessarily here in Nyons, but in France in general. I’d be happy.

Today, I bien profité (enjoyed) the gorgeous day here in Nyons by reading in the park. I read for an hour and then promptly fell asleep on the bench but, it is the thought/effort that counts right?

Also if anyone can help me explain what “swag” is, that would be awesome. I can’t seem to figure out how to explain what it is….

Wonderful weekend wishes to everyone!

Mego

As the rain started coming down, we arrived in Avignon. We spent most of our time in the city in the Palais Des Papes (Palace of Popes).

If I understood the guide correctly, Avignon used to be a papal state. This was the place where they all lived.  Pretty sweet backyard.

Finally, as we ran through the rain to catch our bus because our guide had gone over time with our tour and we were now running late to get our actual train back to Paris, I managed to snap a quick pic of the Pont D’Avignon and the wall of Avignon, which are the two things I really remembered so I was happy to have had a picture of them.

Overall, it was a very successful and lovely trip.  The rain didn’t stop us! And of course, now it’s sunny and beautiful in Paris, which just makes everything better

We walked down the main street and ended up in Place de l’Horloge which is named for the famous clock tower.  There is a theater, and some government buildings, an old carousel from the early 1900′s, and lots of cafes in this main Place.

Eating was first on our agenda since we hadn’t had any food all day, and we finally (after walking around for about an hour) decided on this little French place called l’Hermitage.  There were lots of great looking restaurants we walked by, but some were really expensive, some weren’t French cuisine, and some just weren’t open.  But this turned out to be a great choice.  Lunch in France is such a different experience than in the United States.  (We usually don’t eat out for dinner, so I only have lunch to compare to.)  Usually lunch is just a quick in and out kind of meal, but here it comes with at least 3 courses, and wine, and silverware changes…haha it’s incredible.  I’ve talked about it before, but it’s just such a pleasure every time you sit down…I haven’t gotten used to it yet.  I had a salad with strong goat cheese on the side wrapped in a filo crust.  And then we all shared some escargot (the snails) with pesto.  And for the main course was salmon with some kind of sweet potato puree and roasted vegetables and regional white wine.  And finally dessert was a chocolate fondant with ice cream.  It was incredible!

We started walking, and ended up at the Avignon Bridge.  This is a funny thing to see, because the bridge stops halfway through the river.  It has been destroyed over the centuries through floods and reconstruction.  One of the coolest things I’ve seen in a bridge is that it has a chapel inside, and used to have a cafe where people would gather and dance…hence the nursery rhyme “We dance, we dance on the Bridge of Avignon”.

On top of the bridge looking back towards the city, you can see the Papal Palace where the Popes were living during the 1300′s.

All that’s left of the palace is the structure…there’s no decorations or furniture.  It’s just all stone…but they said that when the popes were living there, it was all covered in tapestries, gold, tile flooring, etc.  It’s all been destroyed though over time.

And at the top, a really beautiful view of the city.

After the palace, we had a coffee and did some shopping.  4 out of the 6 of us ended up missing our train, so we hung around some more in the bar waiting for another train…and eventually made it home around 11:30pm.  All in all…a great day!

Last meal: homemade nachos.

Drink of choice: Chartreuse cocktails.

Song in my head: 

WOW, sorry. Way too long between posts. Catchup, here goes:

Arrived in the dodgy temporary terminal of Lyon airport, where we waited for our baggage for half an hour in near-freezing conditions with an entertaining little kid who kept trying to break the rules, e.g. open the emergency doors, climb on the baggage carousel etc. He kept falling over too. What a great child.

Managed to make our way to actual Lyon city and checked into an oddly perfumed hotel near a stabby park outside the train station. Had crêpes/galettes and cider for dinner at a Breton restaurant down the road.

The next day we changed accommodation to get a bit closer to the centre of town. The day went fairly boringly (to write about) – just wandering around, looking in shops etc. Hired bikes similar to the Parisian system and rode around a little. Found an awesome design shop and vowed to return. Ate dinner at a boucherie (we were given complimentary bread and paté with the menus)!

Did indeed return to the design shop the next day, and bought ~€80 worth of stuff – eek! Only live once. Also FINALLY bought a rain jacket. It’s hypergreen and ultracool.

Rode up and down the Rhône on our bike hires – it was really nice, but not quite as much nature as Jus is craving.

