The Most Fabulous of Weekends: Weekend 9

Sunday: Last day in Avignon. =( Aleca and I spent our last day in this beautiful land by exploring the big tourist/historical site: the Palais des Papes. We had already visited the palace but wanted a tour inside to really learn about its significance.

Sundays are like holidays in France.

The Palais des Papes!

Once inside, we paid for an audio tour that took us through the different rooms/halls and the eras of each of the Popes who reigned from this palace. I would love to give you a spectacular overview of everything we learned, but that would have required me to take notes during the tour to remember everything. So... sorry. haha

Inside the palace walls: the courtyard

Everything was about size and grandeur for the popes; size just happens to be the only thing that still exists today

Inside the first room

In a lot of rooms in the palace one can find these sizable wholes in the stone floor. Why? Well its a great place to hide money and important documents!

In one of the finance-related rooms there was an original ceiling, and you can really SEE its age.

Looking out at the city from the Pope's view

A lovely sun-garden 

The floors of the entire palace were once made of hand-painted tiles. These ones are of the original color scheme and design- except there must have been hundreds of thousands of them to cover this big building!

I found this interesting: there used to be a lot of frescos in the Pope's Palace. On the right of this picture, you can see an original fresco that comes in two pieces stacked on top of each other. But on the left is the "skeleton" of the fresco set right next to it- it's hard to tell in the picture but they were definitely identical in person.

A pensive place

Now here's a grand structure! This room used to be the glorious dining hall used for celebrations and royal gatherings. There was an excerpt on the audio tour where a man listed the ingredients required for one of the Pope's more over-the-top feasts. I wish I could list them all to you, but I can't remember the whole list. I can say that nearly every animal we eat today (pheasants, pigs, goats, cows, chickens, etc) was included [as whole animals and by the thousands] and for bread the feast required...... 94,000 loaves! 

Avignon from the servants' and cook's small kitchen window

This room used to be covered in elegant tapestries and riches of all kinds because it was a ceremony hall. Here, the pope presented selected individuals with specific honors (like a gold-dipped rose for a soldier) or elaborate gifts to win their favor (for instance, to influence a young prince to marry this woman and not that- basically so the Pope would have his hand in the government as well as the church). 

Popes

One of the last rooms we walked through was this enormous service hall. This was one of my least favorite rooms because I felt that it was completely ruined by a modern art gallery on display all around. It was the weirdest juxtaposition of eras and the purpose completely went over my head. I tried to appreciate the art and the room, but neither could be appreciated at the exact same time!

One of the huge stained glass windows in the hall

An example of some of the art on display in the hall- RANDOM!

In another room we found this garb from back in the day...

All of the popes

Looking down at the courtyard we started in

Finally, we ended our tour by heading up to the palace rooftop for a great view of the city!

Aleca climbing up just a little bit higher

You know it's a massive palace when you can look at one half of it while standing on the other half.

That's where we took pictures, videos, and goofed off our first day here

And there's Mr. Elephant still standing on his trunk for no reason! (P.S. Is it just me, or are the café tables and chairs the best part of the picture?)

The live entertainment here is pretty awesome. :)

Ahh Avignon

And there be the same two guys from our first visit to the palace

Lastly, we ended our tour in one of the oldest parts of the palace; it was a big hall that had an original fresco still intact on one portion of the ceiling. It was very cool to see but I think we were ready to step out into nature away from the stone and the cold at this point

Back outside we walked around one of the sides of the palace admiring all of the old architecture around there.

I love this picture- in it you can see real Roman ruins, Aleca standing in front of them in her cutest outfit ever, and a trio of street musicians to the left

Finally, our last act of coolness in Avignon was lunch. We bought sandwiches and brought them back to the palace to eat on the steps in the shade and watch the people. It was the perfect way to end our stay here.

We were able to shop a little bit after lunch- Aleca bought some very pretty smelling lotions for her older sister who's serving our nation in the military right now (Aleca wanted her to be able to have a girly moment when she takes off her combat boots and smells those lotions) and I bought some postcards and fresh lavender to bring home with me. Unfortunately, we cut ourselves really short on time and had to hustle it back to the hostel to grab our bags and then sprint to the train station. The guy at the front desk of the hotel was nowhere to be found when we first arrived and that set us back even farther. I thought I was either going to break my ankle or throw up by the time we made it to the train, but the most important part of that statement is the second: we made it to the train! We had plenty of room and air conditioning in our seats, so we were able to relax right away and enjoy that we were not going to have the same bad train experience as a couple of days ago. All that was left was to appreciate the simply gorgeous French countryside on our way back to Pau.

Lionel was at the station to pick me up (like always) and he gladly offered to give Aleca a lift back to the residence halls as well. The three of us chatted about the Palais des Papes and the lunch cruise on the way, and then Lionel and I headed for the house. The two of us somehow got into a very interesting conversation on the ride home when the subject of Lionel's children came up. I had thought for the whole month of January that Lionel didn't have children, but at some point I made a comment to Christine and she thankfully corrected me. Lionel as two or three children of his own, all in their late teens or older, and he has been cut off from them by his ex-wife. Lionel sort of laid out the situation for me in the car on the way home and it just made me so sad: just from my three months with them so far, I know first hand that Lionel is a great father and that he completely deserves the opportunity to be a father. The whole situation is just not fair and breaks my heart...

