The
date is the 7th of March. Technically this is spring but at the
moment we have snow falling outside. The first real snow we have seen this
year. The weather this winter has been generally quite mild with even a few
days when the sun actually broke through the cloud and shone weakly..
We
are doing little jobs on Matilda getting ready for the cruising season, Peter
has serviced the engine and other equipment in readiness for an early departure
this year. We are putting Matilda into dry dock in Vitry le Francois to have
her under-water areas cleaned and re-painted and will be leaving Nancy around
the end of March.
To
pass the time a little we decided to take a break and visit Avignon for a few
days. Avignon is in the south of France, on the Rhone River close to the
Mediterranean Sea. The town has two major claims to fame. Firstly it was the
home of the Popes for many years and secondly, as every one of our generation
will know, the location of one of the oldest songs we still sing:
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
On
the bridge of Avignon
We
all dance there, we all dance there
On
the bridge of Avignon
We
all dance there in a ring
Actually
the bridge is quite narrow and the story is that the dancing was done under it
on an island.
It
was quite a remarkable bridge, constructed between 1177 and 1185 it had
twenty-two arches covering a length of nearly 900 metres. It spanned two
branches of the Rhone and a flood-plain island in the middle. It was washed
away on many occasions and finally abandoned in 1680. Today these four spans
are all that remain.
In
1304, the archbishop of Bordeaux was elected Pope with the name Clement V but
because of the political situation in Italy at the time, he refused to reside
in Rome. The papal court was set up in the city of Avignon. There were seven
Popes who resided in Avignon, they built a great palace, each one adding more, and
the city was fully fortified.
From
our hotel, just outside the City Wall it was just a quick walk to see all of
the old city.
The
old town is a labyrinth of narrow streets, sometimes cut deeply into the stone
of the hills.
We
toured the Papal Palace, partially restored as a museum and admired the details
still left from the original development.
We
travelled out of town, across the Rhone to Villeneuve lez Avignon. It was here
that the Papal Cardinals and other church notables built their massive castles
and mansions. The structure above, the Fort Saint Andre was built in the 14th
century to protect the village and Abbey of Saint Andre. The towers enclose the
main gate into the structure.
We
took an afternoon tour out of Avignon to a town called Orange.
The
Principality of Orange in the Vaucluse area has famous connections with the
Dutch Royal Family who had roots in the area in the 16th century.
The
Romans had settled this area 16 centuries before and their triumphal arch above
still stands at the entrance of the old city.
The
details in parts of it are as sharp today as they were when it was made.
Unfortunately parts of it have suffered with time – and war!
Their
theatre, built into the side of a hill (circa 80 BC) stands as a tribute to their ability and
is still used today. It can seat over 7000 people. The seating today is as it
was – just made a little safer to suit modern safety requirements.
This
area was one of the first in France where the Romans produced wine to send back
to Rome. We visited the village Chateauneuf-du-Pape and of course had to sample
some of the local product. We can report that it is still excellent.
Next
day we were on the train and left Avignon for Nancy.
We
still had things to do so there will be more to tell. We will keep in touch.