As the sun went down, we headed up on the Lyon Eye, which was overpriced and hijacked by a stupid mother and her stupid kid who insisted that they come up in our booth thing so they didn’t have to wait for another rotation. Whatever bitchez.

Headed down to Marseille the next day. Sweet TGV train trip – awesome landscape and Provence’s immediate palpable warmth. Seriously, I think the weather physically changed at the equivalent to the You-are-now-entering-Provence sign.

Marseille was a funny funny place. It was really rather windy, which is what we’re attributing the strange behaviour to. I wanted to go there because I’m a Count of Monte Cristo nerd, and also we’d heard good things. Also this was our chance to see the Meditteranean, since all the Côte d’Azur cities are way l’espense.

As soon as we arrived, we found upon the ground a tooth. Indeed, a complete human adult premolar. Jus wouldn’t let me pick it up.

Whilst we were waiting for the host of our accommodation, an old lady came up to us (we were sitting al fresco at a café) and spoke at us (at us) in her strong Marseillaise accent for LITERALLY 45 minutes. Don’t ask me what she was talking about – all I know is that she had a thing for Jus and kept making moves to kiss him. Best introduction to a city evah.

The hot water system exploded at our accommodation (which ended up being on the same street as the crazy old lady! Lucky save…), so ended up staying south of the city near the beach that night (the sea spray was so cold and salty)! Dinner at an incredibly kitsch restaurant, completely decked out in animal skins. COMPLETELY: I’m talking chairs, I’m talking booths, I’m talking wall hangings. Leopard, jaguar, zebra, and (wait for it) even COW prints. And the waitress was wearing a jacket with a fur trim. We enjoyed ginormous cocktails (Jus: what they lacked in quality, they accounted for in quantity) which had straws with TASSLES sticky-taped on! Tassles! Definately a going-out highlight of the French experience thus far.

Next night ended up staying in the Panier quarter (old market area) in the whitest-decorated apartment ever, with a rooftop balcony! Sat there basking for a lil while, and walked around Marseille a bit. It was NYE so we also bought some food for the following day (oh, the French and their public holidays!) and of course, some French alcoholic delicacies (i.e. Chartreuse – green is good right?) A very good investment, I must say.

Were feeling particularly … let’s say “antisocial” by 10pm, after watching TV shows and drinking since the sun set, so we didn’t actually leave the apartment building for the turn of the year. HOWEVER, party goers, do not worry, we DID go out onto the balcony/roof and yell things to passers-by, whilst massive boat horns hooted until about a quarter past. It was nice to not have the night illuminated by a kazillion(-dollars worth of) fireworks, except a few in the distance, but the seagulls were absolutely freaked out by all the pandemonium below and were circling above, with yellow bellies (from the lights of the city) stark against the dark sky. Poetic.

Next “morning”, we felt rather delicate. I went for a run all the way around the Old Port (NYResolution: run/exercise EVERY day). Sat on the roof balcony getting some Vit D for a while, had baths, did a whole heap of washing. Exciting. On the 2nd (happy birthday Mum!), tried to actually see a tad more of Marseille. Got to the dock for ferries to Château d’If (OMG Edmond Dantes, you poor bastard!) a tad too late, so didn’t get to go there. Marseille/Dantes tour is definately on the cards for later this year. Decided to head up the hill to Notre Dame de la Garde, an incredible basilica overlooking all of Marseille (the wrist circumference of the golden baby Jesus at the top is 1m)! After a heck of a walk, the view was very worth it.

Heading down was also much fun, finding an abandoned tyre (of COURSE we rolled it down the road, ignoring potential hazardous consequences!) and sliding down the handrails of a darn long set of stairs. Jus’ jeans are now significantly worn.

Next day, left Marseille for Avignon. Lovely train trip, lovely city. All fortified and old school. Our flat was above a french comic book shop, and across a square from a café. Yesssssss! Low-key late dinner of vegie stirfry with noodles! The following day, we didn’t really do much at all after a coffee and croissant at the café (whose barista really wasn’t impressed with us) until heading out to the local supermarket for ingredients for nachos. Health.

However we made up for it on the Thursday, when we walked the eastern half of the perimeter of the city walls (Jus was freaking out about going that ‘far’ without being on at least two wheels) then, after taking happy snaps of Le Pont d’Avignon, headed into the Papal Palace, home before the Vatican.

