Avignon, France
Once home of the Pope, Avignon was a delightful 2 night stop. I arrived in the middle of the day and we made our way to the hostel in the centre of town. I dropped my gear and went straight out as Monday's usually see museums close for the day. I went to Musee Angladon which is in a former home and houses a number of modern artists works including Degas, Van Gogh, Cezanne and more. I wasn't feeling amazing because of the allergies and my eyes wanting to be scratched out, so I went through there quite quickly, but to be fair, it wasn't a big place. As I headed back to the hostel, I stuck my head in to another church museum and it turned out to be free for that day only and full of Greek urns and other stone carvings.
I headed back an had a nap, hoping that would calm my allergies down but was a little over hopeful it seems. Instead I got up a little over an hour later in time for happy hour and €1 glasses of wine. So we have a boozy night in and played pool.
The next morning I got up and headed out to buy eye drops and hopefully sort out my phone issues once and for all. Fnac doesn't sell phones in France, so after some more questions at another phone shop, I found a place that would cut my sim down to microsim size, but they didn't open till 2pm so I headed off with some other to Pont du Nord. It was about a 40min bus ride away and is a UNESCO world heritage site of the largest Roman Aquaduc still in tact and is over 2000 years old. It is made up of three levels and is probably one of the most spectacular sites I've seen of late. We had a roam around and took plenty if photos and finally headed down to the river that flows below it and went for a much needed swim. The water was icy cold and full of mini rapids, eddies and kayakers running in to each other. Simon went and jumped of the rocks while the rest of us lounged in the rock pools.
We headed back in to town and I had my sim cut down and it all worked so I was happy. I headed off to the bridge that everyone dances on, Pont St Benezet, which people actually danced under, not on! I also went to the Palaza du Papas which is the Popes Palace. That thing was huge! Glad I saw it though, it went through many transformations over centuries and was in spectacular conditions.
That evening a group of us went out for a 3 course French dinner, I had Foie Gras, beef with blue cheese sauce and a sumptuous cheesecake for desert, along with a Cotes du Rhones red wine. So it was a great night out and we all rolled home stuffed full to a quiet night. The next morning was a cheeky pain au chocolate for breakfast and an easy morning before jumping back in the Busabout bus bound for Barcelona!