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The Life of Asami Araki in Paris] Visit to the Provence region in southern France, the theater town of Avignon and the “Hawk’s Nest Village” in Luberon (Part 1)

Posted on 2022-10-152022-10-15 by Editor in Chief

As a slightly late summer vacation, I went to the Provence region in southern France for two weeks in late September.

The first destination was Avignon. It takes about 3 hours from Paris by high-speed TGV train. After changing to a local train from Avignon station, we arrived at Avignon central station.

The “Historic Center” is located right in front of the central station and is surrounded by city walls.

Everywhere you walk in the historic district has its own atmosphere, but one of the more atmospheric streets is Rue des Tenturiers. Walking along the creek, you will see several old water mills.

The aparthotel we booked was also located in the historical district and was very convenient to everywhere we wanted to go. The staff was very friendly and helpful, the simple self-catering facilities, the courtyard, and the quietness of the hotel are highly recommended.

The day I arrived in Avignon happened to be “European Heritage Day”. For two days on the third weekend of every September, visitors can tour most of the historical buildings and museums for free.

This is lucky! The first thing I did was to visit the symbol of Avignon, the Pontifical Palace of Avignon, and next to it, the Cathedral of Avignon.

The Avignon Papal Palace was home to the Christian Catholic Popes from 1309 to 1377. Avignon flourished as a Catholic center of culture and the arts, but in 1378 the papacy returned to Rome. However, shortly after, an incident occurred in which there was more than one Pope, so the Pope resided in Rome and then in Avignon until 1417.

Avignon Cathedral was built in the 12th century and has been enlarged and restored. It is as majestic as the Papal Palace.

Leaving Avignon Cathedral and heading toward the Rhone River, you will find the Bridge of Avignon (Pont de Saint-Bénézet). This stone arch bridge was built between 1177 and 1185 and spanned the entire length of the Rhone River. However, in 1226, three-quarters of it was destroyed in an attack by King Louis VIII of France, and even today it can only be reached halfway.

Returning to the city walls, we visited the City Hall, where the marriage ceremony was held, and the party room. At the Avignon Opera House next door, they showed us a contemporary dance performance, and although it was a short performance, we were enchanted by the fantastic dancing with everyone dressed in white.

We also visited the house of French actor and director Jean Villars, located across the street from City Hall. Avignon is internationally famous for the Avignon Theater Festival, held every year from early July to late July. This theater festival was first held by Villars in 1947, and now, with the Pope Square as its center, more than 100 events are held in the city, which is said to be very crowded during the festival.

While taking a break after visiting many places, I found a shelter cat café. The cats in the café are cats that have been rescued from all over town and are being taken in by foster families at a rate of one cat per week. I hope they are all happy!

We also went outside the historic district. A 10-minute bus ride away is the town of Villeneuve-les-Zavignons.

We first visited the Santandre Fortress and the gardens of the Santandre Monastery next to it.

The Fortress of Santandre was built in the 14th century by King Philippe IV de Beaufort, King of France. It was for the surveillance of Avignon, which was a Papal territory, and for the defense of the Santandre Abbey. We went up to the top of the fortress, but on that day, a strong mistral wind was blowing, and we felt like we were going to be blown away! I wanted to take my time to enjoy the spectacular view, but the wind was so strong that I was afraid to go down.

Descend the fortress to the Abbey of Sant Andre, located right next door. Although much of the grounds were destroyed during the French Revolution, the vast garden, which was designed with biodiversity in mind, is a place of great natural beauty.

A 10-minute walk from the Santandre Monastery brings you to the Chartreuse Abbey. Chartreuse Abbey was founded in the 14th century by Pope Innocent VI. It is one of the largest monasteries of the Carthusians, a Catholic order. Today it is a cultural center, where artists from various fields spend several weeks in this building, creating and showing their works.

Like Avignon, the restaurants in Villeneuve-les-Zavignons seem to be hit or miss. The restaurant we wandered into was also to my liking, well-prepared in the restaurant and simply seasoned.

The four-day, three-night trip to Avignon is over in a flash, and we will head to our next destination, Luberon, by rental car.

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