Saturday
We had a slow start in the morning. Our first item on the agenda was some breakfast. We decided that croissants and coffees sounded good and set out to find some. There was a steady drizzle throughout the morning. Within minutes we felt chilled. We set a brisk pace for the boulangerie Maps suggested, making our way through the fashionable shopping district.
Anyone want some Pope slippers?
We located our breakfast croissants and walked around the corner to a café. They sold hot drinks à emporter (to take away). For 2 euros I got an amazing cappuccino. The shop was particularly cute because huge stuffed teddy bears sat at each table with their own empty coffee cups. A nice social distancing measure! The shop manager was an adorable little French grandma. We took our breakfast and ate on the steps of Église Saint-Agricol, where I had stepped in on Mass the night before. Our next goal was to see the Papal Palace. I’d gotten a pretty good chance to walk around on Friday, so I steered us in the general direction. On our way, we noticed that the doors to the Basilique Saint-Pierre were open. We decided to head inside.
The church was divided into two major parts. There was a small hallway and little alcoves upon immediate entry. To the right, there is the central body of the church. You can see the alter and the pews in the center lane.
We exited the church and noticed the Synagogue sitting across the plaza. We moseyed over to read the plaque in front.
Feeling hungry and damp, we walked in the direction of Les Halles. Inside, we discovered an absolutely huge market. I don’t know if I’ve ever that much fresh food in my life. There were stalls devoted to beautiful little pastries, fresh seafood, butchered meats, colorful spices, and more. It was a sensory delight.
After buying the supplies for our dinner, we headed back to the Airbnb to drop them off and get some rest. We enjoyed the chance to get out of the rain for a few minutes and to rest our feet. When we’d all sufficiently warmed up, we ventured back out. This time, we went directly to the Papal Palace. I led everyone down the same little street I took the day before, so they could see the Palace peek through the rooftops.
As we finished enjoying the plaza and the sweeping views of the Papal Palace, we made our way up to the Notre Dame des Doms d’Avignon. I was excited to spend some more time looking at the detailing inside the cathedral.
Back out into the rain we went! We walked toward the left end of the plaza, up and into a garden area. There, we encountered a group of English speakers. One of the members of our group plucked up the courage to start a conversation with them. It turns out that one girl was from Georgia and one was from Pennsylvania. They were both au pairs for the year. We all were in Avignon because we believed there would be another confinement within the week. Everyone wanted to see a bit of France before we were stuck in our own houses again. We said goodbye and took a glance over the town from the scenic overlook. It was breathtaking.
Our next stop was the Saint-Bénézet Bridge. There was a bit less traffic, so we were able to get a better look at it Saturday than I was able to on Friday. We crossed the street to get a better view after we went in the opposite direction to see the church of the black penitents.
By that time it was nearing curfew. Every member of our group was exhausted. We realized almost simultaneously that we forgot to eat lunch. On our way back, we stopped to get a few last ingredients for our dinner that evening and some snacks to eat while we cooked.
That night we had a delicious French onion soup with a side of roasted vegetables. We enjoyed a red and a white Chateauneuf-du-Pâpe, the region specialty that we splurged on. When we finished eating, we got out cards and played until everyone was tired. It was a great day.
Mary-Est-En-France 