Avignon
Marseille is the capital of
the Provence district in France and is known as the Gateway
to Provence. While Marseille itself is an underrated port
with a ton of experiences to share with its visitors, the wonders
of Provence are what beckons visitors to Marseille. I think
the ideal way to experience the port is to visit one of the
villages in Provence and also, see a bit of Marseille.
Fortunately, this is quite easy to do on your own. The ships
all sell shore excursions to the villages in Provence, but
you are much better off to do these on your own and here
is why. You will probably port in the outer harbor and if
you purchase the ship's shore excursion to Avignon, you will
likely not get to visit Marseille. Plus, Avignon is not the
kind of place you can enjoy with a group of 40 of your
closest friends. Sure, you will get a walking tour of
Avignon, but its charm and beauty lies in
your personal experiences. Here is how to do it.
Avignon's Walls
Immediately engage a taxi when
you disembark the ship and have them take you to the
Marseille
St Charles railway station (note that this is a different
train station than the one you would go to to visit Aix en
Provence). Trains leave here approximately
every 30 to 40 minutes for Avignon. Make sure that you are
on the local train going to the
Gare TGV Mediterranee Avignon
station
and not the Avignon TVG station that will require a taxi
ride to get to the old section of Avignon. The fare is
approximately 10 - 12 euro and it will takes almost an hour to get there.
Note that it is also possible to take the train to Arles
first and
then transfer to another train to Avignon (about 15 minutes
away) if you would like
to squeeze both villages into one compact day.
A Panoramic View of
Avignon
Ahhh
Avignon. The favorite vacation spot in Provence, Avignon
has everything going for it! Avignon
offers visitors everything from world class shopping and
sightseeing to local culture and cuisine and everything in
between.
Notre Dam in Avignon
Avignon is
actually quite large,
yet easily explored on your own. The train station is
located right in the heart of things and it is a short
walk to all of Avignon's, restaurants and bars, sights,
shopping and markets.
Palais des Papes, Well
Worth a Visit
One of the things that you see as you work your way
north from the train station is
the Palace of the Popes (Palais des Papes) In the 1300s
Pope Benoit relocated the home of the Catholic Church
from Vatican City to Avignon and inhabited the palace
and cathedral.
Palais des Papes
The adjacent buildings are overwhelming
in scope and the entire area is viewed from this
location. Note the line of people waiting to gain
entrance into the Church. If you intend to visit, get
your tickets early and expect a wait.
Palais des Papes Spires
The
architecture of the Palais des Papes sets the tone for
the entire area. As an medieval city, Avignon is
surrounded by huge walls, which make Avignon
impenetrable by attackers. Its position on the Rhone
River gave it powerful control of the surrounding area.
The Castle Across the
River
Not a
part of the old section, you can see Avignon's rich
history every where. This castle resides across the
river.
Avignon's Pont
d'Avignon
The
bridge known as Pont d'Avignon can be seen from the
vantage point almost 100 feet above it in the
surrounding gardens. This medieval bridge was
constructed in the 12th century and spanned the entire
river at one time. It was the only bridge in existence
between Lyon far to the north and the Mediterranean Sea.
Avignon's Pont
d'Avignon From the River
While a
visit to the palace and surrounding areas of Avignon are
a "must see", I found that Avignon's lower areas
far more interesting.
The Theater in Avignon's Main Square
The
main square of Old Town features an old hotel and the
Theater that date back centuries.
An Old Merry Go Round
Still Entertains Children
A Merry Go Round that
is obviously decades old set the stage for Avignon's
pleasures. This merry go round still entertains children
throughout the day and reminds everyone of Avignon's
special past.
The Main Square in
Avignon
Avignon's main square is lined with quality restaurants
that everyone enjoys. Lunch and wine at any one of these
restaurant is likely to last hours and be some of your
most memorable experiences.
Avignon Tree Lined
Shopping Street
Further
south is one of the main shopping areas in Avignon.
There are many fine boutiques, shops and stores to
enjoy, but the best shopping is on the north side of
Avignon.
Avignon Shopping Street
Exploring Avignon's pedestrian shopping streets and
central market is wonderful and one can find just about
anything that they are looking for to purchase. The
pedestrian shopping streets are located in the very
northern part of the old section and feature awesome
shops.
Another Avignon
Shopping Street
You
will find designer clothing and accessories, wine
stores, cheese stores, perfumes, soaps, artwork,
collectible knick knacks, linens and much more.
More Shopping
Avignon's shopping experience is truly wonderful. If you
are a shopper, you will want to give this a high
priority on your visit to Avignon.
An Avignon Candy Shop
Unbelievable Candy
Selections
The
candy shop will give you an idea of the complexity and
diversity of the products in the Avignon shops. They are
simply delightful.
Avignon's Walls
Outside
of Avignon's walls on the northern side of the village
is the open air market. .
Avignon's Open Air
Market
The
open air market had everything imaginable available for
sale. This market was to die for and I would have chosen
to spend more time at it only we were running out of
time and needed to make our way back to the train
station and Marseille.
An Avignon Fruit Market
Inside the gates one would
see small fruit and vegetable markets that sold all
kinds of wonderful produce. Avignon is one of those
places that you always say that you will return to and
spend more time. It is indeed very special.
