Posts Tagged With: France

Day 4: Viviers

Posted on April 18, 2017 by lclalor

Every morning on the Rhône River offered new delights. At breakfast on morning 4, we saw these elegant creatures gliding through the mist on the river.

Swans on the Rhône River

After taking no fewer than 50 largely disappointing photos, I definitely had a greater appreciation for wildlife photographers and the images they capture.

Taking flight

Following breakfast, we readied ourselves for a walking tour of Viviers, France. This small walled town with a population of 3400 captivated us with its winding medieval streets, medieval and Renaissance architecture, and quintessential French charm. The crisp autumn weather with azure skies accompanied by the aroma and rustle of fallen leaves completed the scene as we entered the village.

View of the Rhône as we departed the ship

Plane trees (called sycamore in the U.S.) lined the road creating a shady canopy for locals having the time and inclination to sit for awhile. Napoleon had them planted all over southern France to provide shade for his troops as they marched or rested.

Allée du Rhône lined with plane trees

The plane tree is also sometimes called a camouflage tree due to the dappled appearance of the trunk caused by the bark peeling in patches.

Trunk of the plane tree

Doesn’t this just invite you to sit for a while?

Buildings along the Allée du Rhône in Viviers

Jim in the midst of lovely fall foliage

Lori in front of a petite doorway in a stone wall

The men straggling behind our tour group

Decorative fountain in a wall

Notice the narrow lane below with the buildings so close together that the center of the lane is trenched to drain the water.

The clothesline in the next photo was a clever invention to hang laundry out to dry in areas without the benefit of outdoor space on the ground level.

When we reached the Place de la Republique in the center of the old town, our tour guide told us about the Maison de Lestrade, built in the 13th century which today still contains windows installed in the 16th century. For many years it served as the town hall for Viviers.

Located on the same square was the Maison des Chevaliers, built in Renaissance style for a rich salt merchant, Noel Albert. He was executed in 1568 after seizing control of Viviers during the Huguenot Wars. Look closely at the ornamentation on the facade. C’est magnifique.

Leaving Place de la République we headed uphill through the old gate at St. Michael’s Tower to St. Vincent’s Cathedral, the smallest cathedral still in use in France. The tapestries in this cathedral depicting various Bible scenes are especially fine.

Tower of St. Michael

St. Vincent’s Cathedral

Interior of St. Vincent’s Cathedral

Altar in St. Vincent’s Cathedral

Another visitor at the cathedral

I must mention that it was in this cathedral that an old gentleman asked me whether I was American. When I replied in the affirmative, he inquired whether I supported Donald Trump and whether I thought he would win the election. I responded, “Absolutely not!” but he was elected immediately upon our return from this trip.

Up to see the view

View from the upper town

Ruins of the fortress in the upper town

Clock tower of Viviers from the upper town

View from upper town

After enjoying the views from the upper town, we made our way back to lower town and stopped in a couple shops.

Window shopping at the charcuterie

When we returned to the ship, it was such a beautiful day we made for the upper deck of the Viking Buri where we tried out the putting green and shuffleboard and checked out the herb garden.

After another superb lunch, we decided to take it easy and stayed onboard for the afternoon. We attended the cooking demonstration featuring Chef Pascal and Maitre d’ Imre preparing Chocolat Fondant and a French lesson before dinner. Parlez-vous Français?

Chef Pascal and Maitre d’ Imre

That evening at dinner, we invited Drago, our expert waiter, for a photo with our dinner group. All of the staff were attentive and helpful but Drago’s excellent sense of humor made him a favorite with this crowd. It was the end of another perfect day on our Viking River Cruise. But please come back again to check out day 5 in my next post.

Based on events of November 2016.

References:

Tour guide from the Viking Buri

Viking Daily

Viking Cruise Documents

Categories: cruise, Europe, Uncategorized | Tags: Allee du Rhone, France, Maison des Chevaliers, Maison des Lestrade, Rhone River, St. Michael's Tower, St. Vincent's Cathedral, Viking River Cruise, Viviers | Leave a comment

Back to Avignon

Posted on April 4, 2017 by lclalor

On Day 3 of our Viking River Cruise, we returned to Avignon. With our whisper boxes in hand, we set off on foot that morning for our included excursion to tour the Palais des Papes (Palace of the Popes) and the historic center. (A whisper box is a headset that enables the wearer to better hear the tour guide.)

Once inside the ramparts, we meandered through the medieval streets while our guide pointed out several buildings on our way to the Popes’ Palace. Incidentally, you can walk the ramparts which I would like to do next time.

