Touring Les Baux, Pont du Gard, Avignon and Chateneuf-du-Pape

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Our day started by meeting Cedric, our Viatour driver and guide for the day to Les Baux, Pont du Gard, Avignon and Chateneuf-du-Pape. Besides the four of us, two Americans and two Brits joined us in the van. The day was cooler and cloudier than we had seen so far and under threatening skies, our first stop was Les Baux.

We were already here two days earlier but spent the entire 90 minutes eating lunch. Today we were determined to tour as much of this mountain fortress as possible. We climbed to the top of the town and paid our 8 Euros admission to see the fortified area with the siege engines and admire the views over the surrounding valley. Dark clouds surrounded us and the thunder and lightning was a constant companion as we walked around the battlements. It was an eerie feeling, as though we were under siege ourselves and canons were attacking from all sides. We were nearly done exploring when the heavens opened and a TORRENTIAL downpour hit us! Our time was nearly up and we had to quickly work our way down the steep and twisting cobbled streets completely covered by a torrent of water. The centuries worn stones were extremely slippery under the flash flooding pouring down the walkways as we carefully waded through the water and wound our way down to the bottom of the village. It felt like one slip and we would be flying down the hill in the rapids around our feet. Amazingly, we reached the bottom with no mishaps other than our feet being totally drenched and our pants soaked through.

We continued on to our next stop, driving through the downpour, to the UNESCO World Heritage site of Pont du Gard. Pont du Gard was built shortly before the Christian era to allow the aqueduct of Nîmes (which is almost 50 km long) to cross the Gard river. The Roman architects and hydraulic engineers who designed this bridge, which stands almost 50 m high and is on three levels – the longest measuring 275 m – created a technical as well as an artistic masterpiece. Luckily the rain stopped as we arrived and we were able to hike up to, around and above this incredible Roman aqueduct for nearly an hour, returning to the van just as the rain started again.

From here we travelled to another UNESCO World Heritage site, Avignon. In the 14th century, this city in the South of France was the seat of the papacy. The Palais des Papes, an austere-looking fortress and the world's largest gothic palace, lavishly decorated by Simone Martini and Matteo Giovanetti, dominates the city, the surrounding ramparts and the remains of a 12th-century bridge over the Rhone. Beneath this outstanding example of Gothic architecture, the Petit Palais and the Romanesque Cathedral of Notre-Dame-des-Doms complete an exceptional group of monuments that testify to the leading role played by Avignon in 14th-century Christian Europe. The Pont d'Avignon is a famous medieval bridge in the town of Avignon and the inspiration for the song Sur le pont d'Avignon and is considered a landmark of the city. In 1995, the surviving arches of the bridge, together with the Palais des Papes and Cathédrale Notre-Dame des Doms were classified as a World Heritage Site.

A bit of history:

In 1309 the Frenchman Bertrand de Got, who had been elected and crowned Supreme Pontiff in 1305, refused to go to Rome, choosing instead to install himself temporarily in the Dominican Convent at Avignon. Seven Popes were to reign there until the election of Martin v in 1417 and the return of the seat of the Papacy to Rome.

Clement's successor, John XXII (1316-34), moved to the former bishop's palace, which was converted into a Papal Palace, on the Rocher des Doms, alongside the cathedral. Benedict XII (1334-42) gradually demolished this building and replaced it with what is now known as the Old Palace, covering the northern part of the present monument, a structure that took the master-builder Pierre Poisson eighteen years to complete. It was Benedict's successor, Clement VI (1342-52), who was to complete the ensemble, under the direction of Jean de Louvres, who brought with him from the Ile-de-France the high Gothic style than prevailing there. Clement entrusted the interior decoration to the famous Italian Painter Matteo Giovannetti from Viterbo, who worked on the Chapels of St John and St Martial while waiting for the New Palace to be completed. He also supervised the work of French and Italian Painters on other halls and rooms within the palace.

Avignon had been sold to Clement VI in 1348 by Queen Joan of Naples and Sicily, and it was to remain the residence of the Italian Papal legates for nearly four hundred years after the Papacy had returned to Rome, until they were expelled at the time of the Revolution, when the people of Avignon, which had benefited markedly from its long association with the Papacy, opted to join France. In 1793 the Convention decided to demolish this "Bastille du Midi," but the massive building defied their efforts. It passed to the ownership of the town in 1810,and eight years later was put at the disposal of the Minister of war, Who used it as a barracks until 1906, when it was returned to the town.

The high wall surrounding the old town, and the palace within and all of the other buildings, are surprising well preserved. The palace itself has very little left in the way of decoration and is now not much more than a lot of grey stone. Climbing the stairs up and down and around the mixed up floor plan was very tiring but the self-guided tour was well signed and included lots of English information as well.

Our last stop a short drive away from Avignon was the well-known vineyards and winery of Chateneuf-du-Pape. Just before driving in to the property we took a short detour to have a quick look at the outside of le Château des Fines Roches, an actual castle turned into a restaurant and hotel, sitting in the middle of one of Chateneuf-du-Pape's vinyards.

A few minutes later we were treated to the best wine-tasting lesson we've ever been to as well as learning all about their vineyards and wines. We learned that none of their wines are sold outside of their own on-site store so we eagerly bought a couple of bottles to bring home to Marseille. As our shopping ended the skies opened again and a massive downpour began and lasted for the nearly two hour drive all the way back to our apartment in Marseille.

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Photos

Palais des Papes, Avignon
Massive halls and chambers

Cedric, Chris, Sylvia and Dave in Avignon
Our driver/guide with us at the gate to the old part of Avignon.