Avignon, France

This past weekend I went with a French friend to visit the city of Avignon in Provence. Anyone raised in the Catholic religion will know that the city was the seat of the papacy during part of the 14th century. Of course the papacy was like the government for all of the Catholic world, which at that time included much of Europe. The pope himself was like a king so he lived like one! The Catholic churches with their grandiose sizes, their gold tabernacles, embroidered vestments, chalices, etc., masterpiece artworks, ornate architectures, etc. are testaments to the riches that the pope and clergy amassed over the centuries. Since there was so much constructions to be done in Avignon when the papacy relocated there, many of the best architects, weavers, painters, and sculpture artists, craftspeople, etc. moved there. Consequently, there are many incredible remains from that period, as well as from long before since Avignon has always been important because of its strategic location along the Rhone. The entire old city is surrounded by a Medieval wall punctuated with intermittent ports or entrances. You can see where parts have been repaired but it is in exceptionally good condition, as are most of the monuments. It's easy to see why the city has received the UNESCO World Heritage designation. We spent our three days visiting the Palais des Papes, the Museum du Petit Palais, Pont St. Benezet, and minor churches in the village. On Saturday we walked across the bridge that connects Avignon with Villeneuve des Avignon and explored some of the churches and cloisters. We got there during lunch time and the tower at the foot of the hill was closed so we proceeded up the hill to the small town center where we lucked upon a great little restaurant for lunch, Le Saint André. They are mentioned in one of the Michelin Guides and I have to say they offered a full hot plate that was also delicious for vegetarians, not common in France. After eating we visited an abby then headed to the top of the hill to see the fort that was closing for the afternoon. Unfortunately, we didn't get to see anything but the entrance but it's something to return for in the future since it is also wonderfully preserved. Sunday we did one of the walking tours in Avignon and discovered more wonderful jewels before boarding the TGV, fast train, to return to Paris. In addition to seeing such great sights, I also got 3 great days of French language immersion with my friend Monique!