Pont du Gard, Avignon,  Aix on Provence, Provence France

We still have three major sites to visit that are within an hour of the house.  There is so much to see in this part of Provence.   The Pont du Gard is an ancient Roman aqueduct bridge that crosses the Gardon River.  The bridge is part of the Nimes aqueduct, a 50 km long structure built to carry water from a spring at Uzès to the Roman colony which is now called Nimes. The terrain between the two points is hilly requiring the aqueduct to be built mostly underground,  At the point where it reached the gorge of the Gardon, the construction of an aqueduct bridge was required.  This amazing feat of engineering was built in the 1st century AD!  The Pont du Gard is the highest of all Roman Aqueduct bridges and is, one of the best preserved in the world.  It was added to UNESCO'S list of World Heritage Sites in 1985.  

 

The bridge has three tiers of arches, standing 160 ft high.  The whole aqueduct descends in height by only 56 ft over its length, while the bridge decends by a mere 0.98 inches- a gradient of only 1 in 3000!  The building prowess of the Romans was nothing short of incredible.  The aqueduct carried an estimated 44,000,000 imperial gallons of water a day to the fountains, baths and homes of the citizens of Nimes.  It is  estimated to have been used until the 6th century.  So what can be learned from this spectacular engineering?  Cleopatra really wanted a bath!  LOL.

  

We had a very nice picnic under the bridge.  During our lunch, we met a family from Holland.  The father had been here twenty years ago, and wanted to bring his children to experience the beauty of the surroundings.  He did mention it was quite different then, than now.  He was 20ish then, and drove his VW beetle across the bridge with an Eagles song blasting as loud as it would go.... he said it gave him an sense of freedom he has not experienced since.  Maybe it was the drugs....still it was a nice gesture on his part to bring his children to relive part of the experience.  I think jail time would occur if he tried the whole Bug driving thing now.  Sadly it wasn't all fun and games that day.  A bunch of thrill seeking 20 somethings jumped off the bridge's first level.  One of the jumpers got injured.....hitting the water from over 60 feet can be painful.  The local first aid team was on the scene, hopefully she was ok.  I am pretty sure she will never forget the bridge. Ouch!

We packed up and headed down the road to Avignon. But not before having trouble leaving the parking lot.  Just a note to those who will be visiting in the future.  The parking must be paid before you attempt to leave.....there are no signs that will tell you to pay before heading to your car.   So if you wish to avoid the honking of the cars in the line up behind you as you attempt to leave without paying, remember to find the pay station before you leave.  

On the road to Avignon.  Why go?  Well between 1309 and 1377 during the Avignon Papacy, seven successive popes asked the same question. Of course, they had to get out of Rome due to a little spat between the King of France and the Papacy.  After the conclave of 1305 finally elected Pope Clement V, he refused to move to Rome, moving the court to the papal enclave in Avignon. In 1348, Pope Clement VI bought the town from Joanna I of Naples, Papal control persisted until 1791 when, during the French Revolution, it became part of France.  The Pope and the court had moved back to Rome long before the Revolution maybe they knew something?   Perhaps Dan Brown will write his next novel focusing on the French control of the Papacy and the French Revolution.  Is there something more to the story.  Who knows?  

The town is one of the few French cities to have preserved its ramparts.  The historic centre includes the Palais de Papes, the cathedral and the Pont d'Avignon.  It became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995.  The dedieval monuments and the annual Festival d'Avignon have helped to make the town a major centre for tourism.  it is well worth the visit.
  

I just cant get the children's song about the bridge out of my head.  Does anybody know the words?  Angelique, our daughter used to sing it over and over again when she was about 6.  I can still hear and feel her happiness bouncing off the windows of the car as she recited the words...Sur le Pont,  d'Avignon, l'on y danse, l'on y danse

The power of the Papacy rings out throughout this city.   Our next visit took us through the final home of Nostradamus,  Salon de Provence.  Part of the salt route during Roman times, the real claim to fame is Nostradamus.  We entered through one of the two 17th century gates to see his home, which is now a museum.  Our timing was bad, the place was closed.   

The front door of his house seen above.   Nostradamus is best known for his book "Les Propheties," the first published in 1555. Since the publication of this book, Nostradamus has attracted a following that, along with much of the popular press, credits him with predicting many major world events.   Most academic sources maintain a healthy scepticism regarding his forecasts.  Did he predict Napoleon's demise, the rise of Hitler?  Hard to say with conviction.  On has to be impressed with his creativity in seeing the future.  Each year, the town holds a festival in his honor.   Might be fun to attend.  I wonder if he predicted that?

We moved on to Aix on Provence.  It was here in 2000 that we got our car towed for parking a little to creatively.  We are not going to do it today.  After a short search we found a spot, checked three times to be sure it was legal and proceeded to walk the city.  The Cours Mirabeau, seen below, is an excellent example of the design strengths of this city.

We toured the narrow streets. enjoyed window shopping at an artisan market.  A stop for a cocktail in a street side cafe was a nice finish to a long day.  

The next few days we are going to visit small village markets, drink some wine and practise being a local.  What a great life.

Be Well

Sante