Avignon

---

Saturday, 11th October, 2008.

The plan for today is Les Tourettes / Montelimar to Avignon, nothing in particular planned for the actual journey, which is probably about 90 kilometers.

We booked ourselves in the Premiere Classe Avignon Nord, for Saturday and Sunday nights, so we can explore Avignon and the Provence region.

We left about 1030, the initial drive was just a steady one, along mainly dual and single carriageways.

We stopped at a Carrefour supermarket, for our usual picnic lunch and picked up a couple of other supplies, that we were getting low on. We managed to sit outside in T-Shirts in the sunshine to drink our coffee's at the supermarket cafe, because the sun was shining.

Thinking as we went along we decided that as Avignon was fast approaching, and we were following alongside the motorway, that if we wanted a decent stop for lunch, that we really needed to sidetrack and head off into the countryside. As it happens, when we turned off at right angles to the direction we were headed, a place called Chateauneuf du Pape, happened to be the next village. You might have heard of it. We pulled off the road and parked next to the vines, and ate our lunch of ham, cheese and olives, with a French stick. Dessert was grapes, not sure if you allowed to eat them in a vineyard?

The fields that the vines were growing in were amazing, in that they were absolutely full of stones, about the size of your fist, and sort of oval in shape. The entire terrain around appeared to be the same. How they get on with plowing, I really don't know. We later found out where they got the cobbles for the streets in Avignon.

We went into the village, and found the Chateau. The village was very much set up for selling the local wine, with “degustation caves” - tasting cellars - all over the place. It was buzzing place and a number of American accents could be heard; loudly! We spotted a lizard climbing the wall, which we are hoping is a sign of better temperature.

Our trip into the Premiere Classe introduced us to the intricacies of the French road network, again, I am sure mini roundabouts would help them, their road priorities are to be seen to be believed sometimes.

Checked into the room no problem, and changed into shorts as the weather was so delightful. The temperature, on the car had increased from 13°C and very misty to 21°C and clear sky at Avignon. I like this going south business.

We decided to head straight into Avignon, Pat had read about a park & ride scheme, but after trawling round a lot of Avignon, through a hellish traffic, and no signposts, we gave up and headed for the centre and found underground parking at the Oratorie. The pedestrian exit brought us almost directly into the town centre, with lots of very expensive looking shops.

The theatre appeared to be hosting some charity event this evening, that was being attended by Princess Stephanie of Monaco. This may have added to the general hustle and bustle of the place.

We headed straight for a central cafe, Pat had a beer €3.20, I had a coffee €3.50, doesn't seem quite right, does it!

The Palais des Papes, which was the seat of the Papacy from 1309 to 1377, with seven different popes, is a must see in Avignon. The tour talk a good couple of hours and they had very good audio guides in English. Some of the rooms / halls in the place are massive and the overall site is extensive.

Of course “Sur le pont d'Avignon”, On the bridge of Avignon, is an also, must be investigated and we found the bridge, which is Saint Benezet bridge, and took a picture.

We managed to find the car and made two wrong turns on the way back, but got back to the Hotel eventually.

The sirens followed us again, this time they were attending someone at our Hotel, not sure what was happening but ambulance, then paramedics then gendarmes, turned up.

Our room was 66 on the third floor, the last but one door and when we got back the room door was open! Nothing was missing from the room and the door must have sprung open, we carry our most things with us all the time like passports etc., but we were I guess kind of lucky. I will check very carefully the door is shut when I leave from now on.

We had various options around us for eating and ended up in Viva Roma, an Italian food place, this restaurant and the others, of which there were several around were extremely busy. The waitress' English was again better than our French. A Pizza and Spaghetti, went down very well.

---

Photos

Chateauneuf du Pape
Lunch

Chateauneuf du Pape
The vineyards full of stones

Chateauneuf du Pape
The Chateau

Chateauneuf du Pape
Degustation caves

Avignon
Palais des Papes

Avignon
Saint Benezet Bridge