The Viking Hermod returned to last evening to dock once again at Avignon. This city has a special place in French history as it was, for a time, the center of the Roman Catholic Church. A Frenchman was elected to be Pope Clement V and did not consider Rome a safe place, so the entire papacy was moved to Avignon starting in 1309. The so-called "captivity" of the church lasted until 1377.
A papal palace was built in the center of Avignon and a visit to that palace was a part of this morning's tour. We entered the old part of the town through a gate in the medieval wall which surrounds the city. Our guide led us through narrow street in which we competed with cars and motorcycles for the right of way. (For the local residents, I think tourists are considered a necessary evil.) In the main town square was the city hall and a theater both built in Greek classical style. The papal palace (actually an old and new palace joined) is essentially a museum, but you get a sense of the former granduer. The papal dining room was at least 90 feet long by 30 feet wide, and the chapel (now an art gallery) was twice as large.
Our tour ended with a visit to the town market, reminiscent of markets in Boston and Philadelphia, chock full of separate stands with endless meats and produce. Our tour director was there, offering a taste of local olives and garlic.
After lunch on the ship, we walked back into Avignon to find a small gallery named the Musee Angladon which featured some of the works of Toulouse Latrec and other well-known artists which had been gathered by one Jacques Doucet. We chose it because it was not a huge display -- it was small, interesting and a good thing to do on a hot day in Avignon.
Later we joined other Viking travelers who had been on one or more Viking trips for hors d'oeuvres and a chance to meet the captain and other members of the ship's staff. The ship begins to sail up the Rhone and tomorrow we will visit local wineries in a village named Tain L'Hermitage.
**Late news: At about 10:00 pm, the ship made an emergency stop to fix some technical issue. More to come...
