Travel days - August 27th to August 28th

February, 2015: I received a National Geographic Adventure catalog in the mail. Flipping through it, I saw they offered a hiking trip to Provence in southern France in the Fall.

Hmmm, sounded interesting, I had always wanted to visit Provence, but really, hiking 6 miles a day, 7 days in a row? Sure, 6 miles is feasible, but every day for a week?  I discussed this with hiking friends (who applauded the idea), non-hiking friends (who thought I was mad to even contemplate such a trip), and of course, family. So I decided to do some "practice" hikes to see how it went. I hiked a 10-miler in San Francisco with friends, another 6 mile hike with other friends, and some shorter hikes around the Bay Area. Though all of this boosted my confidence, still, I was not convinced I could do this trip. 

March 9, 1015: Ultimately I made the decision that whether or not I could do this trip, I could at least try.  After all, they did have a sag wagon if I flaked out in the middle of a hike. With some trepidation, I sent in my first payment (nonrefundable) and immediately took out trip insurance - just in case. Then I spent the rest of the Spring and Summer considering what I would need and purchasing what I didn't already own. I also tried to fit in more hikes than usual, hoping all of this would be sufficient preparation. 

Pre-day 1 (Aug 27th to Aug 28th): Inevitably, departure day was upon me and I was off to the airport with the usual pre-travel jitters. My flight on United Airlines from San Francisco to Paris was in Coach class. Though at the last minute, as I was checking in at the airport, they offered me a first class upgrade for just a "bit" more. How could I resist? Even though I've done it before, eleven hours on an airplane is always daunting; a chance to sleep in a seat which actually reclined into a bed was far too good to pass up. As it turned out, it was one of the better decisions of my life. I managed to get 4-5 hours of sleep and arrived at Charles de Gaulle airport (CDG) in Paris at least partially rested. After grabbing my suitcase (why is it always the last one?), and going through French customs (always fun), I made my way to the CDGVal people mover and rode it from Terminal 1 over to Terminal 2 where the TGV (Train à Grande Vitesse - a high-speed electric passenger train) station was located.

After a 3-hour ride, I finally arrived in Avignon at 5:07 pm on August 28th - after 24 hours of continuous travel. 

While waiting for a cab, I met Michael and Michelle from Mission Viejo, CA. They were looking forward to their Rhone River cruise the following day and since we all were staying at Hôtel de l’Horloge, I suggested we share a cab. They immediately agreed. Once at the hotel I checked into room 104, found a cafe nearby in La Place de l'Horloge (an area filled with sidewalk cafes and tourists) where I wolfed down a croque monsieur sandwich and a diet coke for dinner before going off to bed for some much needed sleep.

First Class - the only way to go!

Place de l'Horloge

Hôtel de l’Horloge

Exploring Avignon - August 29th

Since my actual "adventure" did not begin until the following day, I spent this day discovering Avignon. I enjoyed a delicous breakfast at the hotel, including café decaffeine made in a French Keurig-type device. 

Hôtel de l’Horloge breakfast nook

Refreshed, I exited the hotel and started walking down Rue de la République to explore. There were numerous Gelato vendors, a Monoprix, many clothing shops, more restaurants and cafes, and of course a McDonalds! Yes, even in a small walled city in the south of France. I also found a Carrefour grocery store later in the evening, a great place for in-room snacks. About half way through my wanderings, I looked for a cafe for something cool to drink. There was a cute little sidewalk cafe called Café Le Régence – small, with a few square umbrellas under some leafy trees where I sat down to a café and a good book.

While sitting there, I noticed  L'office de Tourisme across the street and decided to pay them a visit. I picked up a few street maps and talked to a very informative agent. He recommended I go and see the street rue des Teinturiers, one of the prettiest, most historic and fashionable spots in Avignon. Rue des Teinturiers, roughly translated, means “The Dyers Street”.  

As I walked along I came across an awesome wooden paddle wheel toward the end of the street along the Canal de Vaucluse which used to power one of the fabric mills. The water was also used to rinse the fabrics. At the height of the weaving boom, there were 23 water wheels along this canal. 

According to Wikipedia, during the 15^th century, textile makers set up shop along this street in Avignon when they realized the benefits of a ready water supply from the canal. At first only wool and silk were manufactured there. But, later, during the 16^th and 17^th centuries, they also began producing what we now know as the colorful, typically Provencal cotton textiles inspired by designs from India. These were produced exclusively in Avignon after they had been banned elsewhere in France.

The street itself is cobblestone and the buildings along the way are mostly stone and brick. There were numerous art galleries, restaurants, cafes and other small exclusive shops. A very interesting place to visit and I was happy for the recommendation. 

By now it was time for the afternoon café, so back to La Regence for a café decaffeine and some more reading.  Following that, a bit more shopping at Esprit, Zara, H&M, and Monoprix. Then a Gelato to top off the afternoon. All that shopping and sightseeing made me very hungry. After a very pleasant afternoon, I returned to the hotel for a quick snack, a little international CNN, and bed.

Day 1: Pont d'Avignon and welcome dinner, August 30th

I woke early, had breakfast at the hotel again, and decided to visit le Pont d'Avignon, the famous bridge over the Rhone River. It was now Sunday, and though most businesses were closed, the l’Horloge area is dependent on tourists, so there were still plenty of cafes and souvenir shops open. Today I left my hotel and walked toward la Palais des Papes (Papal Palace).   

