From the Archive: Destination Spotlight, AVIGNON, France and PROVENCE

My last stop before heading back to Paris for my second, longer stay there, is Provence and Avignon. I will be in this area for a week, the longest stay of anywhere else so far. Mainly because I have a LOT to do. I chose Avignon because it’s smack in the middle of all of these wonderful things I need to see. The map above shows areas I need to visit, most all of which have arches.

I am also super excited to be in France again, and in Provence where I’ve never been. I have so much to do, that I hope I can fit it into one week!

I’ll be there in late October, so hopefully it will be not super crowded and mild, or even cool weather. In Avignon, I’ll have the opportunity to explore some historical sites from medieval France, including the Palais des Papes (gotta love those anti-popes!), and maybe even some 19th-century highlights. I’ve been told it’s cheesy but visiting the asylum where Vincent Van Gogh stayed and standing in his room where he ‘saw’ the scene he painted in Starry Night in St-Rémy is pretty cool (there’s also an arch in St. Rémy, so I’ll definitely be around….) I’ll also visit the Pont d’Avignon (below) and sing the little ditty, “sur le pont d’avignon, on y danse, on y danse…” All of the Frenchies will think I’m crazy 🙂

This is ninth in a series of blog posts that I will be doing to talk about where I am going during this trip, why I am going there, and what I’m expecting to see.

Paris * Besançon * London * Venice * Pula * Ravenna * Rimini * Torino