This is day’s 10-13-and the final section of my post of our RS tour in May. I’m trying to post the tour as seen and experienced through my eyes;
Day 10 The Pont du Gard
For some, including my wife, the Pont du Gard was what the group had come to see on this tour. It’s a 10-minute walk from the parking lot to get to the bridge, and it is impressive, especially when you think of the engineering feat to build it 2000 years ago. But other than that, when you’re at the bridge, all you do is walk across and take photos at the top of the hill, at the bottom of the hill, beside the river and then you’re done. For me, what was more impressive was the museum. The museum not only had displays of how the Pont was built but also went into detail of how plumbing was used in the Roman homes of the time. The Romans even had their own Utility service and stamped their pipes with a logo. If I had known how interesting it was, I would have devoted less time at the bridge and more time in the museum. I only had 1 hour and could have easily used another hour.
Back to Arles and a free afternoon. My wife and I caught a train and headed to Avignon to visit the Palais des Papes, this was the headquarters for the Catholic Church from 1309-1377. Your entry comes with an audio/video tour. The inside of the Palais is barren, but you’re given a tablet that describes the history and when you point the tablet in the various areas, an image comes up that shows what it would have looked like when it was occupied. It added a new dimension to an audio tour. I think we spent about 4 hours in Avignon and made it back to Arles in time to meet our group for dinner. The train from Arles to Avignon leaves every half hour or so and it’s simple to buy tickets and navigate.