After an extensive tour (they really have so much information: pie charts of average spending percentages of each of the main Popes. That part was actually really interesting!) A DEFINITE highlight, possibly of the entire trip, was the choice to purchase, complete with cork ammunition, a legitimate working crossbow! Naturally we couldn’t put it down on the way back to the apartment, much to the locals’ distress (I don’t really get why – what’s so wrong with a young screaming woman being chased by a young man with an archaic weapon through the cobbled streets?)

The following day, we caught a bus (surprisingly, from THE creepiest bus station ever. Smelt of urine, was underground and very dark, and there was a hobo asleep against a bin) to Aix-en-Provence! I’d read some good things about this student-y and Roman-times-y home of Cézanne, so off we went! After a slight hullaballoo with our accommodation, we were upsized to a SUPER cool flat off of the main promenade. We spent the entire afternoon basking in the sun in the loungeroom because it was freaking freezing outside, reading assorted english/french magazines/books/posters on the walls. And for dinner, we cooked IN AN OVEN!!

On the 7th (Saturday – come on, keep up!), after stumbling upon a morning market, we tried to organise getting to a famous mountain nearby, Sainte-Victoire, which was featured in many of Cézanne’s paintings(?), however because it was a Saturday and also due to our faffing, it turned out to be too difficult/we wouldn’t be able to get home, so we did the same thing as the previous afternoon (much to our content).

On my evening run (yes, my New Years Resolution is going very well, thank you!), got lost and had to call Jus at the apartment to get me back there (I was on the corner of Rue de la Molle and Cours Sextius: what names?!) which was rather hilarious, until I fell onto my face in a crowded square and ripped my awesome purple running leggings! The scabs are starting to heal nicely now though. The two on the heels of my hands made me look like the Messiah for a while there, but one of the ones of my leg is a real bitch! Looks like she’s gonna scar, boys.

After returning home, many curses and a vow to hate Aix-en-Provence/avenge my right patella, we got takeaway from a sushi restaurant around the corner. That made me feel better.

Got up early the next morning to catch a bus to Grenoble!

Future home town? STAY TUNED…

Sorry for the word vomit: another post to completely catch up is coming SHORTLY!

Sleepy ducks on the river banks.

View of the Rhone from the cliff-top gardens by the Papal Palace.

The beginning of the bridge at the edge of the city walls.

]]> http://atableforsix.wordpress.com/2011/07/11/palace-of-the-popes/ Mon, 11 Jul 2011 08:07:42 +0000 atableforsix http://atableforsix.wordpress.com/2011/07/11/palace-of-the-popes/ On Sunday July 10 we toured two UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Avignon, France:  The Palace of the Popes and the Pont d’Avignon (Avignon Bridge).  If you have some familiarity with Church history from the middle ages, you may know that Avignon was the seat of several popes (and anti-popes) in the 14th century, instead of Rome.  This was due to a variety of reasons, but sure enough politics played a role in this. The “anti-pope”term came from the fact that for the latter half of this period there was another “pope” re-seated in Rome and the two popes contested each others’ legitimacy. This schism was eventually reconciled in part by the intervention of St. Catherine of Siena.

The palace, ramparts, and fortress are impressive.  Unfortunately there’s not much more to the palace to this day other than its architectural shell, as pretty much all furniture and other works of art disappeared over the centuries through theft and vandalism. Still, the building is in great shape, offers stunning views of the city around it at the Rhône River, and the place is dripping with history that touches not only on the Papacy but European politics in general, even right up to the time of the French Revolution.

Afterwards we toured the Pont d’Avignon (aka Pont St. Benezet), only half of which remains standing across the Rhône.  The bridge itself is steeped in some folklore and is said to have inspired some folk songs, some of which are still sung in France and even parts of Canada.  The three best things about the bridge are 1) the view back to the Papal Palace; 2) the strong refreshing breezes on a hot day with views of the Rhône upstream and downstream; and 3) this must be the only bridge in the world with not one but two chapels actually built into the bridge!

