Last night we were told that around 3 AM we would be going through the biggest lock (Bollene) of the cruise with a 75 foot drop, so if you wanted to experience it you should set your clock! Needless to say we did not!
Each day we received a list of today’s activities.
We awoke at our regular time to yet another bright and sunny day. We have been very lucky so far as the weather has been marvelous except for wind the last few days. It is called a “mistral” wind which occurs this time of the year in this region of France. It has been quite breezy! A bit about Avignon. The current population is 90,330 with about 13,000 living within the old walls of the city. It is most remembered as being the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church (rather than Rome) from 1309-1376
We all chose the walking tour of of Avignon which included the main attraction in this area- the Papal Palace! We could see it from the ship as it was only a short walking distance away.
Thanks to Google I learned this is a gum rockrose, common in this area of the Mediterranean.
The medieval walls of Avignon.
One of the towers of the Avignon walls.
Walking on the cobblestone streets of Avignon on my way to the Papal Palace.
Early morning in the walled city of Avignon.
A tree lined pedestrian street, lined with shops and outdoor restaurants.
The menu of the day.
The seal of Avignon.
The city hall of Avignon.
The 1847 opera house in old town Avignon.
Time out for a bit of religious history about the Papal Palace. It all started with King Phillip IV of France (1285-1314) who got into a fight with Pope Boniface VIII over wanting to tax and exert control over the Catholic Church. He even captured and held hostage the Pope in Rome. This action ultimately led to the selection of a French Pope, Clement V, and movement of the papacy from Rome to Avignon in 1309 until 1377. Six different popes ruled the church from here during that period. In fact, even after the papacy moved back to Rome there was a period of time, known as the “Great Schism of the West, 1378-1417” when there were competing popes in both locations.
There are actually two palaces here-the old palace (the Palais Vieux ), built by Benedict XII from 1335-1342, and Palais Neuf (New Palace) which was added under the rule of Clement VI from 1342-1352. In total the palace occupies 11,000 sq. meters (118,000 sq ft)! It is immense! After seeing it one can easily say “It was good to be a Pope”!
Entering the square where the Papal Palace is located.
The Papal Palace in Avignon.
The Papal Palace.
The Avignon Cathedral next to the Papal Palace.
A lovely building on the same square as the papal palace, likely destined to be a 5 star hotel.
Inside the courtyard of the palace. It is now used for concerts. The cirlce shows the window of the popes’ main chambers.
An ancient door.
The very tall vaulted ceilings. The ceiling height was enormous.
Another courtyard showing the guest wing of the palace.
The uniform of the Swiss Guards who protect the popes.
17th century paintings.
Restored ceilings in the room where cardinals met with the pope.
Picture of what the room looked like where the pope met with cardinals.
More paintings.
The popes who first came to Avignon.
An area that has not been restored. You get an appreciation for how big a job restoration really is.
The money and valuables were hidden under thick blocks of stone in the palace.
The grand “tinsel” where banquets were held. It is an immense room!
The fireplace area of the grand tinsel was used to keep the food warm during dinner
Where the cardinals and others ate in the main dining hall on special occasions.
The way the kitchen looked back in medieval times.
Another ancient door in the palace.
The primary residence of the popes with painted walls depicting birds and wildlife.
A fireplace in the pope’s chambers.
Painting in the pope’s study.
The Great Clementine Chapel, built in 1352
The north sacristy that links the pope’s apartment to the chapel.
The Great Audience Chamber where the Court of Audience was housed, a judicial body that ruled on ecclesiastical cases. What amazed me the most was the immense size of the rooms in the Papal Palace.
Of course there is a gift shop in the papal palace.
View of the entry courtyard from the second level.
Another accordion player, a dying breed!
Ancient Roman walls.
The 14th century clock tower in Avignon.
We were back to the ship in time for a quick lunch and then on to the the afternoon tour to visit the highest and most well-preserved remaining Roman aqueduct in the world- Pont du Gard. (We chose it over another tour option to visit a local truffle farm). For me it turned out to be an OMG sight! It was built by the Romans sometime between 40-60 CE to carry water some 50 km from the mountains to the now modern city of Nimes. What shocked me was its size and the fact that is built with a gradient of 1 inch per square 1,200 feet. It was an unbelievable engineering challenge! It likely remained in use for 4-6 centuries. At its highest point the arch stands 49 meter (160 ft) high. It is marvelous! I simply stood in awe at its beauty.
Croque monsieur sandwich was the featured luncheon sandwich.
A museum at the Pont du Gard shows how the Romans managed to build such a structure.
How the arches were fabricated, using wooden forms.
A Roman location to collect water delivered by the aqueduct.
Not much privacy in Roman bathrooms!
Nothing is new in the world! The Roman women wore bikinis as shown in the mosaic.
Our first glimpse of the Pont du Gard.
The mammoth size of the aqueduct can be appreciated when you see the size of people walking beneath it.
Each block was especially constructed and had a special location in the aqueduct.
Proof we were there.
Look at the size of the arche compared to people. A recent flood almost covered the entire lower arch!
What an engineering masterpiece!
Look at the intricate blending of stones in the aqueduct.
My Kodak moment.
Looking up the Garron River, where people canoe.
Looking down river from the aqueduct. People often swim from the beach there.
An ancient inscription on a rock at the Pont du Gard.
Our bus driver, complete with high heels!
We returned in time for our mandatory disembarkation lecture and evening farewell champagne cocktail hour where the Captain and Senior Staff introduced the rest of the support team who made our journey as pleasant as it was and wished us “A Bientot (See you soon)” before our gala farewell dinner.
The Pont d’Avignon bridge, dating back to the 13th century. It kept being destroyed by the river and was finally abandoned in the 17th century. It is a tourist attraction today.
It’s cocktail hour again!
Hot appetizers offered at the evening cocktail hour.
Our ship staff thanking us for sailing with them.
The captain and cruise manager offering us a toast.
Our young French captain interacting with some passengers.
Lowering all the equipment on the sun deck because of an upcoming low bridge clearance.
Our dinner menu for the evening.
Artistic presentation of the tenderloin.
A fairly decent crème brûlée.
Our evening entertainment provided by Paolo Nassi.
The ship set sail for our last stop, Arles, promptly at 5:45 PM with an expected arrival time of 9PM. Distances here are not very long.