La Palais des Papes

Probably the most famous site in Avignon, it was at one time both fortress and palace. This papal residence was the seat of Western Christianity during the 14th century. The Palais was later abandoned when the papacy found it necessary to return to Rome in 1362. Today it still stands as the largest Gothic building of the Middle Ages. As I walked past, a religious procession was on its way to the Palais.

 

The light blue sky that morning accentuated the bright blue of their robes. I followed them part way and then turned off to go down the cobblestone streets towards the Pont d’Avignon. Though I stopped to browse at a few tourist shops along the way, I made no purchases and soon found myself at the walls of the city and went outside to view the Bridge.   

The bridge was built between 1177 and 1185 and originally spanned the Rhone between Villeneuve-lès-Avignon and Avignon. Legend has it the bridge's construction was inspired by Saint Bénézet, a shepherd boy, who (according to tradition) was tending his sheep when he heard the voice of Jesus Christ commanding him to build a bridge across the river. He was ridiculed at first, but he demonstrated his divine inspiration by miraculously lifting a huge block of stone. This won him support for the project and a group was created to oversee its construction. After his death, he was interred on the bridge itself, in a small chapel standing on one of the bridge's surviving piers.

After reading the history, I decided to visit the bridge and accompanying structures. After going through the tourist entrance and paying a small admission fee, I found myself in a pleasing little courtyard with trees and benches.     

From there I climbed a set of steps carved into the side of a nearby building. After exploring the buildings and courtyards, I walked out onto the bridge which now has only 4 arches left and only goes part way across the Rhone.

By the time I finished exploring the bridge, it was time to return to the hotel, prepare for the welcoming dinner and meet my fellow travelers. At 6 pm we all met in the lobby of l’Horloge. I was pleased to see how friendly everyone was. Our guides, Anne-Charlotte and Pierre, arrived and took us on a short walking tour of Avignon including climbing the hill behind the Palais des Papes to a park with a 360⁰ view of the area surrounding Avignon. There was a map done in glazed pottery on a round stone table pointing out the surrounding features as well as the distances to such places as Paris or nearby towns.

View of the Rhone from the hilltop

The sun was setting as we were on our way down the hill to the Plaza for dinner at Le Moutardier du Pape. It was a wonderfully warm evening so we ate outside at a long table in the courtyard. It was a great time to talk and get to know one another over a superb dinner.

 

Then it was back to the hotel and to bed for some much needed rest before our first hike the following morning.

Day 2: Châteauneuf-du-Pape, August 31st

We met in the hotel lobby at 9am with our backpacks and a touch of trepidation, ready for our first real hike on Provencal soil. The temperature had already reached

85^o F as we piled into two modern air-conditioned vans and drove to Chateauneuf-du-Pape, some 7 miles north of Avignon.  The Chateau was built in the 14th century as a summer palace for Pope John XXII. It is said he was very fond of the grapes grown in that region, well known for making some of the best wines in the area. 

 

We explored the ruins of the old chateau, before making our way downhill through the vineyards toward the famous winery, Cave of Château La Nerthe – Cave in this instance meaning cellar. Since the temperature had now risen to about 98^o F, we were more than delighted to visit the interior of the winery where it was temperature-controlled and cool.  The winery itself was quite impressive, filled with large oak barrels and long dark corridors, so it was not a surprise the wine tasting was also excellent. This was   one of our favorite stops on our walk through the vineyards.

gorgeous grapes in the vineyards

vineyard kitty who followed us for miles

Château La Nerthe

All too soon we had to return outside to the heat and an uphill trek back through the vineyards to the vans. Before we attempted the hill again, Charlotte and Pierre prepared a charming picnic for us in the woods, just past the winery. The food was both ascetically pleasing and delicious. These enchanting hillside picnics became one of our favorite events throughout the trip.

After our picnic, we continued up the hill through the small town of Chateauneuf-du-Pape.

Chateanuneuf-du-Pape

As we approached the top of the hill, we planned an afternoon “apéritif”. Apparently this is a famous French tradition in which one imbibes in what is cutomarily an alcoholic beverage while taking a short break in the afternoon. Excited to join in and honor this great tradition, we stopped at a café where the group tried everything from diet coke (“coke light in France), café, lemonade, and of course the occasional glass of wine. 
Once re-hydrated, we were easily able to complete our hillside climb, and returned to our air-conditioned vans (thank goodness!) for the drive to Vaison La Romaine, our stop for the night. There were two hotels scheduled here - Hostellerie Le Beffroi, and just down the way, the Hôtel la Fête.  Maria and I stayed at this second hotel along with the 2 guides.  Everyone else stayed at Le Beffroi. Apparently neither hotel could hold all fifteen of us. 

To get to these hotels required climbing a very steep stone staircase which led up to the old city at the top of the hill. Looking up from the bottom of the steps, it appeared quite a formidable task – especially after a long day of hiking in 90⁰ heat. But somehow the promise of dinner and soft beds was enough to motivate us.

We had dinner that night at the Beffroi in an enchanting garden setting. There were few complaints about stairs now!