Jun 6th - Avignon

 No day-trip today as there’s a National strike on (which accounted for our earlier departure from Marseille, and of which we’re not toooo upset about!😊). 

So, as the trains are having a day off, we followed up on the recommendations from our ‘mine host’ with the first being a visit to ‘Les Halles’, the food market. With their lovely displays of all different foodstuffs I really do enjoy visiting these places, especially as most of them give you the opportunity to eat and drink while you’re there!  This we did, stopping off at a place that had a sign up that more or less said “You bring the food, we’ll supply the drinks”, what more could you ask for?  Saucisse de canard with Gratin Daupinois, Poulet Rôtissoire, and a glass of Rosé.  Victoria Market you’re missing an opportunity! 😆

Next on our planned list was the ‘Palais des Papes’, the Palace of the Popes’.  However, one of the staff at our lunch stop sent us to a local street that’s alongside a river and still got waterwheels in use.  It was a good suggestion. 

Next we did actually get to the ‘Palace of the Popes’, which is one of the largest Gothic buildings in Europe and a UNESCO world heritage site since 1995.  Once a fortress and palace, it was home to the Pope (and not Rome) for most of the 1300’s.  Impressive, by size and looks on the outside, I was a little disappointed when inside as there’s a serious lack of artefacts or furnishings in what is mainly big, empty rooms. Such a shame!

Our last visit of the day was back to the ‘Nursery rhyme bridge’, the “Sur le Pont d’Avignon”, where our tickets for the ‘Palace’ included access on to the bridge as well as the chapel.  This chapel, split into two, has the upper part dedicated to St Benezet, while the lower half is devoted to St Nicholas (he of ‘Christmas Day’ fame) who is also the patron saint of mariners. 



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