L'on y danse, tous en rond!

Sorry for being a bit slow with the updating and also having these updates be on the boring side, but I promise that I now have a barrage of photos to accompany the exciting voyages and stories I've accumulated! I'll do my best to get them up in the midst of exam time. My classes here are unusual; I have more of them, but they take up less time. However, this means that there are a crapton of tests looming on the horizon. On the plus, they're spread over these next two weeks, so there's still time to have fun!

This Saturday, my exchange group took a day trip to Provence, where we visited the ever famous Avignon and afterwards the farm and vineyard of the small town of Domaine de Donadille.

Avignon is known for being an ancient Roman city, though overshadowed by Nimes and Arles. However, it was lucky enough be the home of the pope in the 1300's. The Papal Palace (Palais des Papes) is a huge landmark there and quite a sight to see.

 Some of the very few old wall paintings that remain in the church. Time has certainly taken its toll. Apparently the palais was once covered in them!

 Central courtyard. The palais is full of grand archways and high, sloping ceilings like this:

Art exhibition in one of the chambers.

 

 Mouthless dog seated at the foot of its master!

 Wall of greatness.

It also has a very pretty old town, beautiful jardin overlooking the Rhone, and, of course, the ever famous Pont d'Avignon! (actually called the Pont Saint-Bénezet). It's the namesake of a famous little ditty that all French children learn (and maybe even French Canadian? - for some reason, I and the program coordinator were the only people who actually knew the song!). Didn't actually get a chance to go up on the bridge, which may have been for the best since you've got to pay and the day was incredibly cold and windy. Toes were numb or most of the day, but honestly, after refereeing soccer in similar temperatures with half the clothing, it really didn't bother me all too much. Apparently the Rhone has such strong currents that after many centures of having to rebuild this super old bridge due to flooding and currents destroying it, they eventually just gave up.

 Overlooking the Pont and the city of Avignon. The bridge stops halfway across. Convenient!

  At midday, took a much-needed break to enjoy conversation and a cup of chocolat. The dessert down there is bois mort - dead forest - two layers of dense chocolate mousse between two thin layers of soaked cake, then encased in hard dark chocolate and cocoa powder, with shavings on top! It was divine.

 The visit to the farm/vineyard was really nice as well, and I learned a lot about new French ideas of farming and sustainability, as well as the process that goes into making wine. I also learned about all the factors that make a wine cheap vs. expensive!

 Photo of the vineyard - evidently, it's wine season now, not grape season!

 

"This is my "Please, horsie, don't accidentally nibble on my fingers while I'm looking at the camera!" face

A bottle of one of their local rouge. We got to taste several varieties and pretend to be experts, attempting to guess the aromas found within. Much harder than it looks, though I did get one right! (I guessed raspberries)

Overall, a wonderful, well-spent day in spite of the cold. It's recently gotten a lot milder, so I think we're out of this dreadful cold snap. I came back from the farm with a bottle of wine and some of their apples...which are absolutely delicious and worth the weight on the way home! Until next time, more adventures to come!