Ramparts surrounding historic center of Avignon

Church of St. Agricola in Avignon

Gargoyle on Church of St. Agricola, Avignon

Clock tower at Hôtel de Ville (City Hall)

Lori in front of Opera Theater in Avignon

View of Cathedral Notre-Dame des Doms d’Avignon

The Palace of the Popes is the largest gothic palace in Europe and was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. Why, you may wonder did the papacy relocate to Avignon, France in 1309? Pope Boniface VIII had earlier issued two edicts; one prohibited taxation of the clergy and the other asserted the supremacy of papal authority over temporal authority. Philip IV, King of France, objected to these edicts and responded by taking Boniface prisoner for a short time and the Pope died soon after his release. When Pope Clement V from France was elected, he reached an agreement with King Philip to settle in Avignon where the papacy would remain for nearly 70 years. This period was known as the Babylonian Captivity of the Church, in reference to the 70-year Jewish exile in Babylon.

The Palace of the Popes actually consists of two palaces; construction of the Old Palace commenced in 1335 under Pope Benedict XII and the New Palace was completed less than 20 years later by Pope Clement VI. The model below shows just how vast the complex is, covering 15,000 square meters (over 161,000 square feet).

Palace of the Popes model: the Old Palace is on the left and behind, the New Palace on the right in front

Jerry and Kathy outside the old doors at the Palace of the Popes

View from Courtyard of Honor at Palace of the Popes, Avignon

Courtyard of Honor at Palace of the Popes, Avignon

Sculpture in Palace of the Popes

Frescoes in Palace of the Popes

Photography of the priceless frescoes in the private apartments and chapels of the Palace of the Popes was not allowed but I took several photos of the video shown to illustrate the beauty.

Grand Tinel or Banquet Hall, Palace of the Popes

Plaster effigies in Palace of the Popes

Passion of the Christ sculpture in the Consistory of the Palace of the Popes

The Great Clementine Chapel, Palace of the Popes

The acoustics are absolutely amazing in this chapel. When none of us volunteered to sing, our guide sang for us. I could hear her all the way at the other end of the chapel. Listen to her.

The Papal Seat in Consistory Hall

Central Courtyard, Palace of the Popes

Sadly, many of the sculptures were beheaded during the French Revolution. If you look closely, you can see the heads are missing on the archway of the doors below.

Sculptured doorway at Palace of the Popes

Following the departure of the papacy, the Catholic Church maintained ownership of the palace until the French Revolution. Under the subsequent Napoleonic rule, the palace was used as a military barracks and prison until 1906 when it became a national museum and restoration began. Today the Palace of the Popes doesn’t compare to the lavish splendor of the Vatican in Rome, but I imagine in the 14th century when it was filled with tapestries and treasures, it would have come close.

I was excited that we were headed next to Les Halles, the indoor market. On our way, we stopped at Basilique St. Pierre to see the intricately carved walnut doors and the gold-gilded Renaissance altar.

Basilique St. Pierre

Carved doors on Basilique St. Pierre

Altar in Basilique St. Pierre

Entrance to Les Halles

Our guide and Viking staff offer us samples

Les Halles fruit stand

Les Halles fromage (cheese)

Poisson (fish) at Les Halles

I purchased a large package of herbes de Provence from the spice stall to use at home and bring back memories of the time and food we enjoyed in Provence.

Spices at Les Halles

My daughter-in-law likes macarons so I purchased some of those, too, to take home to her. Then they served macarons on our ship a couple days later.

Macarons at Les Halles

La Patisserie at Les Halles

We accomplished all of this in the morning, then headed back to the ship for lunch before our optional excursion that afternoon to Pont du Gard. Check back for my next post. Pont du Gard was truly amazing.

Based on events from November 2016.

References:

Viking Daily

Tour guide engaged by Viking

Categories: cruise, Uncategorized, UNESCO | Tags: Avignon, Babylonian Captivity, Basilique St. Pierre, Church of St. Agricola, France, Les Halles, Opera Theater, Palace of the Popes, Viking River Cruise | 4 Comments

Tarascon Tour

Posted on March 28, 2017 by lclalor

Is a visit to a castle on your bucket list? It was on our friend, Jerry’s, and he was especially excited when the opportunity presented itself on day 2 of our Viking River Cruise. After a tasty lunch onboard, we set off on foot to see Tarascon Castle, or Château de Tarascon, as it’s called in France.

