Market & Barthelasse Island

Weather forecast is crappy for the next 2 days so we are sticking around for the weekend here in Avignon.

This morning we headed out for a couple of chores, one being to try to return coffee that Andre bought that doesn't fit in the coffee machine in our apartment, I waited outside for this one, but he was successful. Problem is he didn't buy more coffee, guess that will be on our list for something later to do.

Today is also supposed to be the flower market as it is Saturday, well one stall at the flower market selling flowers, but there are quite a few other stalls. We picked up a BBQ chicken for 12 euro about 3 times the price that we were paying in Nice, but it will do us a few meals. Also bought some local honey, it says floral on it and what was recommended, we shall see. A few fresh vegetables and we should be good for a couple of days. Also looked up Easter Bread in France as Jill said she had made hot cross buns, and we found a baker selling Mouna, a French bread for Easter. It is orange, anise, sugared brioche, we shall see, it has a cross on top like our hot cross buns and dome shaped. Hope it is good.

Took the little ferry over to Barthelasse again after lunch hoping to play mini golf, think that will be our only golf this trip. Everything is filthy dirty, I mean the cars are awful, benches are awful, at first I thought is was dirt from all the rain, but no it is the stuff in the air from the trees, it is everywhere. Anyone with allergies may be having a really bad time. Walked to the mini putt place that we had seen but no sign of action, though the signage says open on Saturdays and Sundays. It didn't look like anyone had played yet this year. I said we could volunteer to sweep the course, but no one was around. May try again next weekend. So instead of golf, back over by free ferry to Avignon, found our magnet for Provence souvenir, more coffee for Andre, some wine and just a walkabout.

So many more tourists around, we saw lots of people out on the Avignon bridge, many more than we have ever seen yet, wonder if they were singing the Sur le Pont Avignon song?

Today's steps 10,700 or 6.75 KM

At the flower market that only had 1 flower vendor but many other vendors

You know they are local when they have their little trolley

Paella makes me want to go to Spain

Stuffed mussels, seem it on menus before, now I know what they are.

The Easter bread we got

Lots of people

So much stuff in the air and on things from the trees

So hazy because of the tree stuff in the air

Where they used to store the salt

Where we got our magnet, Our shopping is done

Hoping to see the mechanical people ring the bell but no.

City hall

Hard to understand what's is on the menu

This one is not too bad, some I have no ideas.

Orange

 March 28 Avignon

Change of plans, stayed in Avignon for the day attending to a medical issue for Andre.

The Pharmacist recommended a doctor who quickly took care of Andre.

Steps 11,000 or 7KM,  Wendy's steps, Andre did a lot less as I did some running around for things. 

March 29 Orange

Decide to take the bus today, it is only 1,50 Euro each way and about a 40 minute bus ride. The bus rides can be interesting seeing some of towns that you certainly don't see on the trains. Buses here seem to act as much as school buses as anything else. Kids getting off and on all the time.

Once again the bus station is about 1KM from the tourist information and the main part of town. Picked up a great map of this small little town and we are off. Orange was on Andres list because of the theatre, one of the best preserved in the world. When I looked up things to do in Orange there are 2 Roman monuments, a park, a museum, and shops, that is it. For me sounded perfect for the day.

First off we walked to the Roman Arch de Triomphe, which has had some restoration done and was quite impressive. It is in the middle of what is now a traffic circle with places to sit and walk around the monument. There was restoration being done while we were there, the van was from Arles, if you were into restoration Arles would definitely be somewhere to work I would think.

Next we headed back into town and stopped at a great little spot that made samosas which were delicious. We had a little platter to share, along with a local beer and orange juice, we are good to go again.

Next stop is the theatre, which you purchase a ticket to the theatre it is a combined ticket with the museum, so I guess we will be going to a museum today as well. This is our 3^rd theatre this trip, and this one had a audio guide as well, by now I think we may be able to be tour guides! This theatre is from the 1^st century AD and is famous for its huge stage wall. We certainly have never seen anything like this before, it was amazing. The theatre is still in use today, it would be amazing to see something here. Of course we climbed to the top of the theatre, which also gave us some nice views of the city, it also gave us a view of what our seats would have been if we were there for a show since it seems like we always sit near the very top! The climb up was a little rough, so so windy it was crazy. I was very happy that when we went down we went down a back way that had railings and wasn't nearly as bad as walking up, but oh that wind. 

Over to the museum next which was the exact right size for us. I mentioned to the girl taking tickets how windy it was, she said that this is nothing like it can be, glad I wasn't there on what they call a windy day. Andre is happy to see coins in this museum, I think it is the first museum we have been in that had coins. I think there were about 20 coins on display, all donated anonymously in 2020 by someone.

Explore a little more of Orange, some nice little restaurants and shops and pretty streets. Lots of flowers in bloom now, and flower boxes have all been filled by the city.

We liked this town very much, nice and small to just explore for half a day.

Train back home and get to talk to Jill and Joey. Got more recommendations for Netflix shows as lots of rain for Easter weekend coming up.

Today's steps 16,000 or 10KM

At the bus station,  don't think it has moved for a while

Our bus ride took us thru the Chateauneuf-du-Pape vineyard region.

Cote du Rhone wines are very reasonable here but Chateauneuf-du-Pape is still very expensive

Wonder if strawberries are cheaper there than in town, which are very expensive

Traffic circle promoting the aircraft museum in a town

Now in Orange

The lilac blossoms smelled great

The Roman Arc de Triumph

Walked the old town street back

A stop for lunch, guess who is having what

We shared a delicious platter

No churches visit today

The forum remains

The ramparts, not much either

At the Theater now

One of the best preserved Roman theater back wall in the world

The forum remains again

Street side view of the theater back wall

At the museum, one room was for Roman antiquities

Ancient coins

Magnifying glass to see the details on the coins

Maps of the area and the status of each plot

The decorations that would have been on the theater wall

Second floor, Painting depicting Orange textile industry

2 other rooms had old paintings from 2 Orange residents

 

On the way home

Much more colours in the buildings here

Old theater

Great architecture on the Rue de la Republic

From the bus ride home