Avignon

Waiting for the cab

Breakfast at the Rouen train station

The train to Avignon was direct and about 4 and a half hours.  Lunch was provided by Sis.  Granola bars and peanut butter crackers.

We arrived at 1:30 pm on Sunday and our Landlord David Lenoir was kind enough to pick us up at the train station.  He is a very nice young man and speaks English way better than we speak French.  He brought us to our new home, helped us get our bags up two flights of stairs and explained all the workings of our new digs.  The washer/dryer combo is just like the one we had in Amstedam, so we've got that down.  He told us where to go to a little grocery store, though he wasn't sure if it would be open on Sunday. 

Avignon is in the Provence area of south-eastern France on the left bank of the Rhone river.  The ancient towne center, where our apartment is located, is enclosed by its medieval ramparts.  The city has a population of around 90,000 with only about 12,000 living in the old city.

After David departed, we went off to explore and pick up a few groceries if possible.  

Ok, I think we go this way

The street we live on Rue Victor Hugo

We are located very near the wall surrounding the city, but only had to walk, or maybe I should say wind our way through a few streets and passageways to the Main Street of the old town.  

Part of the ramparts around the city

It is lovely and very quiet.  Not many folks on the back streets.  

When we got to the commercial street, there were very few stores open and alas not the grocery store.  Oh well, tomorrow will do.  We walked on up the street and found a number of cafes open for business.  

It must be wine time.

A great picture of Sis nd Terry.  The weather was balmy.  No coats needed today.

We walked along some of the streets off the square looking for either a grocery or a full meal restaurant, as our granola bars were pretty much gone.  Restaurants do not start serving dinner meals before 7 or 7:30 in France.  They are late eaters.  Not finding anything, we walked back up to the square and, as we were now starving, decided to just eat snacks for dinner (snacks in France can be anything from a sandwich to a quiche lorraine) and of course wine is always available.  

We found a bread store open, so bought a loaf for toast in the morning and we have oats that we brought with us.  We also bought an apple tartin. Yummy looking.  We can make do until tomorrow.

Had the tartin for dessert with coffee, at home, in our jammies. 

Day two

We went off to the train station to get my sister a ticket to go from here to the Marseille Airport on Tuesday.  Her flight leaves early on Wednesday, so she booked a hotel at the airport.  First snag.  The direct train to the airport will not run on Tuesday.  A STRIKE.  How do they know there is going to be a strike ahead of time?  Anyway, there was a train but it required that she change trains twice before arriving at the airport.  They directed us just down the street to the bus station.  Busses are going, but again requires at least one change in Aix-en-Provence.  Sis decides she just wants to go the most direct and fastest route, which is cab.  We asked a cabbie at the train station what the charge would be and he said probably around 150 Euro.  Yikes.

We walked back up the sreet and found the grocery store was open, so stocked up on the basics.  Wine of course, breakfast items and dinner for at least one night.  We carted it all back to the apartment and then began to google car hires to see if we could find a cheaper way to get Sandra to the airport tomorrow.  Finally ended up speaking to our landlord David and he booked a cab for her for tomorrow.  

To help wash away the blues over the expensive cab, Terry had a lady at the vistitor's center book us into a restaurant highly recommended on Trip Advisor.  Although the restaurant is probably only a short 10-15 minute walk, we decided to take a cab as we are new to the city and have been known to get lost and wander around for hours trying to get to our 10 minute destination.  Besides it was threatening rain and it was dark (that's our excuse and we are sticking to it).

See it is dark

It is a restaurant with local Provence cuisine, owned by a Chef whose Father owns another more expensive and well known restaurant in town.  It was a cute little place.  He met us at the door and showed us to our table.  His sister was the waitress and she not only spoke great English, but was just a delightful young woman.  

The wine and food were excellent and we enjoyed it very much

First course: I had none, Sis had an apple cheese thing and Terry had ravioli with langoustines.  I tasted both.  LIked Terry's.  The cheese in Sandra's was a brie and I'm not a huge fan of brie.  I'll probably be run out of France on a rail if that becomes known. Ha.

Second course: Sis and I had a wonderful mushroom and vegetable risotto and Terry had an Iberian Black Pork dish, which she said was very good.

Oh yes, the wine was an excellent Chardonnay from the South of France.

As Teryl would say, "It was a most satisfying meal".

Outside the restaurant waiting for our cab home, Terry took a few night shots of our surroundings

Day three

We woke up to thunder, lightening and rain this morning.  Bummer, as we were hoping to go out and see a few things before Sandra has to leave this afternoon.  Alas, it never stopped raining and none of us really wanted to go out.  

At 2:30 pm the cab picked up my sister and headed off to Marseille Airport (about an hour drive).  She just emailed me.  and said the trip was rainy, but the cabbie had classical music on, so she was happy.  Saw a few more things along the road, arrived at her hotel, which she reported had free wi-fi, a bar and a restaurant.  Life is good and the cab only cost her 130 Euro.  Ah well, now she can buy that glass of wine. Ha.

Took a few pictures of our new place

Terry catching up on her blogging in the dining room/kitchen

Living room.  There is a little balcony off this double doored window with a little bistro table and chairs, if it ever quits raining.

My bedroom.  I got first pick of the bedrooms this time 

The view out my double door window/balcony

The rain is supposed to abate tonight and be just cloudy tomorrow, with sun through the rest of the week.  We are eager to get out and learn our way around our new city.  

It is now 4:30 PM and you all are up to date on our adventure so far.  Being 4:30, you know what that means, it's almost 5 o'clock and wine time.  Happy days.  See you later.