We left town close to 7pm, and traffic was backed up for miles trying to get back into Avignon; the city’s summer festival is underway and apparently has quite an international reputation.  This much seemed evident as we were walking through the town earlier; the crowds seemed thick and there was a certain energy in the air all day. There were even roving bands of singers wandering the streets, giving impromptu shows in a bid to lure paying audiences later to their real performances in the evening.  There was definitely a “party atmosphere” as we like to say.

The Dining Hall in the Palace of the Popes, Avignon

Some of the very few remaining pieces of artwork in the Palace of the Popes

St. Catherine of Siena, Doctor of the Church,and Mediatrix to the Popes who helped to end the Catholic Schism

View from the top of the ramparts from the Palace of the Popes (Avignon), looking down to the square in front of the Cathedral Notre-Dame-des-Doms

The Papal Palace in Avignon, Viewed from the Pont d'Avignon

Michelle at the Rhone River, Avignon

there were two very noteworthy things in avignon: le palais des papes (the old papal palace) and le pont d’avignon. i didn’t know about either of them at all, so it was a pleasant surprise. :)

palais des papes!

it turns out that the first few popes lived here, in avignon, rather than in rome. there was some controversy when the seventh pope (i think) wanted to move back to rome, and after he died, there were TWO popes at the same time. the one in avignon was called the “antipope,” which is a rather horrid name for a pope. however, things have been resolved and now this papal palace is just for visiting. there is only one pope at a time now. :)

we had a lot of free time, so i went to the pont d’avignon with charmaine, deanne, kaya and billy before dinner. we had a pretty good dinner (i split a french pizza & dessert with charmaine) and we went back to hang out by the pont d’avignon at night again. it’s gorgeous at both times. :)

charmaine by the pont d'avignon by day :)

we had quite a photoshoot, lol. i guess my one disappointment with avignon (or provence, overall) was that we didn’t see any lavender fields. i had a vision of a giant field of lavender that i could just lay down on …

pizza tartiflette - reblochon, onions, and bacon

nougat glacé with framboise coulis

pont d'avignon by night :)

The IEFE institute took us to Avignon recently. Serendipitously we went during Avignon’s annual theater festival which is from July 7th to July 31st. They have over 500,000 visitors and is becoming more and more internationally known. We saw the famous Pont d’Avignon and made sure to dance while singing the song Sur le pont d’Avignon

We visited the Palais des Papes, also a well known destination in the Provence region, as it was was was the home of several popes during the 14th and 15th century when there was political unrest in Italy.

And we made sure to walk around the town and catch some theater in the air. Every street and alleyway is covered in posters advertising different shows from musicals, one acts, to dance and cinema. And people are in costume ready to entice you to come see their performance

We packed and headed for the next destination, Avignon. Hailed as the most picturesque region in France and mentioned in so many fiction and travel books, it is definitely a place that one must visit. The funny thing was, when we finally arrived at Avignon TGV station, I was quite taken aback because the station was apparently right in the middle of nowhere! I had no idea that the TGV station is not really within the city. We got off the train anyway and started to look around. The local map and our GPS showed that Avignon is not too far away. We figured that there was a shuttle bus that will bring you to the town. We managed to get onto the shuttle bus and rode towards Avignon.

I was amazed when we reached there because Avignon is actually built within a fortress. We got off the bus at the post office and headed to the Tourist information office before looking for our hotel. We booked a half day tour at the tourist office and walked to the hotel, which was near the office.  We walked around the town a little and stopped by a row of hotels and alfresco restaurants in front of the Hotel de Ville for a late lunch. By the way, Hotel de Ville is not a hotel. It’s actually the City Hall, housing the administration of the particular city.

After lunch, we walked around the area and finally reached the famous Palais des Papes (Palace of the Popes).  If you think that the popes have always lived in Rome, think again. Palais des Papes was home to seven popes from 14th to 15th century, a period called the Avignon Papacy. It is now a UNESCO World Heritage site and it’s the biggest Gothic palace in all of Europe. This huge Gothic building was built somewhere between 1335 – 1364 and the walls are about 17-18 feet thick. It was built on a spur of rock, thus, rendering it impregnable to attacks. I felt dwarfed, standing at the square in front of the palace.