Rebuilt by Louis II, Louis III, the Dukes of Anjou, and the Counts of Provence in the early 1400’s on the site of the previously destroyed castle, Tarascon Castle was used both as a residence and a military base. When the castle was later converted into a military prison, graffiti engraved by prisoners appeared on the walls and is still evident today. None of the sumptuous furnishings that would have once filled the space remain but one can imagine how resplendent it looked.

Jim and Jerry on the bridge at the entrance to Tarascon Castle

Tarascon Castle

Jerry at the Castle door

The old moat

Tarascon Castle

Tarascon Castle gardens

Tarascon Castle

Tarascon Castle

Studying the brochure

Chapel

Salle des festins where banquets were held, Tarascon Castle

I was fascinated to see the toilet that emptied down the side of the castle wall

View across the river to ruins of Beaucaire Castle from Tarascon Castle

View of the town of Tarascon from the top of the castle

Decorative drain spout at Tarascon Castle

Jerry and Lori on the roof of Tarascon Castle

View of the Rhône River from the roof of Tarascon Castle

View from the top of Tarascon Castle with the Viking Buri on the right

View across the top level of Tarascon Castle

View of the garden from the top of the castle

After making it all the way to the roof and back down, we discovered we hadn’t visited all the rooms so we went back through to see what we had missed. The rooms containing graffiti engraved by prisoners were some of the most interesting to me.

Graffiti

Graffiti

Graffiti

Jim and I at Tarascon Castle

Jerry told us his first visit to a castle exceeded his expectations and he looked like he thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

Jerry at the end of our visit to Tarascon Castle

When we left the castle, we continued into the town of Tarascon.

Jim, Jerry, and I walking in medieval Tarascon

Another view of Tarascon

The Church of Sainte-Marthe was built on the site where Martha, sister of Lazarus and Mary, lived in Tarascon. According to the Golden Legend, after the resurrection, Martha traveled to Provence and preached the word and converted the people to Christianity. She also tamed a fierce dragon, the Tarasque, by sprinkling holy water on him, after which the people of the town killed the dragon. Sainte-Marthe’s relics are entombed in the church.

Church of Sainte-Marthe

Interior of Church of Sainte-Marthe

Interior of Church of Sainte-Marthe

Crypt of Sainte-Marthe

Sarcophagus of Sainte-Marthe

After a full day of touring first Arles then Tarascon which racked up more than 15,000 steps on my Fitbit, we were more than ready for dinner that evening. We decided to take our waiter’s recommendation and ordered the chef’s choice. We enjoyed a delectable dinner accompanied by French wine and authentic French bistro music.

Lobster and shrimp bisque

Poached asparagus with prosciutto, ricotta panna cotta, quail egg, and balsamic reduction

Châteaubriand

Soufflé au chocolat

Following dinner, we enjoyed nighttime views of the Bridge of Avignon as we returned to the city where we would begin day 3 of our cruise.

Based on events from October and November 2016.

References:

Tarascon Castle brochure obtained at the castle

Categories: cruise, Europe, Uncategorized | Tags: France, Tarascon, Tarascon Castle, Viking River Cruise | 1 Comment

A Walking Tour of Arles, France

Posted on March 21, 2017 by lclalor

We first glimpsed Tarascon, France through the early morning mist on the Rhône river. As the castle came into view, we knew that day 2 of our river cruise promised to be at least as delightful as the first. Our ship docked at this small town of 13,000 inhabitants, 11 miles (18 km) north of Arles. Tarascon would have to wait until later in the day, however, because we were scheduled for a walking tour of Arles that morning.

Dawn on the Rhône River approaching Tarascon

Tarascon Castle from the Rhône River

But first, a good breakfast was in order to fuel our explorations. We were offered an outstanding array on the buffet or we could order from the menu or both.

Scrumptious breakfast

Following breakfast, our motor coach waited to transport us to Arles, pop. 50,000. Arles was settled by the Greeks as early as the 6th century, BC, and the city was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its Roman monuments dating from the 1st century, BC, and Romanesque monuments from the 11th and 12th centuries.

As we walked through the city, I was charmed by almost everything I saw.

The Roman Amphitheater, still in use today for bullfights and other events, was built in the 1st century AD to accommodate 21,000 spectators.

Lori and Jim at the Roman Amphitheater

Inside the Roman Amphitheater

Inside the Roman Amphitheater

The nearby Roman Theater, built in the 1st century BC, was not as well-preserved as the amphitheater but it, too, is still used today for outdoor performances, accommodating audiences of 8,000.

As we continued our stroll toward the Place de la Republique, I captured a few views along the way.

