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.