Palace of the Popes, here viewed from Pont d’Avignon Saint-Benezet in Avignon, France. During the 14th and 15th centuries, seven Popes and two schismatic popes took refuge in Avignon. Fleeing political unrest in Rome, Clement V was the first to arrive in 1305. He requested the hospitality of the Earl of Provence, who owned Avignon … Read more
I pushed open the bathroom door in my hotel room at Paris’ Charles de Gaulle Airport. A bathtub! Thank you, god. After months of living in hostels and guest houses with tiny showers, a tub was a treat beyond description. I dug into my suitcase for my essential oil of lavender and liberally shook drops … Read more
Every July, the Rue de la République in Avignon, France, is closed to traffic for the Avignon Theater Festival. Visitors flock to the city to attend performances and party along the main street in the historic center. Adding to the fun and craziness, actors roam the streets in costume, performing snippets of plays to attract … Read more
Posters of performances are plastered all over town during the Theater Festival in Avignon, France, held throughout the month of July each year. Though most of the plays are performed in French only, there are ways for a non-French speaker like me to enjoy the festival. Many are classics such as Shakespeare, which can be … Read more
The perched village of Gordes is a gorgeous hilltop village in Provence, France. Crowning a hill in the Luberon mountains, Gordes is visible for miles around. These days, tourism is the main economic activity in the village, thus this picture perfect location is today an asset. But it wasn’t always so. Throughout history, the wealth … Read more
