Travel Notes | Adventures in Avignon

Avignon is a small city located in southeastern France, belonging to the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region, about 80 kilometers from the Mediterranean Sea. The Rhone River flows through the city and empties into the Mediterranean Sea. With its rich cultural and historical heritage, Avignon has many monuments listed on the World Heritage List by UNESCO.

After getting off the train, I went straight to the Tourist Information Center (Office du Tourisme), which has all the information on how to enjoy the city. It was very friendly for my aimless trip this time. The young lady who received me was super considerate and explained my purpose of travel and length of stay. She circled several must-see attractions for me on the map.

This year's annual Avignon Theater Festival was successfully held in the enthusiastic month of July. Various performance posters are posted everywhere in the streets and alleys, which is dazzling. As long as there is a place where posters can be posted, major merchants will not show mercy. Many shop windows were blocked by posters, and the bosses were miserable and put up notices (rejecting posters) to resist.

The Avignon Theater Festival is divided into two parts, IN and OFF. IN is a theatrical performance funded by the government (Ministry of Culture, local administrative regions and municipal governments) and is often held in official venues such as the Papal Palace and major museums. Generally, the seats are packed without much publicity. OFF is funded by various private theater groups, and the performance locations vary in size. Posting posters in the streets and alleys is generally one of their main ways of publicity.

The 75th Theater Festival in 2021 will be held as:

IN: July 5 to July 25, 2021

OFF: July 7 to July 31, 2021

Private theater companies are always creative in their promotional methods. People wearing fancy clothes and handing out leaflets can be seen everywhere. However, I didn’t get many flyers in my hand. Maybe it’s because the foreign faces were automatically blocked and I wasn’t interested in the drama. In fact, I am really looking forward to watching a drama, even though I am not that passionate about drama. At this time, she came...

The lady in blue took the initiative to greet me, walked towards me, and patiently introduced me to their performance, which was called "The Birds". Well, that’s it.

Sure enough, I was not disappointed. Although I didn't understand everything, their singing and dancing, their playful and humorous tone combined with the style of current affairs, and their love and enthusiasm for drama deeply attracted me.

No matter where I go, in most cases, I will choose Asian restaurants without hesitation, and this time is no exception. For lunch, I chose a Japanese restaurant with a 4.9-point rating (Google review), and ordered ramen and octopus dumplings that are only served during the theater festival. The waiter is a Japanese girl with a sweet smile. Although she doesn't speak French fluently, her smile is enough to warm everyone.

After eating and drinking, we went to the hotel to check in. The name of the hotel is: Hotel de l’horloge. It has an excellent location, right next to the Town Hall, on Avenue de la Repubblica and next to Campanile Square. It only takes a few minutes to walk to the Papal Palace. There are a variety of restaurants downstairs to choose from, and it is very lively with people coming and going. The sound insulation effect of the windows is pretty good and it's not very noisy.

The hotel's decoration style leans towards classicism, with a unique seating area on each floor. However, the stairs leading to each floor are complicated and complicated, which is too unfriendly for someone like me who has a poor sense of direction. In the end, the staff took me through the most direct and simple passage, and after knowing the way, I found my room.

I am very satisfied with the layout of this room. The picture shows a corner of the room. When traveling alone, especially girls, you still have to be wary. So, after arriving at the room, putting down my luggage, I went out to familiarize myself with the location of the security passages and alarms. After confirming that everything was okay and giving myself a sense of security, I came back to rest for a while and then started my carnival alone.

Yes, party! I photographed left, right, up, down... accompanied by the inner monologue of "Why am I so beautiful?" I was obsessed with my own "beauty" and couldn't extricate myself. Girls' fun is so "simple".