Inside Palais des Papes

Outside Palais des Papes

We went round the area after late lunch and walked along part of the Rhone river. We also saw the Pont d’Avignon, that was built between 1171-1185. Part of the bridge had collapsed and only 4 arches remain. After admiring the bridge and the palace from the outside, we headed back to our hotel to take a break. However, I was hungry later that night and we went out for supper again. It was at this point that I began to love red wine again… One will never find French wine that it is cheaper than mineral water and yet tastes so divine…

One word of caution: Avignon seems to be so famous that it attracts even the weirdest tourists from Europe. Beware of groups of weird-looking groups of drunkards who might approach you for money. We also saw some of them harassing the local girls. I didn’t feel very safe, walking around the place at night.

4 May 2010

We were up very early but while we were getting ourselves ready in the hotel room, we noticed that it had started to rain a bit. By the time we left the hotel to go to our tour pick-up point, it was pouring! When we reached the pick-up point, two Asian girls were also standing there, waiting. The tour guide, a sweet lady, came to pick us up and we gladly bundled into the warm and dry coach.

I was seated next to the two Asian girls. I noticed they were speaking to each other in French, so I introduced myself in French too. It was really amusing, 3 Asian girls speaking to each other in French! However, I felt that it was the only time during my vacation that I really used what I have learned in class. Huang Jing was seated right next to me, so I got to know her more than JaeMin (I hope I got her name right). Both of them are studying in Paris and they just met each other that morning. I take my hat off them because I feel that Europe it is not necessarily a safe place and you have to be really careful if you’re a young woman travelling alone.

Our half day tour included a visit to Gordes and Roussillon. Gordes is rated as one of the most beautiful village in France and coincidentally, since it was Tuesday (market day for Gordes), there would be a morning market.

Avignon enjoys 300 days of sunshine in a year. Today was not one of them. It was raining and because Gordes is located in the hills, it was so misty that we couldn’t really see much when we took a turn up a slope opposite the village – no photo stops, unfortunately. When we arrived, there were a few locals who had set up their stalls, but I guessed most of them stayed at home because of the rain. Nevertheless, the village was still beautiful and I must say, the environment is peaceful and friendly. I stopped by this little bakery and bought a flaky pastry covered with sugar and almond flakes. It was really sweet and the almond flakes gave the pastry a nice toasted, nutty flavour. We strolled about in the tiny streets and tried to take some pictures under the heavy drizzle. I love the old houses with their very antique-looking wooden doors.

The yummy, flaky pastry I had in Gordes

We were allowed one hour in Gordes, so we returned to the main square and I tried to snap more photos. I came across this stall selling foie gras and the friendly farmer who owns the stall offered me a sample of the foie gras on a piece of baguette. I noticed that a local chef tried it too and decided to buy it. I didn’t buy anything but when we were waiting for our coach, I thought, if the foie gras is good enough for the chef, it’s good enough for me. So I returned to the stall and spoke to the farmer. He was really friendly and offered me another sample of the foie gras. I told him I already sampled some but he insisted that I have a bit more. I decided to buy two small cans. I figured he really liked the fact that I tried to converse in his language because he decided to throw in a can of terrine saying to me “parce que vous etes gentille…”

I went back to our pick-up point feeling very pleased with myself. I wanted to have something to remember him by, so I went back with Claud and asked the farmer if I could take a picture with him. The farmer was really pleased with the request and happily agreed. As I stood next to him, he joked, saying that Claud will get very jealous. I smile as I’m writing this. This is one of the precious moments I experienced in France.

Our guide picked us up and we headed for Roussillon. It is another beautiful village near Gordes and this village is unique for the ochre mines. Ochre is one of the earliest pigments used by mankind and it is non-toxic. The people of Roussillon are obviously proud of this mineral because the ochre is also used on the exterior of their houses and buildings. The village looks amazing with the orangy, brownish color – it looks like someone came with a paintbrush and painted the whole village with ochre. It was still raining when we arrived at Roussillon, but I could imagine the vibrant burst of the ochre’s colour when the weather is sunny and the ochre reflects the red, yellow and orange from the sun. I made a mental note to return to this place someday during summer.

Red walls of Roussillon

We had lunch in a local restaurant and had some really fantastic Provencal cuisine. Too bad we had to literally swallow our food because our guide was already waiting for us at the pick-up point.

