"Sur Le Pont d'Avignon..." - On the Road to Provence

                                                           Sur le pont d’Avignon,

                                                           L’on y danse, l’on y danse,

                                                           Sur le pont d’Avignon,

                                                           L’on y danse tous en rond.

One of the side trips we had planned to take while in France was south to Provence - or, more specifically, to Avignon. And, what better time to go to the sunny south than in the middle of winter? So we began preparing for the trip: Anna researching sites to see and plotting a route, David researching hotels and making hotel and car reservations. We planned to leave Friday, January 14th, and return Monday, January 17th.



Why Avignon?


Avignon is a very old, walled city with 5,000 years of history – but unlike most cities in France, the wall around the old city center remains largely intact. It is probably best known for the period in which the Papacy took up residence in Avignon in the 13th and 14th centuries. During that time it became the capital of the Christian world and drew the best architects and artists whose influence can be seen to this day. The old city is dominated by the enormous Palais des Papes, or Popes’ Palace, the largest gothic palace in Europe.


Navigating inside the old walled part of Avignon is a special challenge. Most of the streets remain very narrow and are one-way. We wanted to stay in an old hotel in the old part, and managed to get a room right on the center square, the Place d’Horloge, or Place of the Clock. [Actually, there are TWO clocks in large towers, across the street from our hotel, with chimes that sound the hours. Luckily, they chime consecutively and not at the exact same time. They also are silent between 10PM and 7AM.]

The square is bordered by restaurants, the City Hall, the theater, and shops. In the summer, it is undoubtedly a lively place at all hours. In spite of being the dead of winter, there was a good deal of activity the Friday night we arrived. We enjoyed evening drinks and meals at some of the restaurants around the Place.


After getting settled, we planned our exploration of the area – the famous Pont, the Palais des Papes, and the renowned Chateauneuf-du-Pape wine region. Meanwhile, here’s what we saw around the Place d’Horloge.

In order, we have our hotel, a carousel, and the Marie, or City Hall of Avignon.