Avignon

October 13, 2022

We load up our things this morning for the short train ride north to Avignon, our final stopover of the trip. The biggest draw of this city for us is to get closer to Beaumes-de-Venise for a ride tomorrow through the villages of the Côtes du Rhône wine region. It also shortens our trip back to Paris the next day for our flight home. As long as we're here, let's see what’s up in Avignon.

After dropping our bags at the hotel we pedal to the TI for intel about what to do here today and where we’re going tomorrow. The Palais des Papes – Palace of the Popes – looks interesting so we'll start there. We manage to find the bumpiest cobblestoniest possible route, passing by St. Peter’s Basilica on the way.

Despite my Catholic high school education, the fact that Avignon was the seat of the papacy for most of the 14th century is news to me. At the Palais we learn that Pope Clement V, a native of Aquitaine France, moved the papacy here in 1305. One of his predecessors, Boniface VIII, died in 1303 after King Philip IV of France ordered his arrest and beating. Boniface’s successor Benedict XI lasted eight months before he died suddenly in 1304; the word on the street was that Benedict was poisoned by one of the King’s ministers. A personal friend of the King, Clement was likely persuaded by all these machinations and more skullduggery in Rome that the wisest course was to stay put in France. I guess it's not too surprising that this violent history was left out of the high school curriculum.

We spend some time wandering the palace with the complementary Histopad tablet that visualizes what the rooms could have looked like in the 14th century. I have a short attention span with these devices and after a while we gravitate to the gardens; I'd rather be outside. Even better would be lunch outside. We're in luck! There's a bunch of sidewalk cafes in front of the palace on the Place du Palais. We settle in at the In & Off with a glass of wine and menus and take in the street musicians.

The massive 14th century Palais des Papes is the largest Gothic palace in Europe, sprawling over 11,000 square meters in Avignon.

Elaborate frescoes by Matteo Giovannetti decorate the walls and ceilings of the palace chapel. Wonderful to see actual art. The digital reimaginings on the Histopad are interesting but...

View from above of the Mediterranean gardens

Another must-see here of course is the Pont Saint-Bénézet, inspiration for the popular French nursery rhyme "On the Bridge at Avignon." I don't mind this particular earworm, it's a sweet memory playing in my head as we learn about the bridge.

Sur le Pont d'Avignon
L'on y danse, l'on y danse
Sur le Pont d'Avignon
L'on y danse tous en rond

The English translation of lyrics about dancing on the bridge doesn't have quite the same poetry. I haven't ever seen an actual dance to the song but imagine it would be charming.

Built over at least three centuries, the medieval Pont Saint-Bénézet originally reached across the Rhone with 22 arches. Flooding has swept away all but the four that remain.

Taking in the view of the river from the bridge on a pretty day

We could have walked to all these things but it's fun biking around the city. Avignon is very clean and pretty, a fine place to wander for the rest of the afternoon.

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Wide bike path by the old city fortifications

We cap off the day with a lovely meal at Petit Grand - recommend. With our curiosity about Avignon satisfied, we're eager to get an early start on tomorrow's ride through the wine villages of the Rhone.

Today's ride: 5 km (3 miles)
Total: 576 km (358 miles)

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