Roman Experience in France

Dear Family and Friends,

Nimes, France became a Roman colony before 28 B.C.  Nimes became the center for retired Roman legions who had served under Julius Ceasar, - as they were given plots of land around Nimes, where they built their villas. Nimes was situated  a Roman road created in 118 B.C. which connected Italy to Spain.

Today Nimes has one of the best preserved Roman arenas. I have seen the Colosseum in Rome and this arena is much more intact.  Considering it's age it is incredible to behold.

It was built in 100 A.D. to hold 24,000 spectators.  It is still used today for bull fights, sporting and cultural events.

This the arena as you see it from the city plaza.  I was very impressed with it's size.

This is the inside of the arena.  It still has the dirt floor.

We rented audio guides and had an educational experience touring it.

The following day, we went to Orange, France.  Orange is the home of a Roman amphitheater.  It too is very well preserved.  It even has the backdrop to this day.

This theater is used even now for opera and other events.  Can you imagine seeing Aida done at this venue?

The day before in Nimes we learned all about the gladiators.  It made us appreciate the Roman legion republic reenactment that was taking place in Orange that day.

 Roman soldiers lined up for our review.  Their colorful outfits made for a fun day of picture taking.

Chuck is checking out the spears.

We even saw the man himself, Julius Ceasar.

It was a fun day.  We even stopped for a bowl of mussels before heading back to Avignon.

Love,
Nancy

FOTO FRIDAY - 10/11/13

Dear Family and Friends,

Chuck is always so kind to pose for me.

Here he is talking to a stuffed bird in Japan in 2007. 

I know he loves me....who else would put up with my requests?

Love,
Nancy

Pont de Avignon

Dear Family and Friends,

The other biggest tourist attraction is the Pont de Avignon (the broken bridge).

This bridge was constructed between 1177 and 1185. The bridge fell into a state of disrepair during the 17th century.  A catastrophic flood in 1669 swept away much of the structure.  Today there are only four arches of the 22 original arches remaining.

The history of the bridge is interesting, but I believe the reason the bridge is such a big tourist attraction is because of the nursery song, "Sur le Pont d'Avignon."  It is about dancing on the bridge.
If you did not learn the song as a child, I am sure you will at least recognize the melody.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvcpyqg6rwo

Now the pictures of the bridge.  The first three pictures I took from above and along side it.

Chuck and I walked out on the bridge.  First we passed through this gate house.

Chuck walking on the bridge.

The view from the end of the bridge.  You can see the Palace of the Popes in the background.

When we got to the end of the bridge we were able to do what we came to do.  Here is Chuck dancing.

Gotta say you did it.  Another thing ticked off the bucket list.

Love,
Nancy

Palace of the Popes

Dear Family and Friends,

One of the most visited tourist attractions in Avignon is the Palace of the Popes.

A fact that I did not know before is that for a period of time during the 14th century the papal center was moved from Rome to Avignon, France.

In 1309, Pope Clement V, unwilling to face the violent chaos in Rome after his election, moved the papal center to Avignon.  It remained there for 68 years, under 7 different popes, until Pope Gregory XI moved it back to Rome.  This period became known as the Avignon Papacy.

Because of the turbulent times and the concern for safety, the palace constructed was more like a fortress.


This is the view of the palace from the front.

We toured the palace with our trusty audio guides.  This is one of the court yards.

The nave of the chapel.

This is the back of the palace where the gardens were located.

The gardens are not so much today, but back in the day, there were exotic animals and birds from around the world there for the Popes' enjoyment.

 Meet Pope Chuck.

Love,
Nancy

Avignon, France

Dear Family and Friends,

After spending a few days in Nice, Chuck and I took the train to Avignon, France.

Chuck did a fantastic job of securing us an apartment for our stay.  It was located right in the middle of the old historical section of the city.

Here are a few photos I made during our walks around the historic part of town.

A close up view of the ornate clock tower.

 We visited the market.

Beautiful gates leading into the grounds of the museum.

Chuck waiting for coffee one morning.

The view of the pedestrian only street taken from our apartment window.

A lovely city.  I will share about the two biggest tourist attractions in other posts.

Love,
Nancy