Provence, Day 3 – Avignon

We leave Marseille (pop 977,215 in 2022) by train this morning. We take a less direct route east on La Canebiére and then north on the Boulevard d'Athénes, the arterials from Le Vieux-Port; it's less direct but the roads are wider, and the morning traffic is calm. If we had issues with the stairs when we arrived, we now realize what we avoided – Le Grand Escalier of the Gare de Saint-Charles (19th century).

We circumnavigate the Escalier, and find escalators further west – not so beautiful, but very welcome.

The trip to Avignon (pop 91,760 in 2022) is not quite an hour and a half, but the train is comfortable, and the journey passes quickly.

We arrive at Avignon-Centre (19th century) station, which is just south of the historic city; the old stone walls (Les Remparts, 14th century) are right across the street. The gate there opens into the Cours (now named for Jean Jaurès) and the Rue de La République, the main north-south road through the almond-shaped walls to Le Rhône.

We drop off our luggage and meet a cousin who is staying in Avignon, then take a walk on La République. It is dotted with churches all along the eastern side. First is the Temple Saint-Martial (14th century), partially ruined and now part of a larger public park, Le Square Agricol Perdiguier. The road, the church, and the park are all astonishingly clean, and there is a calm atmosphere of tourists and locals enjoying the shadows of the twisted trees on the flying buttresses.

 

 

 

 

Next, we pass the L'église des Jésuites (Chapelle du Collège, now the Musee Lapidaire, 17th century), a broad, Baroque facade built right up to the street: UNIGENITO DEI FILIO IESU CHRISTO DNO NRO AC DEO SACRUM.

Next, the main facade of the Collégiale Saint-Didier (14th century) could not be plainer: a rose window and a door set into a corner of a small, unremarkable square. We try to walk around the church, but buildings cover the entire side up to the transept door, where the tables for a restaurant fill the sidewalk.

The town is intimate, comfortable, and charming.

 

Finally, La République ends at the Place de l'Horloge which feeds directly into the Place du Palais. Here, Avignon transforms from quaint medieval village to something more. On our right, the imposing Palais des Papes (14th century) forms the entire eastern side of the Place. The Hôtel des Monnaies (17th century), with garlands of vegetables, eagles, griffins, and lions, is on our left.

The Cathédrale Notre-Dame-des-Doms (12th-15th centuries) is further up the rocky hill from the Palais. The golden La Vierge Marie fantastically tops Le Clocher (bell tower, 19th century), a reminder of what we missed in Marseille. 

At the far end of the Place, we descend the stair, looking for Le Pont d'Avignon (Le Pont de Saint-Bénézet, 13th century). But it is too late and the entrance to the bridge is closed.

Returning to the Place de l'Horloge, now having a good feel for the town, we dive back into the alleyways and find a place for dinner.

 

 

 

After our meal, on the way back to the hotel, we pass the Collégiale Saint-Didier, lit with colored flood lights through the trees. The silhouettes of trunks and arms splash the stone walls of the church. Thus concludes a memorable introduction to Avignon.