The Place de la Republique, where the Hôtel de Ville (City Hall) is located, is the center of the historic district. The ancient Egyptian obelisk was moved here from the amphitheater in 1676.

Place de la Republique

Facing the Place de la Republique is another UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Church and Cloister of St. Trophime, named for an early bishop of Arles. The facade of the Romanesque church features sculptured scenes of the Last Judgement including Christ in Majesty surrounded by symbols of the four Evangelists above the doorway, the righteous being delivered to the saints on the left, and the chain-bound souls being delivered to hell on the right.

Christ in Majesty with the Evangelists

The righteous delivered to the saints

The damned with chains around their waists delivered to hell

Inside the Church of St. Trophime

Church of St. Trophime Interior

Church of St. Trophime

Church of St. Trophime

Incidentally, the Church of St. Trophime is a stop along one of the pilgrimage routes of the Camino de Santiago. We didn’t see any pilgrims while we were there, however.

Vincent Van Gogh arrived in Arles in 1888 at age 34 and spent 15 months here producing 300 paintings including some of his most famous. It was here that he cut off his ear and was hospitalized at the old Arles Hospital where he painted Le Jardin de la Maison de Santé a Arles. Today this hospital is a cultural center featuring many of Van Gogh’s works. Sadly, the artist died young in 1890.

Sign to mark the place where Van Gogh painted Le Jardin de la Maison de Santé a Arles

In the footsteps of Vincent Van Gogh

Sign to identify the cafe where Van Gogh painted Le Café Le Soir

Location of the painting Le Cafe Le Soir (Cafe Terrace at Night)

Another view of the café

Marker for Van Gogh’s La Nuit Étoilée

View of the river where La Nuit Étoilée was painted by Vincent Van Gogh

We saw one more ancient Roman monument on our walking tour, the Baths of Constantine, dating from the 4th century.

Baths of Constantine

Baths of Constantine

Before boarding our bus to return to Tarascon, I took a few photos of The Bridge of Lions. The bridge was destroyed in a WWII bombing but the lions have been restored and stand regally on guard on the embankment of the River Rhône.

Upon our return to our ship, the Viking Buri, we were greeted by staff with a welcome aboard drink for us.

Check back for a tour of Tarascon Castle.

Based on events from October 2016.

Categories: cruise, Europe, Uncategorized, UNESCO | Tags: Arles, Baths of Constantine, Church of St Trophime, France, Place de la Republique, Rhone River, Roman Amphitheater, Roman Theater, Tarascon, Van Gogh, Viking Buri, Viking River Cruise, walking tour | Leave a comment

Day 1: Sur le Pont d’Avignon

Posted on March 14, 2017 by lclalor

Day 1 of our Viking River Cruise, embarkation day, provided us with just a brief sample of the city of Avignon, France in the region of Provence. We arrived late in the afternoon and, after settling into our cabins, we joined the welcome walk through the historic center with a local guide.

Avignon is a walled city with narrow medieval streets and loads of French charm. The historic center is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

View of historic Avignon from outside the city walls

Avignon city walls

The Avignon City Wall

Our group on the welcome walk

Beautiful architecture with typical French charm

Another charmer

A gated view

Avignon is historically significant as the seat of the Papacy from 1309 to 1378. (More on that later.) The view in the photo below of the outside of the Palace of the Popes stirred our anticipation for the tour of the palace scheduled on day 3 of our cruise.

Palais des Papes (Palace of the Popes)

Palais des Papes

Conservatory of Music on the Place du Palais across from the palace

The main square, Place de l’Horloge, is the center of many community activities with the National Opera Theater, the Hotel de Ville (City Hall), and even a carousel. It’s also a perfect place for people watching.

National Opera Theater

Hotel de Ville (City Hall)

Place de l’Horloge

Carousel on Place de l’Horloge

There are over 50 locations with trompe l’oeil (a painting technique to create optical illusion) in Avignon and our guide pointed out one for us on the Place de Sorano. Window peeking is acceptable in this building.

I learned the children’s nursery rhyme, Sur le Pont d’Avignon (On the Bridge of Avignon), in my high school French class and I can still sing it to this day. The bridge in the song was built across the Rhone River in the 12th century but flooding destroyed it several times until finally, in the 17th century it was abandoned. Today only 4 of the original 22 arches remain but it’s one of the major tourist attractions in Avignon.

Le Pont d’Avignon

After our guided stroll through the historic center, we stopped to shop at Le Chateau du Bois to purchase some lavender oil, a well-known product of Provence.