Avignon
Avignon and Pont du Gard are the headliners of Provence. So why did we save them for last? Because we chose to stay away from the Festival d'Avignon. The performing arts festival is held for three weeks every July where there are no less than 40 various projects plus daily workshops, debates and discussions regarding theater, dance, music and fine arts. Whether or not we should visit Avignon while it is bustling with exuberance is something I went back and forth on, and avoiding it turned out to be a good decision for us.
The entire city is transformed during the Festival d'Avignon, including closing off access to traffic
We arrived to a quiet town nursing a hangover from partying all month.
"Where are all the people?"--Kate
The main courtyard of the Pope's Palace is transformed into one of the biggest stages of the "In" (official) Festival d'Avignon
Artists of the "Off" festival paste their posters all over the streets of Avignon
Palais des Papes
"It looks like a castle," said anti-castle Kate suspiciously
A brief rest in the shaded gardens of the palace
Don't miss climbing up to the roof's "Great Dignitaries Terrace" (immediately following the immense Chapelle Clementine) for its sweeping views over the palace, the plaza, and Villeneuve les Avignon. I was trying to enjoy the view of a chiseled male model posing in a nearby window, but Greg rudely distracted me.
Going down "L'escalier d'Honneur" to the Courtyard of Honor
The other popular attraction in Avignon is the Pont d'Avignon (or Pont Saint-Benezet). To the average foreigner's eye (aka the Webber family), it is what remains of a medieval bridge after repeated floods of the Rhone River. Everyone else "worldwide" knows it thanks to the famous French children's song from the 15th century: Sur le Pont d'Avignon.
Pont Saint-Benezet, Avignon
"Sur le Pont d'Avignon"
On the bridge of Avignon
They are dancing, they are dancing
On the bridge of Avignon
They are dancing all around
On the bridge of Avignon, there was no dancing going on
No way was Kate dancing with me
(but I got her to pretend with me underneath where no one could see)
I liked Avignon, and could spend more time there, but our next stopping point was the day's highlight: the Pont du Gard. It is a perfectly preserved Roman aqueduct built in ~19 BC to bring water 30 miles to Nimes. It is the world's second highest standing Roman structure, after Rome's Colosseum, which is six feet taller. Standing on it, around it, above it and under it ... you just can't help but be impressed. Those Romans didn't fool around!
Pont du Gard aqueduct
It's not every day you get to picnic under the Pont du Gard!
The river below the Pont du Gard looked so inviting
Our last stop was the city of Nimes. Its surviving Roman architecture is definitely what puts it on the map, and over-powers anything else the city has to offer. The two remarkable structures are its arena and Maison Carree. If it weren't the end of a hot day, and if we hadn't recently visited the Colosseum, we definitely would have toured both buildings. This arena is actually considered the best-preserved of the Roman world. During July, it hosts "Le Festival de Nimes", which I googled a dozen times before we left, hoping they would add a rock band the kids are hinged on, but finally gave up. It also hosts two annual bullfights, thus the Hero statue of a French matador.
Arena of Nimes
Nimes Maison Carree
Even though the Maison Caree is a rectangle, the French named the Roman temple "square house"... apparently it has been there so long (the exact dating is uncertain except that it is from BC) that the correct word didn't even exist in French. It is said to be the only ancient temple to be completely preserved. Today it houses a multimedia show that looks interesting, and it has good reviews, but Rick Steves refers to it as tacky. The line to get in, which is technically just a waiting area during the 22-minute repeating movie, looked uninviting, so Steve won out. We have been incredibly spoiled, and haven't had to wait in a line to get into anything for over six weeks (since Italy).
Logistics:
- Free parking in Avignon is at Parking de l'Ile Piot (which includes a free shuttle). Going over the bridge towards the parking, we found a free spot on a side street, and then walked back over the bridge to town.
- At the Palais des Papes, it was worth it to purchase the audio guide. All the signage is in French, with occasional hand-held posters in English. Check the website for seasonal tours and activities.
- It costs 4 euro to dance on the Pont d'Avignon, or free to dance underneath (where the dance actually took place, rather than on the narrow bridge). We went onto the bridge because it was included for 1 euro more with the family entrance to the Palais des Papes.
- Of course you cannot take a picture of the bridge when you are on the bridge. Remember that when you go to dance.
- To visit the Pont du Gard, ~5km before you arrive, you have to choose which side you will drive to: Rive Gauche or Rive Droite. The best access is on the left bank (rive gauche).
Rive Gauche map of Pont du Gard
- Both banks of the river have a panoramic view point but the view from the river level is most impressive.
