First visit to Avignon

On Saturday, after doing our usual market shopping in the morning, we decided to take the bus into Avignon for the afternoon. It was a beautiful day (28C) and there was a bus leaving at 1:00. Avignon is around 40 km from Uzès, but the bus ride is an hour long as it stops in a number of the villages along the way to pick up and drop off people. It gave us a chance to see some of the surrounding countryside. We reached the bus station which is just outside the outer walls of the city around 2 and entered the inner city through one of its many arches (first picture).

Avignon is a beautiful walled city. In the 14th century, it was the capital of Christendom as the popes lived here. The Palais des Papes (which we didn't tour this time) was the headquarters for a group of cardinals who came very close to taking authority away from the popes in Rome. It was considered the Vatican of the north for a time, during which these popes (or 'antipopes') held extravagant court. Arts and culture flourished. The struggle between the popes of Avignon and the popes of Rome was over who would control the wealth and power of the Church. The reign of these "antipopes" ended in 1417 and the papal court here was disbanded.

After entering the city walls, we walked up the main road, rue Jean Jaurès-rue de la Republique which is a wide boulevard lined with stores and packed with people. It's the main shopping strip...almost like Bloor or Yonge or Queen West, but different. Tomee was in heaven! She wanted to go into every store of course, and Yanni did not, so we compromised and went into a few just to browse. H&M did manage to get ahold of some of my money.

We then visited the Pont d'Avignon whose real name is the Pont St. Bénézet because according to legend, it was inspired by a vision that a shepherd named Bénézet had while tending his flocks. It was built between 1177 and 1185. Only four of its original 22 arches remained after 1669 when half of it fell into the river, so it now looks like a bridge to nowhere. You get a beautiful view of the Palais des Papes from there, as well as of the Rhône river.

On our walk back down rue de la Republique we sat at one of the many restaurants and cafes in front of the beautiful Hotel de Ville and the Theatre and had a bite to eat. We actually managed to find a restaurant that had something we each wanted. Yanni had his Nutella crèpe (what else?), I had my café crème and dessert and Tomée had a huge bowl of spaghetti bolognese (that girl can eat!). All of a sudden, we heard live music being played, similar to Greek, women ululating and people clapping and singing. It was a wedding party and their entourage escorting a bride and groom into the Hotel de Ville to get married! So cool!

We took the 5:30 bus back to Uzès and were back home before 7. All in all, a lovely way to spend the afternoon.

Pros to taking the bus: it's cheap...only 1.50 Euros/per person, each way and the bus stop is around the corner from our house.

Cons: all the roundabouts along the way and having a bus driver that didn't realize that deodorant has been invented. Yanni and I almost puked from the smell and we had the same driver both ways!