Our fifth full day in Provence was another three village day, and our first destination was Avignon, a bit less than an hour from our little home. We parked in a large multi story car park that was underneath the Palais de Papes. After a quick coffee in the piazza (of course), we explored this beautiful palace.
The Palais de Papes was the home of seven popes from 1309-1377 and was built when Pope Clement V decided he didn't want to relocate to Rome after becoming the Pope, and instead build the Palais. It is an absolutely massive structure - about 5 stories high, millions of stairs (perhaps a slight exaggeration) and many reception rooms. With a view like this (and, eventually, a Palais of its size), it's not hard to understand why those Popes elected to stay in France.
Stop number two of the day was Pont du Gard, an ancient Roman aqueduct. It was constructed in 1AD and is the highest of all Roman aqueduct bridges, at 49m high. The river it is situated on is the Gardon river, which is a little bit of a hit with the locals. We had a lovely walk around the aqueduct as well as a paddle in the river (a lot warmer than our water stop the previous day) and even managed to fit in a little bit of bush walking - anything to get to a high point for a good photo.
Our final stop for the day was Orange (not the Orange in Australia). We wanted to visit the Theatre Antiques however, of course, an ice cream was needed first. The Theatre Antiques was constructed in 1AD. Holding around 10 000 people, this venue is still used for various performances from rock concerts to operas. Handset guides in hand, we spent a few hours wandering around the theatre, enjoying the sun.
The scale of this theatre is impossible to describe and give it justice, however it was astounding how large the walls were considering the age of the venue. The statue that you can see in the bottom photograph is 3m tall, which shows to some extent just how large the wall behind the stage was.
We started my final full day in Provence at the St Remy markets, which are famous for their food and clothing. Of course, before our wandering began, we started things off with a quick coffee in a shop that sold homemade soaps and tiny figurines. The markets were rich in colour and culture: stalls sold everything from earrings to fish, scarves to fruit, with several stalls selling nougat. No complaints here. After a bit of wandering it was time for a quick pastry stop and I indulged in a pain au chocolat. Kilojoules don't exist in Europe!
After a few hours of shopping and eating, we drove to Les Baux, about an hour away. This area used to be used for bauxite mining however it ran our early in the 20th century, and it is a village that is all but dedicated to tourists. Surrounding the village, at the base of the hill and in front of large cliffs, is an area where the rich and famous can live relatively privately. Dad found (what he thought was) a stellar parking spot on a section of road which was newly laid and unmarked. We thought it seemed a little bit close to the road but nothing more was said and we left the car and went off to explore.
As we were walking up the hill to the village of Les Baux we saw a helicopter landing at someone's house, which was, unfortunately, shielded by large trees. Alas, we have no idea who it was landing however I like to think it was a celebrity. The fort at the top of the village was constructed in 2BC and we were able to climb around it and over it. Alicia and I probably weren't in the most practical footwear (hiking boots, ideally accompanied by poles, would probably have been a better idea) however there were no major mishaps and we stopped after an hour or two for lunch.
A parking ticket on the bonnet was waiting for us at the car (surprise, surprise) and so the following day the three remaining travellers had to figure out how to pay it at a tobacconist.
Our final stop for the day was Nimes, about an hour today. The Nimes Arena is what drew us here: once again, a structure very similar to the Colosseum only less overrun with tourists.
Those who know me well are aware that I am not hugely into summer - I burn quickly and I get hot and bothered - and after a few days in the sun I was sporting a very becoming blotchy rash on my legs. It was in this Nimes that I finally went to a pharmacy about my current heat situation and, after talking to a French nurse who spoke English with an Australian accent, was prescribed anti histamines. Yes, my friends: I literally had an allergic reaction to the sun.
Provence was absolutely mesmerising and its little villages are charming. While the French are not known for their hospitality, everyone we interacted with was friendly and helpful, especially the lady who we rented the apartment from as she had written out a suggested itinerary (which we followed) for our week in the region. We were spoilt rotten with the weather because aside from the last few days being boiling hot, most of the days hit around 25 degrees Celsius in temperature - perfect. And, of course, I loved spending time with mum and dad after being separated for so long, as well as the bonus of spending time with Alicia.
I was sad to say goodbye to such a fun filled week with some of my favourite people in the world, however my next destination was somewhere I had always wanted to visit.
Next stop: Ireland!
Until next time,
Laura
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