When we returned to Avignon, we decided to visit the interior of Palais des Papes. Once inside, one can really appreciate the size of the palace. The halls are huge with very high ceilings and even have underground chambers where the popes hid their wealth… I guess celibacy has it’s benefits… There are two rooms where we are absolutely NOT allowed to take photos: “la chambre du cerf” and Saint Martial chapel. Unfortunately, these two rooms are the most beautiful rooms in the palace as there are paintings on the walls and ceilings, dating back to the 1300.

Our visit to Palais des Papes marked the last part of our trip in Avignon. The next day, we continued our journey toward Marseilles.

L’on y danse, l’on y danse

Sur le pont d’Avignon

L’on y danse tous en rond…

(On the bridge of Avignon

Everyone is dancing, everyone is dancing

On the bridge of Avignon

Everyone is dancing in a circle)

I have to admit, when I was a child learning this nursery tune, I had no idea Avignon was a place that actually existed, nor that I’d actually end up there one day.  But lo and behold – you never know where life will take you!  Admittedly, however, it wasn’t the famous bridge alone which drew me to Avignon today, but its rich history as a former home to several reigning Pope’s during the 14th century.

Since my visit to Rome last month, and my subsequent reading of Angels and Demons by Dan Brown (if you haven’t read it – it’s a pretty damn good read) my love of history has found a new subject to devour in the Catholic Church.  Interestingly, the Catholic Church was led from Avignon for much of the 14th century after Pope Clement V fled ongoing political turmoil in Rome.  (And the Great Schism that followed led to concurrent Pope’s in both Rome and Avignon continually denouncing and excommunicating one another.. which, if you visualize it, is actually pretty amusing).  

Anyway!  Off I went to Avignon.  First stop, the Palais des Papes.  Apparently, it is the largest gothic palace in the world and I have to admit – it is pretty imposing.  That’s about all it’s got going for it however, as the interior has been completely stripped of any riches it used to contain and only a few of the medieval wall murals remain to be seen.  I’m sorry to say that what fascinated me the most was la bouteillerie and la dégustation made available next to the gift store on your way out.  Er… wine tasting in the Palace of the Popes?!  Seems slightly sacrilegious, but who am I to complain??!  Yum yum yum – let’s just say I left feeling pretty pleased with my visit thus far

My first glimpse of Palais des Papes

It was gloriously overcast.  Finally – a bit of a breeze!!

I love street performers!

Whew – well, you know where you are, anyway.

A couple of cool dudes inside the Palace

This was the only room with semi-preserved original wall murals.  Nothing like the Vatican – but these were pre-Michelangelo days anyway.

The view out over the Palace into the courtyard below.

A view across the city.  Kind of reminds me of London with the River Rhone and a London Eye type wheel.

A quick little jaunt about town and I found myself on the river Rhone glazing at the infamous Pont d’Avignon, or Pont St-Bénezet as it’s officially named.  There’s a pretty interesting myth about St. Bénezet in that he was said to be the town-crazy before one day he went screaming along the river banks that he had been told by God to build a bridge across the Rhone.  As a wild river that floods continuously (most recently in the 1990s), the townsfolk laughed at him and told him it was impossible.  If he was chosen by God, he could prove it by laying a massive foundation stone, all by himself.  Miraculously, Bénezet picked up a massive boulder and walked it easily to the shore.  Legend has it, the townspeople began construction that very day.

Completed originally in 1185, the bridge collapsed and was rebuilt continuously after repeated flooding.  Finally, in the mid 1660′s, it was left as-is and today, the remains only span three quarters of the way across the river.

The pont d’Avignon! 

Oooh – a drawbridge – exciting!

A chapel dedicated to St. Bénezet is located on the lower level of the bridge, and the upper level contains another chapel devoted to St. Nicholas.  Why there should be chapels on a bridge, I have no idea.  But after 5 months in France, nothing the French do anymore can surprise me!

Heading down to the Chapel

Chapelle St. Bénezet

A shot along the bridge back towards town.  Didn’t actually see any dancers though…

A few shots about town on my way back to the bus station.  Lots of frivolity and a general air of festivity which I soaked up with absolute pleasure!

I found this random statue in a quiet park.  There was no title to it, but a look at his book reveals he is reading Jan Fabre’s play “Je Suis Une Erreur” (I Am a Mistake).  An idea which this dude seems to find hilarious.

The main square in town.  Restaurants and artists means lots of tourists.

