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Post by happytraveller on Jul 17, 2009 5:37:41 GMT
There's a campground near the pont-du-gard where I camped with my family when I was little. It's supposed to be the campground with the best view in the world (view of the brigde of course) The Gardon is lovely for swimming. Will be around Avignon in about 2 weeks Thanks for sharing those great photos with us Kerouac.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 17, 2009 7:17:13 GMT
The aqueduct is illuminated at night and it is supposed to be even more breathtaking then; I suppose I really should go see it at night one of these days.
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Post by spindrift on Jul 17, 2009 8:27:04 GMT
Happy is a keen river-swimmer! Happy will you swim at that location when you're in Avignon?
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Post by BigIain on Jul 17, 2009 9:03:13 GMT
I forgot how beautiful Pont du Gard is, and also how busy it gets in the high season! Its where I took my late wife on our second or third date so will always be a cool place for me.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 17, 2009 11:43:10 GMT
A wonderful recapturing of a beautiful,beautiful place. Thanks again.
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Post by traveler63 on Jul 17, 2009 15:05:06 GMT
Oh, K2 these are wonderful and you have just added another place for us to go and check out.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 17, 2009 19:17:19 GMT
One of the great attractions to me when I first started coming to the "Off" was discovering where on earth the play would be performed. Here are some of the places where I have seen plays this year. Théâtre des Amants I think about 40 people can squeeze in. I saw Sam Shepard's "Fool for Love" here. Théâtre de la Manufacture It's some sort of old industrial site. I saw perhaps the best play of my stay here. More people might call if they saw how attractive the reservation office is. Theatre or restaurant? Both. Espace Roseau -- an old mansion Le Grenier à Sel -- an old salt warehouse Théâtre des Lucioles -- it's an old garage Théâtre du Balcon -- yes, you can see the balcony
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Post by bixaorellana on Jul 17, 2009 22:57:54 GMT
So many of the photos with people in them could be captioned "Decisions, decisions!"
Wow -- the architecture is so sedate, but the overall feeling is so vibrant with the whole city given over to live theater and all the visitors wandering, stopping to eat, etc. Nice!
Avignon gives good salt warehouse!
The city seems so nice and clean and well-maintained, but there's a bit of urban blight (or art, depending on your perspective) to the right of the Théâtre des Amants.
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Post by auntieannie on Jul 18, 2009 10:03:28 GMT
It would freak me out, so many people!
J'veux du soleil! (it is rather cold and damp here in Blighty)
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Post by bixaorellana on Jul 18, 2009 13:27:23 GMT
Any idea what's the story on the facade of the Théâtre du Balcon? The two side are radically different in style.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 18, 2009 14:19:33 GMT
No idea. Unlike Paris, Avignon is a city that has benefited from no urban planning, at least the "intra muros" part. Shocking contrasts are to be seen everywhere. I will be missing the "protest apéritif" next week to save the old prison that was closed in 2003. The Ministry of Justice is selling it for transformation into a luxury hotel ("with at least 110 rooms"), whereas the city has needs other than for the tourists. (I took a few pictures of it which I will post soon.)
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Post by Deleted on Jul 18, 2009 14:23:04 GMT
Meanwhile, I went through the central market again this morning and found myself obliged to snap a few more pictures.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jul 18, 2009 14:23:15 GMT
Urg! Why not a nice theme hotel, with damp cell blocks and stuff like Jailhouse Rock on the Muzac system?
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Post by Deleted on Jul 18, 2009 14:27:09 GMT
I must mention that in the "olive" picture (#2), the plastic bucket is being filled for an old woman making her selection of the necessary olives.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jul 18, 2009 14:36:46 GMT
I am that old woman!
Sorry about the post above -- it was posted at the very moment you were posting this garden of earthly delights. I think the picture group above defines once and for all the definition of beautiful food!
How did you stop yourself from getting some of every single prepared del dish there? And did you see the rollmops in that meat case? *swooooon*
Gorgeous, gorgeous pictures -- you have surpassed yourself.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 18, 2009 14:42:58 GMT
Okay, here is the exit of the old prison (since prisoners come out on foot). Here is the former entrance (for vehicles). There was a chapel snuggled up against the wall. (I wonder if there were ever any 'tunnel under the courtyard and leave through the chapel' fantasies.) I have always been intrigued by the 'souvenir niches' created at random by punching holes in concrete blocks that sealed another former entrance.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jul 18, 2009 14:46:56 GMT
Souvenir niches? Seen all over France, or is that specific to Avignon? What a strange collection of items! Is La Famille one of the plays currently running there?
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Post by Deleted on Jul 18, 2009 14:52:15 GMT
Yes, there are a number of "Off" play cards stuffed into the niches.
I have only seen this in Avignon, but I do not regularly visit the local prisons either.