It was dark when we pulled up to the house and I was well ready for dinner. But I wasn't able to eat right away because I was immediately introduced to a new houseguest: Christine and Lionel's close friend's son Côme (pronounced like "comb"). Côme was an utter gentlemen, kissed me on both cheeks, and said he was enchanted to meet me. Oh boy. I found him to be fairly attractive (about 24) but very difficult to communicate with and exhausting to be around. He was a really nice guy but super-intelligent to the point of being awkward. He didn't lack in confidence but he didn't pick up on the cues when he was laughing too loud, or speaking way too fast, or talking in a jumbled rush, etc. This was especially difficult for me as I was not accustomed to Parisian accents, nor will it ever be possible for me to understand and respond [accurately] to such casual French. I just tried my best to listen hard and respond politely and not let him get me too anxious. Also, Côme would be staying with us for three days- I could handle that.

*Side note: I was all the more put off by Côme's presence when I heard that Lionel was hoping our close proximity would spark some crazy romance. Oh Lionel.....*

We had a typical dinner tonight with nothing too fancy or out of the ordinary. The dessert, however, was fabulous: Christine out-did herself today by making an apple layer cake! The method to the cake was this: thinly sliced apple placed in a layer; a layer of butter, flour, sugar/cinnamon; another layer of thin apple; repeat until you're ready to shoot yourself. At the end, press the mound down to completely flatten it and force the butter and juices to mingle and soak up. Then you bake it into the heavenly dessert Christine served to us tonight with a little sweet cream on the side! Yummy!!

She was very proud of the outcome on this. =)

Another fabulous weekend in the books!

The Most Fabulous of Weekends: Weekend 9

Saturday: Today's the day- the lunch cruise on the Rhône River! Aleca is the one who actually found the website for this cruise and booked a lunch for the two of us. The way it works is you book the time of day you want to sail (lunch or dinner) and then you select your menu. Our choice was the lunchtime "Goëlettes" menu which included specific things like salmon, salad and cheese, etc. Yum!
We allowed ourselves to sleep in a little bit today but got up with quite a few extra hours in order to walk slowly and take our time down to the boat. We ate breakfast at the hotel (baguette bread, croissants, jam, cereal, hot chocolate and coffee- which tasted like a mocha when mixed) and then slowly strolled through the beautiful city streets to the outer river. Once aboard, we went straight to the little check in office that sits on the boat's waiting dock to pay our dues and prove our presence on the boat. Then it was a waiting and people-watching game. Sitting on the benches outside waiting to be let aboard, Aleca and I quickly noticed that were the only two young people present who were also simultaneously without a romantic partner. Everyone else was either about three decades our senior, was with a husband or wife, or had come on a double date with another young couple. We were the odd men out- and we didn't care about that in the slightest.
Finally, we were called aboard our beautiful cruise boat and were taken to our designated tables!

That's us! (2 Goëlettes menus for Mlle Blaisdell- mademoiselle Blaisdell)

Happy as can be!!

The inside of the boat after everyone was seated

It took a while for the boat to actually get moving but it didn't matter: the view outside our huge table window was spectacular. The sun couldn't have been more pleased to shine on us this day! We were very contented to sit and watch the rays sparkling on the river, admire the little river-side French cottages, and begin slowly and then more rapidly (as the deliciousness registered) eat the small dishes in front of us. Neither Aleca nor I were certain if it was bad manners to start the meal before the boat had even left the dock, but upon seeing a nearby Irish couple commence, we felt quite entitled to do the same. 

The small starting plate: a mild caviar and herb mixture (tasty!)

The table pastries: flaky little things stuffed with pesto or just plain amazing flavor

A woman came around just before we started nibbling to take our drink orders. Taking into consideration how special this whole situation was, how impressive it was for the two of us less-than-21-year olds to have selected this particular experience for ourselves, and how unforgettable we already knew this day was going to be, we made the best decision possible: champagne!! =) 

Toasting to our happiness with champagne

The view out our window

A beautiful cottage that caught my eye

Eventually, the boat got moving, and we had nothing left to do but enjoy the half-day cruise down the Rhône River to the charming town of Arles and back up to beautiful Avignon. Oh, and enjoy the spectacular food as it came out one succulent dish at a time. 

In between plates it was Aleca's and my pleasure to meander along the upper deck in the wind and sunshine. It was nice and warm up there but refreshing after the slight stuffiness in the dining hall. We enjoyed taking turns wearing and posing with my fancy new black and white sunhat too. =)

On the upper deck!

