10 Nov - Avignon

The first of the many busy weekends to come was spent in a small town in Provence area called Avignon. This town is renowned for its “pont” or bridge which extended only halfway into the river Rhône. Raging flood water in the past has definitively damaged the bridge and despite a few reconstruction efforts, it was finally abandoned in the 17th century. Today, there remain only 4 of the original 22 arches and a lovely Romanesque chapel. Most importantly, what makes this bridge so famous to the world is of course its famous song “Sur Le Pont D’Avignon”.

« Sur le pont d'Avignon,
L'on y danse, l'on y danse,
Sur le pont d'Avignon
L'on y danse tout en rond.
Les beaux messieurs font comme ça
Et puis encore comme ça.
Sur le pont d'Avignon
L'on y danse tout en rond. »

Nice catchy tunes and lyrics.

So I reached Avignon at about noon and immediately headed towards Office du Tourisme. What struck me as soon as I stepped out of the gare (train stration) was that the town is fortified all around forming a near circular area from a bird eye’s view. As soon as I got the town map, I navigated myself towards the bridge and found myself on the bridge soon after. The wind on Saturday was extremely strong, so much so that I could not stand still. The wind kept pushing me to one side, making me feel so unstable that I could perhaps fall into the river at any moment. And I am not exaggerating when I said I practically could not walk straight. I wonder if this is usually the case, but I am guessing so as there were plenty of signs telling parents to hold their children by their hands.

L-R: The first sight out of gare; the fortress wall surround-system

L-R: First view of Pont d'Avignon; on the pont itself

After having enough of the view from the bridge, I descended to the river bank and took my lunch break there. Honestly, that was not the best time to stay outdoor. The wind became stronger and it became very chilly. So I quickly finished my sandwich and headed to my next destination. So much for wanting to take a siesta there. Haha.

L-R: Me on the pont; the bridge from my picnic spot

Within 10 minutes I was standing in front of two prominent architectures of Avignon: Palais des Papes and Notre-Dame de Doms. Of course the church did not really interest me in particular but the former was of great significance. The palace of the popes is the biggest gothic palace in the world and housed many great popes of the past, notably from the 14th century. There were 25 rooms to visit and before long, I abandoned my audioguide when the explanation became long-winded. For once, I did not have to rush through a palace/museum as I had plenty of time at hand.

L-R: Le Palais des Papes; right after the entrance

L-R: Inside the gothic palace

I spent the next 1 hour exploring the Rocher des Doms which is a small park next to the Notre-Dame cathedral. Took some panoramic photos there and grab another sandwich to fill my growling stomach.

L-R: View from the palace rooftop (can you spot the bridge?); view from Rocher des Doms

By then I still had more than one hour before my train departed back to Grenoble. So I took a leisurely stroll towards the shopping district at Rue de la Republique, occasionally stopping by souvenir shops to see if there was anything interesting. I was then reminded of the “nougats” of Montelimar that I read in an online article. This “soft biscuit” or some people call it pastry is made of almonds of Provence, honey of Provence, sugar and white eggs as the main ingredients. It tasted not bad but I preferred the unique taste of “Papalines d’Avignon”, the local specialty. At first glance, this delicacy looked like a Rocher chocolate, but it is in fact made of chocolate, sugar and…oregano liqueur!! And it is not that it had liqueur flavouring, but it actually has a hollow centre, coated with chocolate layer and filled with liqueur in liquid form!! Interesting.

L-R: Nougat Blanc de Provence; Papalines d'Avignon

Anyway, to my surprise I actually enjoyed this trip even though I went all by myself. I saw more things, I did what I wanted without having to care about what others think and I walked at my own pace. It was a nice day trip to a lovely little town.