3 days in and around Avignon
Spent Monday, Oct 9 through Wednesday, Oct 11 in and around Avignon. Could really see the Italian influences here.
Will fill in details later but here is a general itinerary:
Oct 9 -- arrived into Avignon via train around 10am, checked into hotel and lugged my bag up 4 very long and rickety flights of stairs to my closet -- I mean room. I took video to prove I'm not exaggerating. The afternoon was spent on a wine tasting tour .... Chateauneuf des Papes and Beaune des Venises (I think?). Philip was an exceptional guide and we also took a little detour to Orange and viewed the Roman ruins there. A really nice group and a fun time.
Oct 10 -- all day tour of Avignon and surrounding areas. First stop was the Lavender Museum then onto Luberon and Roussullon to check out the ocre cliffs -- gorgeous. Next stop Gordes where we were dropped off at their open market with time to shop and lunch. I bought my lunch at the market -- provencal pizza, black grapes, St Nectarine cheese, and an assortment of olives that were out of this world. As Rachel Ray would say, "Yummo!" Then we went to the Pont du Gard, very impressive water works set up long ago and beautiful to behold. Then on to Beaux and a tour of the castle there. The views were fantastic. We sped around St Remy and the hospital that Van Gogh stayed at. By the time she was telling us where it was it was long gone and we were already on our way back to Avignon. There was suppose to be a scheduled stop there but didn't happen. This tour guide was a far cry from Philip (who we ran into at Beaux). She acted as if she was being forced to do this and drove so fast the girl next to me kept getting car sick. I was a little queazy myself.
Oct 11 -- on my own to tour the Palace of the Popes -- where 9 of the Popes ruled from here instead of in Rome. They seemed to have gone back and forth until they made Rome permanent. Ran into Phillip here again. Such a nice guy; Then went to a small museum that had a special exhibit of Sisley and one painting each of Van Gogh, Modigliani, Picasso, Cezanne and a few others. Then back to view the ramparts and Saint Benezet bridge. It seems when I plan my days, I forget to include time to eat and take a break so by the time evening comes, I'm exhausted and hungry. Had dinner both nights at what I would consider atypical restaurants but the experiences were amusing.
Went to the wrong train station to catch my train back to Paris but it worked out fine and it was the first time the train wasn't full. An excellent ride back to the city in an air conditioned, comfortable seat, with no seat mates, watching the scenery cruise by with the sounds of New Radicals (Get What You Give), Shakatak, Norman Connors' It's Your Life, Michael Bublé's version of Come Fly With Me and Janet Jackson's "When I Think of You" . . . . . .
Will fill in details later but here is a general itinerary:
Oct 9 -- arrived into Avignon via train around 10am, checked into hotel and lugged my bag up 4 very long and rickety flights of stairs to my closet -- I mean room. I took video to prove I'm not exaggerating. The afternoon was spent on a wine tasting tour .... Chateauneuf des Papes and Beaune des Venises (I think?). Philip was an exceptional guide and we also took a little detour to Orange and viewed the Roman ruins there. A really nice group and a fun time.
Oct 10 -- all day tour of Avignon and surrounding areas. First stop was the Lavender Museum then onto Luberon and Roussullon to check out the ocre cliffs -- gorgeous. Next stop Gordes where we were dropped off at their open market with time to shop and lunch. I bought my lunch at the market -- provencal pizza, black grapes, St Nectarine cheese, and an assortment of olives that were out of this world. As Rachel Ray would say, "Yummo!" Then we went to the Pont du Gard, very impressive water works set up long ago and beautiful to behold. Then on to Beaux and a tour of the castle there. The views were fantastic. We sped around St Remy and the hospital that Van Gogh stayed at. By the time she was telling us where it was it was long gone and we were already on our way back to Avignon. There was suppose to be a scheduled stop there but didn't happen. This tour guide was a far cry from Philip (who we ran into at Beaux). She acted as if she was being forced to do this and drove so fast the girl next to me kept getting car sick. I was a little queazy myself.
Oct 11 -- on my own to tour the Palace of the Popes -- where 9 of the Popes ruled from here instead of in Rome. They seemed to have gone back and forth until they made Rome permanent. Ran into Phillip here again. Such a nice guy; Then went to a small museum that had a special exhibit of Sisley and one painting each of Van Gogh, Modigliani, Picasso, Cezanne and a few others. Then back to view the ramparts and Saint Benezet bridge. It seems when I plan my days, I forget to include time to eat and take a break so by the time evening comes, I'm exhausted and hungry. Had dinner both nights at what I would consider atypical restaurants but the experiences were amusing.
Went to the wrong train station to catch my train back to Paris but it worked out fine and it was the first time the train wasn't full. An excellent ride back to the city in an air conditioned, comfortable seat, with no seat mates, watching the scenery cruise by with the sounds of New Radicals (Get What You Give), Shakatak, Norman Connors' It's Your Life, Michael Bublé's version of Come Fly With Me and Janet Jackson's "When I Think of You" . . . . . .
posted by Paper Architect @ 11:54 AM
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