Bonjour and au revoir!

Decided to stay one night in Southern France, so I chose the town of Avignon. Got into the city at 4PM or so, so I had about 6 hours before I had to go to bed to catch an early train to Milan. I get off the train, and the directions tell me to go through the ramparts...yes, ramparts. I get out of the station, and sure enough, there are HUGE ramparts surrounding this town. So medieval. I love it.

Wait first...train stories. At the last minute, I realized I hadn't sent some postcards, and I needed to send them while the stamps were still good in Spain...ran off the train and down the platform to find a mailbox. Couldn't find one, but found two other women running around crazy trying to find the same thing! We ran outside, down the street, found a box, ran back, and caught the train, just as the doors were closing. Close call...might have been left in Barcelona with my bags going to Avignon...

Ok, back to Avignon. Went straight from the hotel to the Popes' Palace, the really only attraction in Avignon. Built in the 14th century, the Palace was home to many popes before Rome became the huge Papal residence that we know of it today. The Palace in Avignon is empty for the most part, due to the move to Rome and also many fires. But it was really cool to see such a building empty because you can really appreciate just how big and cavernous the structure is. I mean, it's massive. Gawking my way through, I made it to the ramparts on top for GORGEOUS views of the countryside. You could see other castles and towers dotting the forest. Exactly what I imagined medieval Europe to look like. So cool. (My medievalist friends will probably find something wrong with this statement...I apologize, Rowan.)

They had to usher me out at closing, and then I wandered through a nice garden with more great views for awhile. Checked my Let's Go book on what else to do in Avignon and they said that the town is famous for its bridge. Apparently there is a famous children's song about the Avignon bridge...I don't it. Anyone? I got a postcard with the song on it, but I have never heard of it before. Well, saw the bridge, or what is left of it, and wandered around the streets for awhile, checking out more ramparts and such until I got back to the carousel (it was a two-tiered carousel...I was tempted to go on it, but I feared people would think of me as sketchy), so I went to a restaurant right out on the main drag and ate a GREAT meal outside. Sat for awhile over my chocolate mousse to take it all in. I'll have to come back and spend more time in Southern France. I think I will be hitting Lyon and Dijon at the end of the trip for sure, but I don't know if I'll make it this far down again on this journey. Au revoir!

(Oh yeah, I don't speak French. I know about 10 words, and the waiter spoke to me only in French because he was convinced I was French, even though I asked him if he spoke English and he did. Of the ten words I know in French, three of them are for one, two, three...helpful for taking tourist's pictures. I just can't understand a language that can have 12 letters in one word, and the word is a single syllable.)