I’ve never ascribed to the notion of “dance like no one’s watching.” A bit to new-agey for my liking. But we made an exception in Avignon.
Avignon, Languedoc-Roussillon, France.
Sur le Pont, D’Avignon
Les beaux messieurs font comme ça
Et puis encore comme ça.
Les belles dames font comme ça
Et puis encore comme ça.
We’re at Avignon, a short drive from Montpellier. We’re on the way to Nice, but along the way we made some side trips to Nîmes, the Pont du Gard, and of course, Avignon.
The last two are UNESCO World Heritage sites, but honestly, Nîmes should be included on that list. There’s a great Roman ampitheatre, the Arene, the intact Maison Carrée, beautiful neoclassical architecture, and the most fabulous fountain and water feature I’ve ever seen, flowing down to the Gare de Nîmes like the aqueduct that used to service the city.
There is so much to explore, and as we’ve experienced so many times in this trip, so little time. La Fille ™ keeps reminding me that we cannot see it all. I’m just so very happy to have been able to see a little bit of this.
The Palais des Papes, part of the inscription that gives Avignon its UNESCO designation. It’s one of the largest Gothic buildings left in the world, and was the home to the Popes of the 14th century. Medieval, through and through.
Simply known as L’Arêne, it’s an intact, 2000 year old amphitheatre in the Flavian mold. This one is in Nîmes.
Also in Nîmes, the Maison Carrée, the most complete ancient Roman temple in the world. Not a UNESCO site, but it ought to be. So much eye candy in France (as in Italia).
Le Pont du Gard, the key element of the 50 km long aqueduct that supplied Nîmes with water. A city of 50 000, two thousand year ago. Supplied by the pinnacle of Roman engineering. In every way the equal to the Aqueduct of Toledo.