When I was 19 I got a passport for the first time and, with great fear and trembling, stepped on a plane bound for France. (Actually, it was bound for New York first, and I had a hard time figuring out that I actually needed to go to a different terminal for international flights.)
I was spending a semester abroad, studying in Avignon. I don’t know what propelled me to do this (a dream? of a Frenchman?) but I took the plunge and made the necessary arrangements to go.
Obviously it completely changed my life.
So last month I set foot in Avignon for the first time in 23 years. (cough) Mm this street seems vaguely familiar.
This plaza is very familiar – I probably only ate there once as my student budget was more fit for baguettes with butter and Swiss cheese than three course meals.
And the pope’s palace. I remember this.
The statue where Mary hovers over Jesus
her gilded figure illuminated by the sun
and the park.
The palace has a great park.
Did you know the Vatican was not always in Rome? For 68 years in the 14th century the papacy was in Avignon.
That’s right – take that you Italians! (shaking fist)
Just kidding – they were coerced, poor duckies.
More pictures of the garden.
Luckily no kids were with us to beg and plead for a ride.
And the Pont d’Avignon.
Great bridge isn’t it? Notice how it doesn’t quite make it to the other side of the Rhône? The French are very skilled at architecture.
No, really it’s a historical monument. The bridge was blown up during the second world war by the resistance to keep the Germans from advancing. *this historical bit is amended in the comments.
And the expansive plaza (now a skateboarding haven)
which once held so much magic for me, seems just like a tourist town and not one that holds any significance. The deeply buried memories have been replaced by much bigger and brighter ones closer to home.
Although when you see images like this you can almost imagine what it was like 700 years ago, when it was a vibrant palace, pulsing with life (and priestly tassels).
The village of Ménerbes was on the way from Avignon to where we were staying, and since Picasso had a house there it must be worth the visit, right? *see correction further down
I kept making “ça ménerbes” jokes. Get it? “Ca m’énerve?” It’s only funny if you speak French.
And even then …
Here we started to see some of the color that you associate with Provence.
This village is also on a cliff.
I didn’t realize this when I lived in Avignon, because that city is rather flat, but a lot of Provence is hilly. You know the Alps? Well, the mountain ridge of Provence is called the Alpilles (pronounced Al-pee-yeh).
We visited the gothic church that is no longer in use.
And the cemetery.
I know I won’t be cognizant when dead or anything, but this might not be a bad place to rest.
Below is the Mairie (pronounced Mary with an emphasis on the “y”). It means town hall and every city, town and village has one, including Paris. If you live in France you will be intimately acquainted with the Mairie – mine knows me by name.
We asked about Picasso’s house and was told that he had actually bought it for his mistress and that it was now a private residence. But she told us where it was so we went there to see it.
And this is it.
Or … this is it (right next to it). Not sure.
Finally we stopped in this pretty place for some coffee
which was pretty bad by French standards.
And this is the end of my post.
19? Just 19? I admire your adventurousness…wish I had some of that in me when I was younger.
This almost makes me wish I could go back in time and be adventurous. My little one month tour of Europe was filled with tourist attractions, and I hope so much to one day return and see some of the more intimate gifts scattered within the countries we visited.
Though I would still eat bread & butter & swiss cheese every day in France. Heavenly.
i studied abroad in london in 1990. such wonderful times!
I know – not to sound trite, but it everyone could study abroad the world would be a much more tolerant place.
I had no idea that the Vatican was anywhere but in Rome…hmph…learn something new every day.
Beautiful pictures friend.
So beautiful. I wish I’d made it to France when I was studying in England. Sigh.
Hey – you’re surely going to want to bring your kids for a visit when they’re older. I’ll be here. 🙂
A lovely tour! It looks like you had the entire town to yourself. I’d always thought it was very crowded with tourists. It seems May is a good time to visit.
Yes, you don’t want to go during the theatre festival. Unless .. you do. 😉
Beautiful pictures as always! I love the architecture. Ahh, France!
Beautiful! Tell me this, though–did you get a dance in on the bridge?
Hey, you promised me a boring post on Twitter, and this one was lovely, as your photo essays always are. I really love the photo of Mary illuminated by the sun. I’ve got a soft spot for that broad. And the photo of Le Pont d’Avignon took me back to my high school French class. I can actually hear my teaching singing from somewhere inside my brain and see the crazy hand motions she used to do as we sang about that bridge!
I was wondering if anyone saw that tweet. (And thanks).
“Sur la pont…d’Avignon…” Durn. Now it’s gonna be stuck in my head all day.
Beautiful pictures. Thanks for the tour.
I do love touring around france with you! Everything is so different from what I’m used to and I find it so interesting: the architecture, children’s’ rides at the park, yummy food to eat…
I know what you mean about memories being different now than what they were long long ago! Still memories, but not exactly what we expect.
I love your blog, Lady.
Thank you.
We have a holiday home not far from Avignon close to relatives and friends who have lived there all their lives and we were told that the consruction of the bridge stopped at that point half way accross the river because of the currents , not destroyed as you mention, it would be interesting to know which is the correct reason.
But as your pictures show this is a magical place , more so when there are no tourists especially just before christmas
then it trully becomes magical but for me it beautiful at any time , as is a small town very close to Avignon and that is Uzes.
Oh how I wish I were there now.
Thank you for pointing this out! I thought that was what I learned from my professors when living there, but the again, it was 23 years ago. So I did some research and it turns out that the bridge (built in the 12th century, originally in wood) was restored several times until the 17th century when they stopped restoring it. Only that bit remains, so not a WW2 casualty.
A baguette with butter and Swiss cheese sounds like heaven to me.
And I’m not 19. By several decades…
I know. Drat that gluten intolerance!
I love coming here just to see the pictures and here of all the places you visit and life there in France. It’s my simple way of traveling there!
Someday I will be able to travel and visit places like all those in your pictures.
Thank you Jackie, and yes! Someday you will come.
I thought people had to swim to that bridge until I realized it was attached on one side.
Wow, that was like a mini vacation! Thank you. I laughed at the bridge. I’m pretty sure that’s the type I’d build with my mad skills.
Oh how I love that you went full circle!
I studied and traveled abroad a lot, too, and it was the best possible thing EVER.
I can’t wait to get to it again, with different eyes.
(Also? You,, me, some baguette and swiss cheese have a date some day. xo)
I was in Avignon ages ago and loved it. So lovely to go down memory lane through these pictures with you. What a gorgeous place!