Yay!  This one has lights and everything!  Way cooler than the one in Aix… and Marseille, come to think of it.

Rows upon rows of delicious soft-serve ice cream!  (But oh how I long for my TCBY)

I just think Rapido Resto is too funny not to capture on film.

PS – if you’ve never heard the pont d’Avignon tune, nor heard of the bridge, you can check out Davey Dance here.  (And as an aside – check out his “Baby Got Back” vid in Paris.  Classic.)

Start pounding the pavement (and avoiding the cobblestones) before 8:00 AM. You’ll find the normally crowded streets nearly empty and you’ll save yourself from the 95 degree heat that typically lasts until sunset. And just to feel a little bit more like the locals, why not load your iPod up with some French tunes? For great beats, mix in some Pierpoljak, High Tone, and Tiken Jah Fakoly.

Suggested routes:

1. For a little taste of the quartiers d’Avignon, tour the ramparts. From Place d’Horloge head west down Rue St. Agricol. Stay straight until you get outside the city walls then turn north and follow the ramparts. Head back inside once you’ve passed the cliff at Palais des Papes and keep following the walls until you’ve come full-circle.
2. Avignon’s generally a flat city, to add a hill climb to the above program start at the base of the winding road that leads to the Jardin des Doms, for a panoramic view of the Rhone Valley. In the northwest corner of the park take the stairs to the only section of the walls visitors can actually set foot on. Watch your step on the spiral staircase leading down to the street and then turn right to pick up the wall tour again.
3. Take the free ferry just north of the Pont St. Benezet (Pont d’Avignon) to access the Ile Barthelasse. From the ferry station head north for a mountain bike trail that follows the river leading to a neverending apple orchard. Follow the Green triangles marked VTT.

Sûr, le Pont

By Kimberlee A. Cloutier-Blazzard

Following the horrendous bridge collapse in Minneapolis, bridges have become a nationwide concern.

With this heightened focus, I began musing on many European bridges that span not only rivers, but more importantly centuries—if not millennia. A brief survey of their age-old tenacity might lend some comfort to those who’ve temporarily lost their confidence in humankind’s engineering ability.

Ponte Milvio, Rome, Italy—206 BC

The oldest bridge in Italy was famously a place to find love—albeit of many stripes, such as Tacitus’ accounts of Nero’s immoral pleasures. Furthermore, it was the place where Constantine defeated Maxentius, beginning the West’s long history as a Christian civilization.

Recently written-up in the New York Times online, the Ponte Milvio has found new caché among lovers who imitate art in their romantic gesture of signing their names to padlocks, locking them to chains on the ancient bridge, and then throwing the keys into the Tiber, sealing their vows forever. The ritual was invented by Federico Moccia, author of the recent “I Want You” (Ho Voglia di Te) series of books.

The “Pont du Gard,” Nîmes, France—1 AD

The Pont du Gard began its life as a trifecta of Roman engineering genius; it’s an aqueduct, a footbridge and a cargo bridge. Now a world heritage site, the grounds are home to a prodigious visitors center. (One can’t help feeling that Peter Mayle’s A Year in Provence (1989) has had something to do with its overflowing, tourbus-filled parking lot.)

Along with hordes of Americans, many others enjoy taking a dip in the bridge’s shadow to escape the summer heat in Provence. I visited it years ago—while 7 months pregnant—and I can personally attest that those cool waters below give a welcome respite to some hot, tired (swollen) feet.

The Aelius and Angels’ Bridge, Rome, Italy –138 AD

Famously crossed by Dante, and captured in art by such greats as Piranesi, who can beat a bridge decorated with ten angels designed by Bernini?

Originally, the Angels’ Bridge was built as a direct route to the mausoleum of the Roman Emperor Hadrian Aelius—now known as the Castel Sant’Angelo. It became a stronghold of the Papacy in the Medieval period, changing its role from pagan to Christian, and symbolizing the evolving culture of Rome.

As you stand on it you are surrounded by both history and the present, at once viewing Michelangelo’s Vatican dome as well as Rome’s contemporary urban pulse.

The Pont d’Avignon, Avignon, France –1171-1185 AD

Found in the same gorgeous part of the world as the Pont du Gard, the Pont d’Avignon is a must see after a self-tour of the medieval Palais des Papes (Papal Palace).

