Day 8 - Palais de Papes and Pont Sant Bénezet

Well rested after our first night in Avignon, we got up early and headed for the Palais de Papes - the Popes' Palace from when the popes lived in Avignon during the 14th Century. The huge walls of the palace in the highest part of the city dwarf every other building - except perhaps the cathedral next door.

The comparative lack of crowds was a nice change. Many of the rooms were facinating, especially the Popes' Chamber and the massive chapel. From the top of the palace there is an excellent view of Avignon and the neighbouring countryside, including Fort St André on the other side of the river.

View from the Palais de Papes.

Evan at the Palais.

The palace hasn't been very well treated over the centuries and many rooms are bare, but it was an interesting experience.

After trying some specialties of Provence (chocolate coated nuts and marzipan fruit), we visted Pont Sant Bénezet - also known as the Avignon Bridge.

There are only a few arches of the bridge left - the bridge kept on being washed away by floods - and a small chapel (actually two chapels on top of each other) on the bridge. The history of the bridge is facinating although the long-winded audioguide was perhaps a bit much for such a short bridge.

Evan in front of the Pont Sant Bénezet.

David being blown away by the wind on the Pont Sant Bénezet.

For dinner we tried a fondue restaurant and had fondue mains and fondue desserts.