The last night in Avignon...

27 August - 9.30pm, The Sentinal is playing on tv in french, I feel like a snooze and really should sort out getting some photos up.

Only prob is that they are a complete mess - ie I've taken so many I have no idea what is what! Lol!

Well, let's see.

The last full day in Nimes we did the only sensible thing - we dropped off that stupid Europcar car. They said they wouldn't charge us for the nat.sav and the first day (ie the day that we were driving on a dangerous car or not driving because we'd been told not to by the Gendarmarie!). That left only 3.30pm until 10am the next morning - it will be very interesting to see what the final bill is.

In any event, I've got the address for a complaint, got the head office address and will be complaining to the Gendarmie about Europcar, suggesting they should investigate the company for giving advice that, with 2 gendarmes standing there, we should just drive off.

Anyway, it was a different woman at the Europcar desk when we dropped the car off and she knew all about it - obviously news travels fast.

As they say in the sunscreen song, all my advice is based on my own meandering experience - and my experience is do not rent from Europcar!

So, having dropped the car off we wandered into town, looked into an old church - it's kind've true but still breathtaking what they say - you've seen one church, you've seen them all. But they still are spectacular, and I can see why they were built - to instill a sense of awe into the population and keep up the power of the church. They certainly are very cool, and peaceful, inside - no traffic noise!!

Then to the arena - the most perfectly preserved arena in the world. It was stunning. The commentary was rather disturbing - the putting to death of criminals etc. I discovered that it's a Hollywood myth that most gladitor fights resulted in the death of the loser. Not. Apparently the person paying for the games had the power to decide live (thumb in closed fist) or die (open hand - thumb out - not down!) and if he decided death, he had to reimburse the gladiator school from which the gladiator came - which was, of course, too expensive - so in 90% of cases both gladiators lived to fight another day.

However, the animal fights were full on, and apparently at midday was the execution of the condemned prisoners. Most people left the Arena for this (bar the true sadiest who got off on it and the poorest who didn't want to give up their seats!). The putting to death though consisted of condemned fighting condemned both to the death, being tied up to a post and letting the animals eat you alive etc.

Pretty gruesome really.

The Arena though is amazing and it's still used for concerts and bull fights. 2 bull fights a year - and in Nimes (ie France; they also have them in Arles and maybe other places), the bulls are put to death in the Arena. In Portugal, apparently, the bulls live after the fights but, according to the YHA manager, they're put to death afterwards anyway - so don't think the Portuguese are any better!

After that it was lunch - I love the outdoors dining here - it's soooo relaxed. Ji is a vegetarian (she'll eat fish but not eggs) so that's a bit of a challenge - but we get there! France is all about meat!

Then meandering around Nimes, to the Maison Carre (half covered in scaffolding) but we went in for the 3d film - very impressive. Then more meandering about, bought some dinner (from a wonderful delicatessan - not cheap but nice!) and me some glace fruit (basically fruit soaked in sugar for months until it's just pure decadence - only ever seen it in France but wow..... Walked back to the hostel via the gardens - very pretty, lots of statues and more roman ruins - they're kind've everywhere there.

Dinner at the hostel, chatting the Andy the deputy-manager; he's been there for 17 years, was there when I stayed 8 years ago and we were talking about how he's dealth with a few things on his list - but not all. So he's dealt with attempted suicide and a death in the town - but not a dead body at the hostel yet.

Sleep, then the van to the station (nice - door to door!), bought a ticket and off to Avignon. Soooo much less hassle on the train - and nice trains here.

Off the train, to the hotel, dumped our bags and off for a walk around Nimes. It was Saturday and a sale day - so all full on. One can certainly shop here - and the style - wow. But, spending kiwi dollars doesn't make it that cheap. Maybe if one was earning euro it would be - but nice to window shop all the same.

We went to Les Halles, watched a cooking demonstration - I've got the recipe - absolute yum! Looked around all the food halls, bought a tart (a pissadarie - or however that's spelt) - Ji bought a tart at a boulangarie outside - where I got a Paris Brest - nothing like calories for lunch! We then wandered to the Place de l'Horlage and munched out watching the world (mostly tourists) wander by.

I then went and slept for nearly four hours - this cold ain't going nowhere and is no blocking the old sinuses - probably a little infection but all good!

Then up, a shower, found Ji and we went wandering through the town having a look.

Then double triple and super yah but Antony and Nico from Marseille (or Marianne next to Marseille) turned up - I met them the last time I was here and they came up with a friend of theirs for dinner and a catch up - most stunning excellent. So there we were in our mix of english and french just chatting away under the sky eating dinner and drinking a nice rose. What more can a boy ask for really? :)

It was great to catch them and I'm now trying to convince them to come to kiwiland on a working holiday! I also told them to invite me to their PACS (the french civil union!) so who knows - if my friends in NZ won't be having them for me, I'll see if I can't swing one in France!

But the evening was over all to quickly and they wandered off.

Today, was really just walking around, having a look. It's been just beautiful here; for example, at 18.33 tonight it was still 30degrees! I have the phone somewhere to prove it!

I took the free boat across the Rhone and walked up the Isle de la Barthelasse taking lots of photos and enjoying the sun. There was a sports festivall on so lots of kinds trying out different things (including the coolest blow up climbing tower for little people!).

Back over the bridge to town, caught up with Ji, went to the Musee Louis Vouland were I couldn't take photos in the main museum - which was full of the most beautiful old furniture and things - including the most exquiste chinese bed - just amazing. There was also a special exhibition of mirrors - which I never really thought of as art - but there were some really really cool mirrors - andI was allowed to take photos!

Then some lunch (chinese - quite nice actually, outside, far too much but lots more vegetarian options! Then another nana=nap; not that I really slept more rested.

Then I wandered off to find the choir that wasn't - go figure. I've just worked out where it was - I was at the right place - but I needed to go into the church! Bugger! So instead I went for a wander - Ji was off having a rest by this stage - found another church (lots here) where vespers was being sung - rather nice - then found Ji, more chinese for dinner (it was nice and sitting outside is wonderful - it's soooo relaxing!).

Then back to the hotel, partly packed, cleaned the icecream off my pants (oh, did I forget to mention - yesterday I had melon and grapefruit icecreams - yum - so I had to repeat today - mango and coconut were today's flavours. We won't talk about the price (yep - 4 euros which is about $9 NZ for 2 scoops of ice cream - but it was really really good!).

Tomorrow though - c'est Paris! The city of love. Of romance. Of beauty. Sigh...

Hehe!

Lol - let's see if we miss our train! Hopefully not - TGV here we come! Yah!