People as Warm as the Weather

First published in the Vancouver Sun

Avignon makes a great hub from which to explore the fabulous and historic south of France.

That I ended up walking alone down the highway, at 11 at night in the south of France, was entirely my own fault. After getting off the train from Paris in the southern city of Avignon, I confidently began my stroll to the hotel. About 10 minutes into the walk, the shoulder of the almost-deserted road shrank and I knew it was not meant for pedestrians. With no city lights in sight, I grew frightened as the night approached without the prospect of finding my way. A white van soon pulled over, the driver wondering if everything was all right. He patiently explained to me that, although the local train station leaves from the city center, the trains from other parts of the country stop at a station a few kilometers south of the city center.

Discovering Avignon

Pont d'Avignon / Pont St-Bénézet, South of France

The walled city of Avignon is bordered by four km of 14th-century ramparts that enclose a labyrinth of small streets and cobbled alleyways. The Pope’s Palace, constructed in 1335 and finished 20 years later, is a must-see for its imposing presence and rich history. Dubbed the “Rome away from Rome,” Pope Clement V moved his court here until the Revolution.

The other most recognized site is the Pont St-Bénézet, which all French children know as the “Pont d’Avignon” (so goes the nursery rhyme). When Bénézet, a shepherd boy in 1177, announced that he had been commanded by angels to build a bridge across the Rhône in just that spot, the archbishop laughed along with the rest of the townspeople. Small Bénézet had to prove himself by hoisting a gigantic boulder over his head and tossing it into the river as the start of construction. Unfortunately, due to destructive warfare, the bridge stands today with only four arches and the St-Nicolas Chapel.

Lesser-known but worth the visit are the Théàtre de la Danse, where I caught a wonderful performance by Compagnie So Sur Saut, as well as a dance class; the Utopia Cinemas, where I saw Charlie Chaplin’s Modern Times with French subtitles; and the Place de l’Horloge, which is a car-free area in the center of the city that hosts lively entertainment in the evenings. Surrounded by restaurants, it’s best to visit after dinner to hang out and enjoy the boundless activity and street performers. The Rocher des Doms park is also a beautiful spot with views of Mont Ventoux, Pont St-Bénézet and the fortifications of the nearby city of Villeneuve.

Avignon is a wonderful base to check out the neighboring cities of Villeneuve-les-Avignon and Orange, the former with Gothic Fort Saint Andre and “La Chartreuse du Val de Bénédiction,” the latter home of Théàtre Antique, the best-preserved Roman theatre in Europe. The people in this region are wonderfully warm, as is the weather.  Just make sure to check which train station you’re arriving from before you leave.