Beginning of the End, Saturday, April 11

Still in Avignon we are back on schedule.  Breakfast was followed by the 9:00 a.m. walking tour of Avignon.  Our guide, Catherine, was a heavy set lady who breathed heavily into the Quietvox microphone and took lots of pauses and found lots of sitting places so we could rest.  In truth, she needed to rest.  Demonstrating the laissez – faire we found typical of our guides, she was not concerned very much by keeping her group together. 

As we wound through the typical by now for us streets we could see there was a lot of high – end shopping available.  Christian Lecroix was born here and his store had prominent placement.  Prada, Dior, Givenchy, Rolex, and other names you know, were all cheek by jowl in one street after another.  The featured stop on this morning’s tour was the Palace of the Popes.

Seven Popes reigned in Avignon until 1377 beginning with Pope Clement V in 1309.  He was encouraged by the scheming of Phillippe IV of France. The Papal seat moved from Rome during the wars there.  The Palais des Papes started as a somewhat modest castle.  Whatever their official status they were not all as saintly as you might expect a Pope to be.

Clement V died from eating powdered emeralds to aid his digestion.  His successor, Clement VI, felt that the best way to honor God was by exhibiting luxury.  He began to expand the building and to make more it more opulent.  He enriched his coffers and created a court for himself and Cardinals and Bishops were happy to oblige him.  Two Anti – Popes continued to try to rule the Church from France until 1377 but by then the Vatican had become the home of the legal Pontiff.  But Benedict XIII hung on in Avignon until 1403 when he fled in disgrace.

The heavy stone walls encompass ten towers in a highly military fashion reflecting the insecurity of religious life in the 14^th century.  On the very top of one, which is part of the church, is a 25 foot tall gilded statue of with her crown of stars.  The interior of the 148,000 square foot now stands empty except for some scale models, an occasional ‘cathedra’ or religious seat, a random trunk or wardrobe of the period, and one magnificent tapestry.  Screens show what it must have looked like based on the remaining frescoes and the styles of the time.  There is a display of original floor tiles.  Carved and painted ceiling beams are also from the early centuries.  In Rome, the Papal archives have original documents that describe art works and ‘costs’.  Most were donated but a great value was placed on them. 

When we left the stone cold structure, we continued our tour stopping in several squares and even spending a little while in the Halles, which means a covered market.  The stalls inside had every staple and delicacy you could imagine.  At Le Jardin the white asparagus was 15 Euros 80 per kilo or approximately $16 a pound!  It was less expensive than the green which is less available in France.

We left the tour when the shopping segment started.  It was an easy walk back to the boat since it ended right where we had started, in Hotel de Ville square by the carousel that has been operating there since it first attracted children in 1900.  I have never seen so many merry – go – rounds as in France.  It seems every city has a main, large, antique one and several more in the many squares.

 A fast lunch on the deck overlooking the palace we have visited in the morning.  We had scheduled an optional (paid) tour for 2:00 p.m.  Nothing fancy for me, just salad and bread. We went to our room to get our recharged whisperers for the visit to Pont du Gard.  This is the ancient bridge which was built as an aqueduct to transport fresh water some 31 miles from a still active spring in Uzes to the town of Nimes.

The bridge is considered to the finest and is certainly the largest, longest that the Romans ever built.  It consists of three rows of continuous arches.  At the top is the water carrier.  Since it is covered with flat stones but still large enough for a grown man to walk through to clean you can imagine the perspective that we saw.  I was quite surprised that the bottom layer is wide enough that a road was carried on it alongside the base of the second layer  No longer can you drive on it.  Just a few years ago, when it became a UNESCO World Heritage site that was stopped. Modern cars and trucks put too much stress on the arch.  It is still the way to cross the River Gard, but on foot. 

We found the stony path and steps to the bottom of the 160 foot tall bridge.  At the rocky beach below, sunbathers enjoyed the spring afternoon sunshine under a brilliant, clear blue sky.  No one was swimming and locals seldom do before mid-June.  But the water was so crystal clear that Gar could easily be seen swimming lazily beneath the surface.  It was amazing to see from this vantage point.  Knowing that some of the lower stones weighed as much as six tons, and that the whole thing is held together with no mortar except to seal the roof tiles, you can see why it has fascinated so many for so long.  The total reflection made for a great photo.  I loved it.  It is one of the few places I have had my picture taken.

We walked back up the trail to the free museum.  It shows many aspects of Roman life in Gaul but mostly focuses on the making of the arch, as it should.  I would compare it to the building of the Great Pyramid of Giza.  Man power aided by simple wooden levers and pulleys moved the cut limestone from the quarry.  A master builder decided the placement of each and carefully had it placed against a wooden frame. When an arch was complete, the frame work was removed.  Some was reused and other pieces no longer fit.

The water carrying roof of the top arch allowed a man to fit inside for cleaning purposes.  Every 50 feet there was an angular protrusion into the flowing stream to slow the passage of the life – giving waters.  Above this was a one foot square hole that allowed for splash back because the Spring of Uzes was so prolific and had a never waning powerful current.  This was indeed the perfect excursion for both Ruth and I.

On the way back to the ship we had a brief stop at the island in the Rhone.  From here we had a daytime view of the Pont de Avignon with the amazing Palais du Papes behind it and our boat resting in front of the whole scene.  Viking – “less time getting there more time being there” and in this city it was true.

We were both so exhausted although we had only walked about 2 ½ miles - it had been walking in the blessed warm sun, on upturned river rock, uneven stone slabs, not to code steps, gravel paths, and sandy beaches.  This was our last day of a two week journey from the Beaches of Normandy to the Mediterranean Sea.  The first part of this second week Ruth had caught the cold that was traveling through the ship and coughed a lot at night.  By mid-week she had given it to me and I couldn’t stop coughing.  So for a solid week, we did not sleep well. That surely added to our tiredness as did the late nights, and glass after glass of wine, the unending conversation and laughter, and absorbing the country of France all day long! 

Saturday night we thought about skipping dinner but had been gifted a bottle of Sparkling Wine by the Hotel Manager.  We carried it to the dining room and happened to sit at a table where one couple had brought a bottle of red wine from the place we visited the other day, to celebrate their anniversary.  Just before dessert was served, Gabor, Peter, and the waiters brought sparklers attached to another bottle of Sparkling Wine.  So six of us ended up the last night of the cruise splitting three bottles of wine!

On the way back to the cabin we stopped at the desk to settle our bill.  In the cabin Ruth set the alarm for 4:30 a.m. and I left a follow up wake up call for 5:15.  Our bags had to be in the hall at 5:30 and our bus to the Marseilles airport was scheduled for 6:00 a.m.  It took me too long to finish the last minute packing – somehow my limited wardrobe had expanded!  Lights were finally out at 10:30.  I always hate to see a trip end but I was anxious to get home as my next trip is in a month!

This was indeed an exhausting trip, unlike river cruises of my past. Not at all what I had told Ruth it would be.  Will I sail again with Viking?  Pretty much sealed the deal by buying a couple Future Cruise Certificates and the bonus was that on this trip, for the first time of my European travels, the Euro and Dollar were evenly matched.