This morning we had bread and coffee for breakfast, shocking I know. After that we went to the beach…at the Mediterranean Sea! It was a beautiful beach day and I also got a few minutes of reading in. The beach did not have sand; instead it had rock/gravel. I was told that the water was going to be really cold; however, it felt the same to me as a typical day at Virginia Beach. It was a great morning.
After the beach we drove for a few hours to the city of Avignon. We took a tour of the Pope’s Palace there. For about 100 years (1309-1403) the papacy was actually located in Avignon. 9 Popes actually lived in Avignon, although the final two were actually during a schism and therefore there was actually a Pope in Rome during their ‘reign’ as Pope. We toured the palace and learned a lot about Catholic influence in France. It was interesting to see that many of the statues of statesmen, monarchs, and clergy had their heads chopped off. This was done during the French Revolution. The French Revolution was a time when the French common people stood up to their oppressors, namely, the monarchy and the state church. This was just another reminder of the darkness that has been a part of France for so long. After the palace we drove back to Lyon and checked back into the hotel.
This morning we had bread and coffee for breakfast, shocking I know. After that we went to the beach…at the Mediterranean Sea! It was a beautiful beach day and I also got a few minutes of reading in. The beach did not have sand; instead it had rock/gravel. I was told that the water was going to be really cold; however, it felt the same to me as a typical day at Virginia Beach. It was a great morning.
After the beach we drove for a few hours to the city of Avignon. We took a tour of the Pope’s Palace there. For about 100 years (1309-1403) the papacy was actually located in Avignon. 9 Popes actually lived in Avignon, although the final two were actually during a schism and therefore there was actually a Pope in Rome during their ‘reign’ as Pope. We toured the palace and learned a lot about Catholic influence in France. It was interesting to see that many of the statues of statesmen, monarchs, and clergy had their heads chopped off. This was done during the French Revolution. The French Revolution was a time when the French common people stood up to their oppressors, namely, the monarchy and the state church. This was just another reminder of the darkness that has been a part of France for so long. After the palace we drove back to Lyon and checked back into the hotel.
Sounds like a pleasant day. However, that shale-like beach does not look inviting.
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