The weather is so hot, how can we miss out on ice cream? I found a store with pretty good reviews on Google Maps, owned by an Italian. I ordered the chocolate and orange flavors. They tasted good, but they were too easy to melt and it was all over my hands before I even started eating. The boss doesn't seem to speak much French, but he can basically understand me. He always replies to me in Italian. When checking out, because the payment was less than 5 euros, cash was required. However, I only had a card, and I didn't notice this information at all. Later, the boss said a lot of things that I didn't understand. I seemed to hear "free" and thought he was going to give it to me for free. I quickly said no, no, I have to pay. Later I realized I was thinking too much hahaha. He slowly took out the POS machine and said, "You can swipe your card. I'm just too lazy to wait for the POS machine to issue a receipt. It's too much trouble." Later, he asked me to sit down and eat slowly. I said I wanted to eat while walking.

Walking aimlessly through the streets, you can always find some particularly beautiful decorations, such as this flower shop.

There are also sunflower decorations in the alley, making the whole street come alive.

Along with the atmosphere of the theater festival, various street performances can be seen everywhere. Some performances are sponsored, and some are spontaneous, and tourists can tip more or less on their own.

The first street performance I saw was near the visitor center, sponsored by a theater group to attract tourists and promote the show. Come and see their performance!

The second street performance was on a street, where an old man blew bubbles with his puppets.

The third street performance was seen downstairs in the hotel. A group of strong young people performed somersaults and stacked arhats, attracting many people to watch.

As night fell, I heard the sound of a harmonica in the distance. It turned out to be a wandering singer from Australia, singing (melancholic blues style) and playing (harmonica) at the same time.

This street performance is a dance performed by a physically challenged artist and a partner. Although the speakers were faulty in the early stage, they still completed the dance very powerfully in silence, which was very shocking. Their strong sense of conviction earned them a round of applause.

Of course, there is also the African tambourine, which has a sonorous and powerful sound.

The last street performer I encountered was a singer who sang and played guitar at the same time. It attracted a group of young people to dance, and two children who watched while eating ice cream. It was so cute!

As night falls, the restaurant comes alive.

More and more children stopped in front of the carousel, and their smiles were particularly dazzling under the light.

Next to the carousel, there is a small stall selling cotton candy. Regarding the translation of "marshmallow", different languages ​​​​show their magic. In French, it is called "Daddy's beard", hahaha, is it surprising?

The lights next to the city hall gradually brightened.

The Ferris wheel outside the city wall also began to rotate slowly. Everything was just right, and the night sonata officially started.

Today, promotions about the Hélios light and music show can be seen everywhere. The light show is organized by the city government and lasts for a month (July 30 to August 31). The original intention is to enliven the atmosphere after the theater festival and illuminate the cultural heritage throughout the city. Unfortunately, the night I stayed in Avignon happened to be the 29th. At first, I felt a little disappointed, but! ! ! It actually held a preview on the 29th, what a fate!

I was just wandering around this street when I heard the light show lighting up the Musée Lapidaire.

Later, he accidentally followed a big boss. At first, I thought he was a tour guide, and he was followed by some people, introducing the theme of the light show as he walked. I was wondering where to book this tour, it was great. Because he knows where the next show spot is. I couldn't help asking and apologized to him because I thought this tour was chargeable. As a result, he said: "This is not chargeable. You have followed the right person. You must continue to follow me and don't lose me." It was later found out that he was the general person in charge of this light show and came to check out the spots in person. So I relaxed my mind, strode forward, followed him closely, and watched the entire show from beginning to end until 11:30 midnight. Perfect!

It is a shock that cannot be described in words, so let us quietly enjoy this feast!

It's late at night, and the bar is full of people. Although the virus is raging, life must go on. I hope everyone is safe.

The Palais des Papes is a god-like presence in the ancient city of Avignon. This palace, built in 1335, is one of the representative masterpieces of the Gothic architectural complex.

To get to know the castle better, I booked a guided tour online in advance. When we arrived at the meeting point as scheduled, the tour guide gave each of us an earphone and took us in in an orderly manner. At the entrance, I checked the "health pass", passed the security check, checked the tickets, and the tour officially started.

