I'm sorry for my silence, faithful reader, but a serious problem loomed! Two nights ago in Arles, we had dinner in a modest restaurant. To be honest choices were few and having been unsuccessful in one, we repaired there. An interesting and very authentic, olde world Provençal establishment. Dinner was excellent. We attempted to pay. Four bank cards showed incorrect pin number, though we knew the pins were correct. Luckily, we had enough to pay in cash. On our return to the hotel, we rang AIB.. We were told all cards bar one were blocked, not by AIB but because of some problem with French banks. We were worried, we needed to pay our hotel bill and get back to Cherbourg. Money had to be transferred by Western Union, we were advised!! Later this proved to be incorrect information from AIB, the card they said didn't work did, but another they had said did work didn't !!! ! My advise if you're going to France keep enough cash on you. We were advised it frequently happens , though on prior visits, we must have been lucky.!!!!
With the relief of having paid the hotel bill, we set off for Avignon. Here we visited Palais des Papes and the olde Bridge. St Benezet's bridge spans about half the Rhone and is the centre of much attention. Archaeologists, historians and geomorphologists, among others have taken years to establish the bridge's history and construction techniques.
It appears that in the period of the Popes' reign in Avignon, it was used by the cardinals to access their villas on the Villeneuve side of the river!!!
Our next destination was Palace des Papes.
It was very interesting, though it is now a series of rooms and passages, devoid of furniture, it is impressive.!
The Avignon Popes
We departed for Macon.
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