France Magnifique tour - Sept 2015

Two nights in Paris, two nights at the Normandy coast, two nights in Loire valley (city of Tours), two nights at Avignon, and two nights at Cote d'Azure (Nice & Monaco).  Included in our tour was a TGV train ride.   The remainder of our travel was on a tour bus.  We had a wonderful group of 40 people; strangers at the start and friends at the end.

Sherry and I especially enjoyed Avignon, famous because seven popes resided there during the fourteenth century (approx 1309 - 1377) at the invitation of the French King Phillip the Fair.  Palace du Papes is an impressive and intimidating structure, built atop a rock outcrop on the east (left) bank of the Rhone River as it descends from northern France (Lyon) and empties into the Mediterranean.  The palace took some thirty years to build.

Avignon is a walled town from the medieval period in French history.  Except for Palace du Papes and papal gardens, the town is mostly flat and at riverbank level.  Very walkable.  The bridge (Pont St. Benezet) originally extended all the way across the Rhone (1177 - 1185), but was abandoned in 1680 and fell into disrepair.