Mary Linda Melnyk Travel Blog: Avignon

Saturday, July 21. We woke and were greeted by the "Mistrel", also know as the master. The Minstrel is a very strong wind that blows down river at up to sixty miles per hour at times during the year. The gardeners and farmers have planted barriers of cedar trees to block the wind from their crops. The Rhone River runs through a valley that funnels the wind that blows for 3, 6, 9 and even 12 days in succession.

We began today docked at Avignon, a lovely former Roman river town. The first thing we noticed were the city ramparts, the bridge of Avignon, and the Palace of Popes, right in the town center. Avignon is referred to as the City of Popes, and was designated a World Heritage Site. The city was selected by Pope Clement V as his residence in 1309, causing a riff with the Catholic Church which would last for almost 70 years. Eventually it returned to the French in 1791. One of our groups toured the Palace which was built in by Benoit XII in 1342. the Palace is known for it's reception courtyard and wonderful 14th century frescos by Simone Martini.

Palace of Popes, Avignon

Another small group were met at the boat by a local chef who accompanied them to Les Halles food market, where they saw a skinned rabbits, fish, vegetables, and spices among other French specialties, and where they bought necessary ingredients to cook a simple French lunch. Among several other dishes, they prepared a lovely olive tapenade.

Inside Les Halles Food Market

Our third group toured the Pont du Gard, a Roman aqueduct bridge that crosses the Gard River. It was constructed in the first century to carry necessary water, about 40 million gallons daily, between Uzes and Nimes, about 30 miles. The Pont De Gard is a masterpiece of Roman engineering consisting of three separate levels or arches. The stone was measured and individually cut and numbered at a nearby quarry. It is one of the best preserved Roman aqueduct and was added to the list of World Heritage Sites in 1985. The group went on to Uzes, a medieval hilltop town, which is still home to the Dukes of Uzes. The group wandered through the weekly market selling many items, including lovely pottery for which Uzes is known.

Pont du Gard, Roman aqueduct bridge

We continued our trip up the Rhone River passing through a number of locks, including the largest one on the river. We docked after dinner at Viviers, an amazing walled city which has been the home bishops since the 5th century.