The tour guide's explanation was very lively. We listened while walking, sometimes walking quickly and sometimes stopping. Crossing the boundaries of time and space, traveling through various periods.

The Papal Palace is divided into the New Palace and the Old Palace, which took no less than twenty years to build. Nine popes have been welcomed here, seven of whom are French.

Although after the fire and the looting of the Revolution, it was impossible to restore the luxury of the palace at that time, but through some pictures and remaining traces, we can still feel the extravagant life of the Pope. The banquet hall was large enough to accommodate more than two thousand people for dinner at the same time, so many thefts also occurred at that time. Nowadays, it is used more for hosting cultural activities or diplomatic activities.

It is not easy to be the only ceiling that has survived the disaster. There are also many murals preserved inside the palace, but photography is prohibited.

There are also many exquisite and delicate sculptures inside.

There is the Pope's exclusive back garden in the courtyard, which can be reached directly from the Pope's palace. After later restoration, a variety of flowers and plants were planted here.

Coincidentally, the famous Chinese painter Yan Peiming holds an exhibition here. There is only a small part of it, and most of the exhibition is in the local Collection Lambert Avignon. I accidentally watched his documentary before, so I felt very familiar with it.

Panoramic view of the Papal Palace.

There are also small vendors quietly painting at the door. Why are there so many sunflower-themed paintings? Because the painter Van Gogh moved to the nearby town of Arles in February 1888. During his 14 months of temporary residence, he painted nearly two hundred paintings. His first painting of 15 "Sunflowers" 》 was created here.

so. This is why Van Gogh-themed souvenirs can be found everywhere in the city.

Now let’s enjoy some views of the Papal Palace taken the evening before!

Pont d'Avignon, also known as Pont Saint-Bénezet, was built in the twelfth century. Legend has it that a shepherd boy named Saint-Bénezet built this bridge at the behest of the gods. bridge. In fact, this bridge is a bridge project that spans centuries and has important strategic significance in history and is an important transportation hub. The bridge is 920 meters long and has 22 arches connecting both sides of the Rhone River. After the disaster, only four bridge arches have been preserved.

The Bridge of Avignon is world-famous thanks to an orally transmitted ballad called “Sur le pont d’Avignon” (On the Bridge of Avignon).

“Sur le Pont d’Avignon,

L’on y danse, l’on y danse,

Sur le Pont d’Avignon,

“L’on y danse tous en rond”

The general idea of ​​the lyrics is that on the Avignon Bridge, everyone was dancing happily and spinning in circles. In fact, the commentator said that people were dancing under the bridge, and the space on the bridge was not big enough, haha.

There is a chapel on the bridge where St. Benezer is said to be buried. Over the centuries, large and small worship ceremonies have also been hosted here. The walls are covered with graffiti, and it can be seen that people of all ages want to leave traces of their "visit here" that will be passed down through the ages...

Looking at both sides of the river from the "bow", the beautiful scenery is unobstructed.

I have always been fascinated by the crisp sound of music boxes. I happened to buy a small music box in a museum, and the song happened to be "On the Bridge of Avignon". It was placed here, which is very suitable for the occasion. Is anyone else like me? After listening to it once, you will be completely brainwashed by this melody, and then repeat it in your mind N times.

After visiting the Avignon Bridge, we took a free ferry to the other side of the river. Stroll along the river, view the ancient city wall from a distance, and sometimes cruise ships pass by. The breath of life on the other side of the river blows in your face.

Suddenly, a group of children from summer camp flew past me and greeted me warmly. The boy in blue clothes also said "Konnichiwa" to me, and I told him that I was not Japanese, but Chinese.

Little sister, do you know? You look so cool when you play the piano!

After walking across the bridge and through the city gate, you are back in the ancient city.

The wall paintings and graffiti scattered on various buildings always attract my attention. The wall paintings are so lifelike that when viewed from a distance, it is difficult to tell whether they are genuine or not.

Fountain on the roadside.

A deserted alley.

Towering city walls.

