9.14.08 AVIGNON!
Paris was fabulous ending in a gorgeous morning as we hustled to the Gare de Lyon to catch the TGV for Avignon. Platform 17,car 13,upstairs. Note to self…..PACK LIGHT!!! Cumbersome bags can be a real downfall. We made it though and the 3 hour trip thru the French countryside was beautiful to say the least. While it can appear to be like anywhere else in the US it is the farmhouses and small villages along the way that set it apart from anything you have seen. Vineyards, farms, livestock, and the mountains off in the distance. The pictures cannot do it justice….but I will try. We arrived in Avignon to pick up our rental car from Alamo. Very nice to work with….actually all the French have been really nice and accommodating in our travels so far. We have tried to “practice” our French but most speak some English and we have no luck. We headed for Avignon which is a small town encircled by a stone wall. Very narrow streets and lots of shops to look into. We traveled down the stone streets to see the Palace des Papes, and of course a wine tasting at the wine shop deep within the palace. The age of these places is almost too much to take in. Parts of this area go back as far as the Roman Empire. To think of the feet that have walked some of these paths……. After our little walk about we headed back to the TGV station to wait for our connection to LaSabranaque. We did not find them until we were ready to leave and find our own way…we ended up following the pick up van to the village. We arrived to find ourselves placed 3-400 years ago in a village with rock/cobble paths, stone walls and a view to die for. Again the pictures cannot begin to show you how beautiful it is.
