September 30, 2015
A rest day in Avignon
Today was a 'rest' day part of which we spent planning what will be a fairly difficult part of the trip from here to Nice and part we spent poking around here.
Yesterday at the Lavarie Newton had told us that it was easy to get a bus to Pont du Gard. We had thought we would ride there and back but looking at the maps the roads looked busy and there looked as if there would be lots of climbing so we whimped out and took the bus. It really is a extraordinary place. Built by the Romans about100AD as an aguaduct to take water to the Roman settlement of Nimes it was in operation for several 100 years. Part of the fact that it is in such good condition was that after that time the locals took over its care they were able to collect tolls for people crossing it. Now of course it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is looked after with extreme care. The mind boggles when you thing of the knowledge and technology that the Romans used to build it. For example how did they lift the massive stones into place, where did the stones come from and how did they cut them so accurately?
The rest of the time was spent poking around Avignon and of course taking the obligatory visit to Le Pont d'Avignon. I am sure there is not one person in the Western World who doesn't know the famous song.
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