A small train full of tourists passed by slowly.

Finally, I stopped in front of a handmade jewelry store and was attracted by the various jewelry inside. When I walked in, I didn’t want to come out, hahaha. The boss was an older man. After greeting me warmly, he continued to focus on his creation, leaving me to make my choice quietly.

I walked back and forth in the store for more than a dozen times, trying them on, and finally chose the two pairs of earrings that I liked the most. The price was not expensive, only about ten euros a pair. The boss was super nice. Before leaving, he chatted with me for a few words. Knowing that I still had a few hours to catch the train, he suggested that I go to the Yvonne Lambert Collection. He said that next time I come to Avignon, I will report directly to him and he will tell me other interesting routes and delicious places.

One of the pairs is a little yellow duck, so cute! Before I got home in the evening, I couldn't wait to take it out and try it out.

Following the boss's advice, I came to the Collection Lambert Avignon. I arrived at around 3:10 in the afternoon and just missed the 3:00 pm guided tour with a docent. There are only two guided tours a day. I expressed my strong desire to visit to the staff. The staff saw that the guide was still in the first exhibition hall and put me in without going far.

The highlight of this exhibition is the work of the Chinese painter Yan Peiming I mentioned earlier. He has studied and lived in Dijon, France since 1981, focusing on themes such as people, life and death. As the only Chinese in the team, when I joined them, everyone was discussing the significance of tigers and vultures in Chinese culture, so everyone looked at me...

His painting style is sometimes rough, sometimes delicate, and he uses black and white freely. From a distance, you can always recognize the general appearance, but up close, it looks different. The last portrait wall is said to be of several classes of primary school students he painted. There seemed to be 120 children. They lined up and passed by one by one. It only took a few minutes for him to master the outlines of the children's portraits. With a swipe of his brush, the portraits were ready. become.

There are portraits of his father and mother in this exhibition hall. The portrait of his father is large, with rough brushwork, and takes up the entire wall.

Opposite is my mother's, which is small in comparison, but the brushwork is very delicate. On the one hand, it shows the different roles and status of men and women in traditional Chinese families; on the other hand, it also shows the differences in the personalities of men and women. His mother passed away in 2018, and this painting was also used to express his longing for her.

There are also clay works by other artists on display in the basement, which is also very interesting.

The pleasant trip to the collection museum is over, and it’s almost time to catch the train back. I went back to the hotel to pick up my stored backpack, but on the way to the train station I was attracted by a street performance and almost missed the train. I miss this place so much that I can't bear to leave. Finally, I ran all the way to the train station and when I was waiting for the traffic light, I was "laughed" by a passerby who said, "You must have missed the train like this. I wish you good luck." Thanks to your good words, luckily I didn't miss it.

On the train, the dog from behind came from the back seat several times and lay quietly at my feet. I was very happy. However, its owner was afraid that it would disturb me, so he called it several times. Every time, it would go back timidly, and then sneak over quietly. This look is so cute!

I enjoy the quiet feeling of sitting on the train, listening to music, looking at the scenery, and reading. I have the illusion that I want the train to keep running. At this very moment, I have finished reading Bi Shumin's "May You Embrace the World Warmly".

"I stubbornly believe that to truly understand a country, a nation, a piece of land, a landscape, you have to roam alone. Travel makes us humble, the rapid speed, the changing scenery, the strange encounters, the unexpected guests... …All the events that may occur during the journey are strongly beyond our known scope, urging us to be alert and arousing our curiosity in a strange and challenging manner, spreading the green color in our lives that are worn out by triviality. Flag; inject fresh vitality into our stereotyped and tired life.

Living in a snail's nest for a long time can easily make our vision narrow, our minds slanted, our muscles weakened, and our lungs flattened... At this time, we need to pack our bags, say goodbye to our loved ones, and embark on a journey."

The two-day and one-night solo trip is over. I am glad that these memories can be preserved and immortalized in the form of words. And I'm still on the road...