As the famous song goes:

Sur le pont d’Avignon
L’on y danse, l’on y danse
Sur le pont d’Avignon
L’on y danse tous en rond
Les beaux messieurs font comm’ çà
Et puis encore comm’ çà…

And so it goes, on and on, including the bell’ dames, the jardiniers, couturiers, vignerons, and blanchisseus’s, each one joining-in to form an ample cross-section of humanity.

Though admittedly it is now a “bridge to nowhere”, this perhaps adds to its Zen appeal as a great place to eat your Croque Monsieur and watch water as it (proverbially) goes under the bridge.

The Ponte Vecchio, Florence, Italy –1345 AD

In surveying the Ponte Vecchio we are reminded that—being more entrepreneurial than practical—the Florentines never gave much credence to platitudes like the Indian proverb: “Life is a bridge. Cross over it, but build no house on it.”

Originally the clusters of sheds were medieval butchers’ shops, but later, during the Renaissance, these were converted by Giorgio Vasari into more appealing (and less rancid-smelling) jewellers. It was in one of those tiny shops that my engagement ring was purchased by a hopelessly romantic Firenz-o-phile. (We’re talking about a guy who has a fleur-de-lis tattoo in permanent homage to the city’s heraldic device here.)

There is a great story about how, during World War II, the Nazis were ready to bomb the bridge into smithereens, but the airman in question was so horrified at the thought of destroying this treasure that he defied his orders. I’m so glad he did.

The Pont Neuf, Paris, France –1578-1607

Whether or not you’ve read Ludwig Bemelmans’ Madeline’s Rescue (1954) recently, the Pont Neuf is an iconic image of Paris.

Connecting the Ile de la Cité to the Left and Right Banks of the River Seine, the bridge was the first stone bridge in Paris built without houses upon it, in order to give better traffic flow. That was in 1578, under Henri III. Its span of arches recalls ancient Roman works, like the aforementioned Pont du Gard.

In its simplicity and measured rhythm, it has that certain intangible je ne sais quoi…of course, everything is better in Paris.

The Rialto Bridge, Venice, Italy –1591 AD

Begun in 1588, the Rialto Bridge serves to connect the two sides of the Grand Canal. This was a great improvement over the wooden boards used to span the gap in previous generations.

The profile of the upper part of the bridge is classically-inspired, two rows of shops and walkways capped by a barrel-vault supported by Doric columns. This conservative vision for the bridge changed little when, originally, such renowned architects as Jacopo Sansovino, Palladio, Vignola—even Michelangelo—were considered for the engineering job. What was in question was the multiple-arch support structure they all offered to the regents of Venice. In the end the little-known Antonio da Ponte trumped them all with his single-arch plan of support.

Da Ponte’s completed bridge therefore symbolizes not only the Venetian connection to Roman antiquity, but also a prototypically-Venetian sense of independent thinking and entrepreneurship.

The “Ponte dei Sospiri,” Venice, Italy –1600 AD

Without leaving Venice, we end our tour at the Bridge of Sighs in the neighborhood of the Piazzo San Marco, the Doge’s Palace and the waterfront. The bridge is an architectural “nephew” of the Rialto Bridge, for Antonio da Ponte was in fact the uncle of its designer—Antoni Contino.

Its decor is a whimsical Renaissance concetto (conceit). Its crest is adorned with so many volutes that it might be misconstrued as a stone precursor to the pompadour. Moreover, the mask-corbels along its supporting arch dance across the span like an Italian version of the varied citizens from the Pont d’Avignon song.

Functionally, the Ponte dei Sospiri connects the Palazzo Ducale (Doge’s Palace) to the Republic’s municipal jail. As the story goes, the tiny bridge offers the condemned their last view of freedom through its stone-barred windows on their way to confinement.

The bridge got its romantic name from the now famous lyric by the poet Byron:

I stood in Venice on the Bridge of Sighs,
A palace and a prison on each hand.

—Lord Byron (1788-1824), Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage, Canto iv. Stanza 1.

Fin (The End)

_________________
Kimberlee A. Cloutier-Blazzard, Ph. D., is an Independent Scholar of Art History, Specializing in Northern Renaissance and Baroque. Click here to send her email.

Image (top): Photograph by George P. Landow, © October 2000. Used in accordance with guidelines published in The Victorian Web.