Monday, June 11, 2012

Avignon & the Pont du Gard

Hey everyone!
I am just coming back from the one of the best days I've had. Provence is such a cute little part of France. However, it is a shame that the lavender isn't in bloom this time of year.
This morning, I slept in a bit and then had breakfast. I had forgotten how small the French breakfast is, but I made do with a croissant and some coffee.
After that, I went and toured the Palace of the Popes. I'll give you a little background history on the place so you know what I learned today.
In 1309, a French pope was elected for the first time. After deliberation, he decided that Italy was no place for the Catholic church. As a result, he brought the Catholic church to Avignon, where the French king was supportive. For nearly a hundred years, the Catholic Church was run from Avignon instead of the Vatican City. The popes lived in the Palace in Avignon until 1408. In 1378, the Italians demanded an Italian pope as well, so for about thirty years, there were two popes.
The structure of the Palace is incredible with Gothic style architecture. There isn't much inside the palace anymore, but the tour was interesting nonetheless. I also went on the St. Benezet bridge to get a good view of Avignon from there. The weather was great today so I got some good pictures.
Around noon, I took a bus to the Pont du Gard, which is a famous Roman aqueduct. Most people come to the site just to see the aqueduct. I came to swim! The Pont du Gard is the final stop on my Roman ruins tour, which I have embarked on these last 23 days. After this, I'm all about the beach at the French Rivera. However, aqueducts are a signature aspect of Roman architecture and life. The Pont du Gard is absolutely stunning and I had a great day tanning and swimming near the site. I spent about five hours there and then took a bus back to Avignon. I got myself some dinner and then decided to purchase some lavender, which is famous in Provence.
Tomorrow, I leave Provence and head for the Riviera! Antibes and Nice are coming my way. After all the travel I have done, it will be nice to just relax on the beach, while attaining bronze goddess status. I hope Liz Riggins and Emmie Derback read this. They will understand the "status" comment.
Can't wait!

The Palace


Pont du Gard

The view from my swim spot

AL

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