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Post by spindrift on Jul 18, 2009 19:35:43 GMT
Now we are all panting to visit Avignon I wish we had markets like that in England - but no such luck
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Post by Deleted on Jul 18, 2009 23:07:55 GMT
One thing that makes Avignon intra muros authentic is that a lot of the streets have remained as they always were in terms of width. So there are quite a few where cars may not go. I saw that one street was called "rue Brouette" -- a brouette is a wheelbarrow and that was about the widest possible vehicle that could have used that street. I was also intrigued by this little bridge that goes over the stinky stream that runs parallel to the rue des Teinturiers. The little roadway is closed off and abandoned, yet it seems to go somewhere.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 19, 2009 1:13:09 GMT
What a splendid tour you have shared K. Thank you. Almost feel like I've been. I think I would like to tour Avignon sans the crowds like Auntie. There is so much to see aside from the theatre that would distract me (although I love theatre). Guess I would have to go more than once to find out! The building with the facade of cherubs is particularly delicate and beautiful. Superb photos,thanks again.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 19, 2009 5:44:41 GMT
That's the Chapel of the Black Penitents . Avignon also has a Chapel of the White Penitents and a Chapel of the Gray Penitents.... maybe some others colors, too! I'll need to look this up when I get home and find out who all of these penitents are.
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Post by bjd on Jul 19, 2009 7:29:21 GMT
About a year ago, the main prison here in Toulouse was closed and the prisoners were transferred to a new prison about 20 km away. The old one, a big red brick building with a courtyard, is being transformed into a cultural centre. But of course, there are a lot fewer tourists here than in Avignon.
The city centre also has streets named for Black, Gray and White Penitents. I think they were groups of monks but the convents/monasteries have been demolished.
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Post by spindrift on Jul 19, 2009 9:44:09 GMT
I love those little streets.
The word 'Penitents' reminds me of Ireland.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 19, 2009 17:03:59 GMT
For the last evening of my holiday, it was time to go to Villeneuve-les-Avignon, just across the river from Avignon. I know that Cigalechanta can confirm that it is a really lovely place (I will post of few photos later), but this trip was once again a theatrical journey. While the festival in Avignon itself (both 'In' and 'Off') is put on by established theatrical companies with a definite location, Villeneuve has chosen to be the home base for itinerant theatrical companies, which put on their shows in tents and other temporary locations. There is an association for this: Some of the companies had a lot of material to lug around. But most of these people live the simple life of performing gypsies, albeit extremely erudite ones. Their camp made a circle around the enormous meadow where most of the theatre tents were set up. These people have their own sense of geography. More power to them! Besides providing culture and/or entertainment, they also provide food and drink. Molière's troupe was an itinerant troupe as well. I bet he would be proud to know that the tradition continues with plays that he wrote. This was the box office for all of the theatres. Some of the venues were in town, and people were led to the proper place by guides who collected them every 10 minutes. The play I was seeing was being performed outside somewhere. I still have intense memories of a truly magical production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" that I saw in Villeneuve several years ago. The play started in an old barn, and then we were taken to a farm yard full of animals whose unexpected antics became part of the play. The final part was played under a giant oak tree filled with magical lights. Some of the actors were up in the branches... ah the memories... Well, we got taken in unexpected directions. It was quite a long walk, and we had to climb a hill. It was starting to feel like a trek, and night was falling. The play was about urban renewal. Have you seen many plays about urban renewal? The first part was near the 'construction site' -- it was a community meeting where Mme. le Maire and the real estate tycoon explained to us the wonders of the new project, and the fact that our homes would all be demolished was just a detail. There were drinks and chips to console us. The other actors were planted among us to protest the project or to approve it, particularly the expulsion of the lower class sort of people. It was now quite dark, and all of a sudden all of the lights went out. Mme. le Maire quickly told us that criminal elements had vandalized the installations, but that another place had been found for us. We continued up the hill in complete darkness to an outdoor amphitheatre, where we were enthralled for the next 2 1/2 hours (the play ended after midnight). Workers distributed sweaters and blankets to people requiring such things. I will give a more complete report of the play soon, but here are two photos (this was the only play I saw where it was considered okay to do whatever you wanted out under the stars -- so I took a few pictures). It was an absolutely wonderful way to end my holiday.
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Post by cigalechanta on Jul 19, 2009 17:36:08 GMT
What an adventure!!
(Villeneuve has one of the more famous Provencal gardens)
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Post by Deleted on Jul 19, 2009 20:14:00 GMT
Meanwhile, back in the city, performers kept doing whatever was necessary to try to entice people to see their shows.
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Post by hwinpp on Jul 20, 2009 2:41:34 GMT
The picture of the merguez and the other raw sausages nearly killed me, K2. Now I'll have to go of and look for them. I know I can get them here!
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Post by bixaorellana on Jul 20, 2009 3:10:38 GMT
The stage set for the outdoor play is remarkable! Also remarkable is the leading of the audience here and there, yet keeping them enthralled throughout. What an experience!
Love the pictures of the performers doing their part to drum up interest in their plays. Is that a real human being in the 3rd photo? The castanet codpieces are a hoot, and I love the octopus (decopus?)
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Post by Deleted on Jul 20, 2009 6:23:07 GMT
Yes, that is a real person. As I approach the end of this report, here are a few more random photos of Avignon, some of which will indicate that it is not a Disneyesque sanitized tourist ghetto.
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