My French Holiday: Avignon and Beyond

Today we needed to catch a train from Arles to Avignon at 10 am. We got up early and had breakfast in our B&B. However, as we made toast, the circuit breaker flipped and we were in the dark. Mmmm, what to do in France when your circuit breaker flips. We called our host, but she did not immediately reply. We needed to check out and get to the train station! All was not lost, the owner arrived and reset the electricity, but now there didn't seem to be a cab available. Off to the train station we vigorously walked trailing our carry-ons behind us. Damn those cobble stone streets.

We made it to the train on time even though we walked there.

The train ride to Avignon from Arles took only 15 minutes!

Ah, Avignon. What a gracious city. No wonder the Popes moved here in the 1300s.

Archaeology Museum

Rue de la Republique

The Pope of Rome moved to Avignon to avoid the crime rate in Rome in 1309. He built a Palace to hold 500 staff and the Catholic Church made this its headquarters there for 100 years.

Palace of the Popes

Pope Clement V moved to Avignon in 1309

Palace Square

Unfortunately our time in Avignon was short and we could not explore the Pope's Palace.

We took a little tourist train from the front of the Palace of the Popes that offered an overview of the city and especially the St. Benezet Bridge. The St Benezet Bridge is known as the "pont d'Avignon" of nursery rhyme fame. It was built in 1171 and was the only bridge crossing the mighty Rhone River in the Middle Ages. Only a part of the bridge exists today and it doesn't cross the river.

We took a little tourist train ride of the city. Damn those cobble stone streets!!

St. Benezet Bridge - Pont d'Avignon

Medieval Walls of Avignon

The walls of Avignon keep the barbarians out.

Old streets, but modern shops.

Political expression enjoys its day in the sun.

At noon we bid farewell to Avignon and took the train south towards Marseille and then on to Nice and then on to VilleFranche-sur-Mer. The journey would take us five hours.