Out of all 8,000 pictures I now have from this entire journey, this is one of my favorites. <3

Pulling out of Avignon, we passed the famous Pont d'Avignon for photo-ops

The entrée: some sort of creamy seafood, vegetable, and gelatin loaf with a very tasty cream sauce. I wish I could describe it in a way that doesn't sound gross, but that is essentially what it consisted of. Only it was very enjoyable to eat

Finally! The plat principale (main course): crispy-on-the-outside/super-soft-on-the inside salmon with buttery asparagus and a fried ball of mashed seafood, all in a [I'll use a Julia Child expression for this one] wonder sauce that cannot be described!

Enjoying the main course... and the beautiful view!

Castle up on a hill

Ahhhhhh.....

La salade: a simple green salad with a sweet and thick vinaigrette and the creamiest, most delicious hunk of cheese I have ever tasted

Dessert: some sort of French-style fruit cake with a torched custard on top, crème Anglaise poured around it, and raspberry sauce drizzled all over.

Lastly- no French dining experience is complete without café! (Which is more or less just a shot of espresso)

About a quarter of the way through the cruise the boat came across a dam and one of those contraptions that connects two levels of water with a passage for boats to be shuttled through. Get all that? Basically, we were cruising along the upper portion of the river behind the dam; when we got to the point where we needed to cross, the boat had to be lowered down to the rest of the river's level. So we floated slowly inside the lift and passed a good 20 minutes waiting for clearance and then sinking slowly to cruising capability. It was fun to watch but eventually bored Aleca and I (plus, the food coma was well kicked in by now and espresso aside, we were feeling very sleepy); however, this whole process could not have been more entertaining for every French person on board and it was treated like a show. We saw true French egoism in that moment, because the seasoned males took the upmost pleasure and pride in explaining to their women what was going on, why, and how. Then they delighted in competing with each other to be the first to announce a new development- "the door is opening! we're moving forward! etc." The two of us found this whole thing to be quite amusing.

Sinking slowly but greatly

Finally! The door opened to let us through to the rest of the river

And on we charged

More of me enjoying the upper deck... and my hat. :)

Sitting up there with the wind whipping my hair, sun kissing my skin, and the world around me completely pleasing my eyes, I felt like it couldn't get any better. And then this little guy flew by, and I suddenly understood the expression "free as a bird." 

Around 3p we pulled up to the lovely little Provençal town of Arles. Arles is home to some of the most gorgeous and charmingly-worn Provence-type buildings, the most fragrant lavender and herbs, and some of the sights that most inspired a man named Vincent Van Gogh. Apparently the artist spent some of his life in Arles being inspired and painting away. 

Stepping off the boat, we stumbled upon a very sleepy but cheesy little carnival. All the usual suspects were there: bumper cars, nachos, and slushies. What a change of scene from that elegant dining hall on the boat!

Welcome to beautiful Arles!

I get it now, Van Gogh: something about this street makes me just want to paint it!

Arles also has its own [smaller but more intact] Colosseum.

Beautiful. 

Beautiful beautiful!

Purple shutters. <3

Aleca and I used our hour ashore to walk around the small shops and vendors that were stationed around this ancient structure. I found a pretty Provençal table cloth (with a "Handmade in France" tag and all!) for my mom for Mother's Day and Aleca got an adorable sunflower-pattern table cloth too. Hers was for a small round table, which she apparently doesn't own. But according to her, if she can't make it work she'll find something to do with it! Now that's the spirit!

=)

My feet and ankle began screaming at me about 40 minutes into our time ashore. The shoes I wore are not meant for lots of walking and they also squeeze the bones around my toes. Needless to say, I was more than ready to head back to the boat.... I just didn't feel like I could even make it. I had to make myself suck it up and just limp my way back to comfort. Oh, but not before treating myself to a sugary-sweet, mint slushy from the carnival. :)

Safely back on board: Aleca's citrus smoothy and my mint one- not fancy, but very refreshing

During the second half of the voyage, nearly everyone ended up on the top deck to soak up the sun and the scene. I loved it but was frustrated that all these people took the good seats in the shade!

I love this place.

Around 7p we pulled back into beautiful Avignon. It was a truly magical day at sea and we were just full up with tingly happiness- and amazing food!

Avignon- gold in the setting sun

Leaving the boat we walked under this canopy which basically says, "See you soon aboard!"

Disembarking the boat, we had nothing left to do for the day but have a light dinner and relax. The first thing we did was head to the hotel to change shoes (my feet hated me for putting them back in their shoes to get off the boat) and we ended up picking up some bakery grub for dinner on the way there. The "light" plan went out the window for me when I chose a spinach and goat cheese quiche, small chicken sandwich, and massive chocolate chip cookie. I'm not sure what I was thinking when I bought all of this. I bet my eyes were hungrier than my stomach at that point.

My quiche with its hunk of goat cheese in the center

My little chicken and veggie sandwich- very good!

And my huge cookie that was too doughy still for my stomach to want to try to put it away.

Obviously, this was a more-than-great day and is one I will never forget. I fell in love with the Provence region today, and actually thought quite a bit about my parents and how I'd love to send them on a cruise like the one I had today. :)