I think I've wanted to go to Avignon since I first sang about the bridge in the third form! So off we went last Tuesday - Suzanne, Louise and your very own travel writer - Bill Bryson Kroon. We left from Poitiers
and travelled across country by changing trains at St Pierre des Corps (Tours) and turning right. All the other options involved going all the way to Paris, changing stations and then heading south again. We didn't want to do that! So some new territory to see from the train window. It took a while, but was a comfortable trip as it usually is when travelling by train in France.
And there we were in Avignon! We splashed out on a taxi to take us to our B&B, which was quite a good thing, as we discovered it was actually in the village of Villeneuve lez Avignon, just across the river from Avignon. A separate village, but to all intents and purposes just a suburb. The B&B was an absolute delight and a highlight of our stay.
The general ambience, friendliness, proximity to everything in the village, and a swimming pool, made it really special, and the three of us would love to go there again. Let me know if you want contact details. :-) And oh yes, it was quite windy when we arrived in Avignon, so we got to experience the famous Mistral! "It has been going for four days. It will be gone by tomorrow," they all sagely predicted. And they were right!
That night we wandered into the village square and had a meal at a restaurant called Aubergine - far and away the best meal I have had in France so far. And we got to chat to some Australians. As you do.
And so to Wednesday. We got the bus into the city and our first stop was, yes, Le Pont d'Avignon! We were reasonably early and were able to do our wandering - and singing and dancing for some of us! - without too many people around.
The history of the bridge is available on line :-), but I can tell you at least that it's all a bit of a mistake. The people didn't dance ON (sur) the bridge, they danced UNDER (sous) the bridge. On an island in fact. But of course it has all become a bit of a legend now and the ON version has stuck. The bridge no longer goes right across the Rhone - in fact it hasn't done for hundreds of years. But it's still there, and I got a real buzz out of being there. I did a couple of dances, as mentioned before, which the girls videoed, but I think they might be for personal viewing only! I will ponder that one! I couldn't convince Louise and Suzanne to dance. :-)
So that was thoroughly enjoyable, I have to say. Another memory of Miss Prisk, OGHS.
Just as we came off the bridge what did we behold but a petit train ready to set off on a little tour. So we jumped aboard.
It was OK. We discovered later that there are two competing petit trains and so this one didn't go to some places. Petit Train Wars!
Next visit was to the Papal Palace.
In 1309 the city was chosen by Pope Clement V as his residence, and from March 1309 until January 1377 was the seat of the Papacy instead of Rome. Not a lot of people know that! It was very big and took a long time to see through. We had lunch at an on-site cafe which was quite terrible. I don't know how some of these places get away with it. But the whole thing - the papal palace - was really interesting and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
We went to the Tourism Office and tried to organise a tour for the next day. Unfortuntely the one we chose wasn't available, or booked out or something, so we picked another one which looked not too bad. Then we went off and cruised the river!
As you know I love river cruises, but it probably didn't rate as highly as some. Not much to see at all really. But we soaked up the sun and the atmosphere and saw a few landmarks. Actually, that reminds me... When we were canal cruising in Amsterdam, a girl said to her mother, "How long is this?" And her mother sang in reply, "A three hour tour!" Gilligan's Island - geddit? So now when I am crusing gently up a canal or river I try and pick out Ginger, Gilligan, etc.
So then we caught the bus back to our village. Louise and I had a swim which was just fabulous! It was just so incredibly hot and a swim was perfect. The temperature the whole time we were away was in the mid 30s. Almost too hot, BUT I'M NOT COMPLAINING!
That night we ate at the B&B restaurant, on the terrace, and we had no complaints in that department either. And so ended Wednesday. Magic.
3 comments:
Oh golly. I won't say how lucky you are because as we, your faithful blog followers mostly know, your luck has not always been very wonderful. However, I am envious of you at this particular time of your life. What a fabulous, fabulous time you are having. Is it perhaps time now to spare a few thoughts to how close you came to coming home???? Never? Truly!
There's a moral here somewhere.
Yes, I was in an awful place at the start, but I like to think that deep down I always knew I would make it. :-) "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." -- Mark Twain. I think I managed to throw off my bowlines and now I'm sailing in fair winds!
PS The maritime analogy is probably bit rich, coming as it does from one whose seafaring experiences are based mainly around the Earnslaw and the interisland ferry. But I liked it! And yes I AM having a fabulous time. :-)
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