Day 7: Avignon and Pont du Gard Aqueduct

Of course, the day started with breakfast:

Then a walking tour of the city of Avignon through this ancient walled border.  Theses walls surrounding the city were for protection from invaders AND protection from the flooding from the Rhone River.

Another bustling city with cafes and markets in plazas in front of ancient and medieval structures:

We toured the UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Palace of the Popes.  I hadn't known that the papacy was relocated here from Rome from 1309 - 1377.  And for a few decades following, there were two popes - one in Rome and one in Avignon.

Narrow streets with restaurants and shops:

We walked through an indoor food market called Les Halles.  I loved the sites and colors.  And I loved the air conditioning because the temperatures were already in the 90's!

We stayed in the city to do a little shopping.  And took a few wrong turns trying to find our way to the  river. (Hence the not so happy look on my face  - plus it was beastly hot, plus it was lunchtime!)

Then returned to our ship on a path that went past the Pont D'Avignon.  And we sang the little French song while we took a selfie ("Sur le Pont D'Avignon....")

As the temperatures climbed to about 96 degrees, we went on our last excursion - to the remains of the Pont du Gard, the Roman aqueducts that once moved water 31 miles from the springs of Uzes to the city of Nimes.  Gregg climbed around to get some better photos, but I sat in the shade with a woman from England and drank a fruit smoothie.

Then it was time to say Au Revoir to our new friends, to pack, and to sleep quickly before our early morning departure.