Avignon, France - site of the Palais des Papes

Avignon was a very pleasant surprise.  The cathedral and Palais des Papes (Palace of the Popes) was amazing and the medieval village, Villenueve, was really something.

Plaza near our AirBnb room

Another eco planted wall like the one in Madrid and the one in Tacoma.  Of course, it is waning because it is Fall.

The municipal building (Hotel de Ville) flying the French and Catalan flags

The plaza in from of the Hotel de Ville - a carousel and lots of outdoor cafes.  They don't seem to open for dinner until 6 or 7pm in France, much earlier than Spain but we ate tapas in bars and waiting until 7pm is a bit of a jolt.

The Palais de Papes (the seat of the second Pope from the time when there were two).  The cathedral, another residence, and the palace gardens are to the left of this photo.

Building across from the Palais.  My quarter of Latin is not enough to know what it is, but I like it.

Entrance to the Palais, where an exhibition of African art is showing

The attached cathedral with a huge crucifix in front and golden  statue of Mary on top

Steve demonstrating the extremely old stone 

The Palais plaza as the sun goes down

Even the French garbage cans are fashionable

One of the views of Avignon from the cathedral grounds

A very beautiful statue of a woman frolicking in the water.  This is in the Palais gardens next to the cathedral

Barge on the Rhone outside the old gate to Avignon.  I swear we saw this very barge in Perpignan.  We noticed the name and commented that it looked like a floating hotel.

The Pont d'Avignon that was destroyed by the French in a dispute with Provence.  Reminds me of the song I learned in French class - Sur le Post d'Avignon; the very bridge.

We took a bus across the Rhone to visit Villeneuve, as recommended by our host.  It is a wonderful medieval village, overshadowed by Fort Saint-Andre.  People actually live in the village.  I'm sure it and the Fort are used for demonstration and re-enactments, but people park their cars, eat dinner, shop, and live there, too.

Fort Saint-Andre could easily be the site of some of the filming of  Monty Python and the Holy Grail.  I can see in my mind's eye the Frenchman leaning over and shouting "your mother was a hamster and your father smelled of elderberries".

Statue of Mary, I assume, in a small park in the village

Steve waiting for me just outside the village near the bus stop where we caught the bus back to Avignon

We took the train to Arles at the end of our stay in Avignon.  Coming up next...  We have 6 days in Arles; two days in one AirBnb apartment and 4 days in another.  We are pretty excited.  Arles has several buildings that were built by the Romans and are still in rather good condition.

Perpignan, France just across the border from Figueres

It was a rather short ride to Perpignan and our accommodation was more on the rustic side, but very clean and well cared for.  The city was delightful for walking, once we found our way around.  My favorites were the canal and the Castillet.

The Castillet - the entrance to the city through the old wall.  The wall are brick, but  there seems to be a pink light on them at night, gives it a sort of Disney look.

Through the gate into the city

View from the top (yes, I made it!) of the Castillet.  Notice the Catalan flag proudly waving. A large segment of the Perpignan population is ethnic Catalan.  They are only a few miles from Catalonia.

 The railing is very old and the walkway on the Castillet is only a couple feet wide.  Yes, I held on to the stone wall for dear life.  Did I mention that I'm afraid of heights?

At first, I thought this said "Viva la republica, Catalan".  But, now I see that first word is Tisca, which according to my translator makes the phrase, "The Republic is in charge, Catalan".  Not sure who's side they are on.

This is a public building used for weddings and museum exhibits.  But, boy, is it gorgeous at night!

The foundation inside the above public building

Announcement on the window.  Unfortunately, we arrived too late to see this exhibition.  Steve was bummed.

View from our back window

View from our front window.  Yes, many homes look very plain on the outside.  But, the inside can be a whole other story.

We left Perpignan and traveled to Avignon after a few days.