“Sur le Pont d’Avignon
L’on y danse, l’on y danse
Sur le Pont d’Avignon
L’on y danse tous en rond.”
~French Nursery Rhyme, 15th century
It was the first song I learned in high school French class.
The simple, repetitive verse about dancing on the bridge at Avignon was easy to pronounce even before I actually understood what the words meant. I’m not sure if I ever added the immortalized pont to my French notebook of places I hoped to someday visit, but when I saw that Avignon would be on our Rhône itinerary, it was the first thing that came to mind. And I knew I had to pay homage to that bridge from my long-ago French class.
Pont d’Avignon is also known as Pont Saint-Bénézet, named after a shepherd who claimed he was divinely commanded to build a bridge across the Rhône at Avignon. Constructed between 1177 and 1185, the original wooden bridge was destroyed by war forty years later. In 1234, a 980-yard-long stone version was constructed with 22 arches spaning the Rhône between Avignon and Villeneuve-lès-Avignon.
Over the years, the bridge became difficult to maintain, and today only four arches survive, along with the Saint Nicholas Chapel, which sits on a pier between the second and third arches. Like a bridge to nowhere, it stops about a quarter of the way to the other side of the river.
Sailing Into Avignon
The sun was casting a golden glow over the Rhône as the ms Emerald sailed into Avignon. Herb and I had joined a group on the riverboat’s Sun Deck, heeding the recommendation of our cruise director Kamel to head to the top deck as soon as we finished dinner. “This is the only time you’ll see the Pont d’Avignon from the water,” he told us. “It’s the best view of the bridge.”
Tauck had also brought a musician on board, a jaunty singer-accordion player who serenaded us with his repertoire of French tunes. It was a lively gathering, and when the Pont d’Avignon came into view, it turned into a sing-along. I immediately thought of my younger self in that high school French class and how I never would have imagined singing Sur le Pont d’Avignon all these years later on a riverboat in the middle of the Rhône.
A Walk in Avignon
The next morning, Herb and I headed out on a walking tour of Avignon that included a visit to the Palais des Papes. Our time in the city was shorter than originally planned because the Olympic Flame would be passing through Avignon that evening. Roads would be closed, and so would the river. We walked along the Rhône, passing the Pont d’Avignon before crossing the street and heading into the city.
The city center of Avignon is completely enclosed by more than two-and-a-half miles of limestone walls constructed in the 13th and 14th centuries. Narrow winding streets lead to tree-filled squares, and architecture evokes an immediate feel of the city’s medieval heritage.
Place de l’Horloge
The loveliest and most elegant part of Avignon’s city center is Place de l’Horloge, or Clock Tower Square. Built in the 19th century where the Roman forum once stood, the square maintains its Belle Époque feel mixed with modern-day cafés and restaurants. Place de l’Horloge is home to the city’s National Opera Theatre, Hotel de Ville city hall and a charming Belle Époque carousel.
Palais des Papes
The Palais des Papes is the largest Gothic palace in Europe, with more than 160,000 square feet of floor space. Constructed over twenty years beginning in 1335, the palace consists of two joined buildings: the Old Palace built by Benedict XII and New Palace built by Clement VI.
The Papacy remained in Avignon for 68 years before returning to Rome. During the 14th century, the Palais des Papes was a residence, a monastery, the seat of power and a fortress protected by battlements. The compound also housed the Papal Library, with over 2,000 volumes. Today 25 rooms are open to the public.
Pont du Gard
After the tour, Herb and I headed back to the riverboat, stopping in several shops and picking up an ever-enticing baguette along the way. The ms Emerald was scheduled to leave after lunch for Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Tauck was also offering a bus tour to the Pont du Gard, which would later meet up with the riverboat at its new berth. As tempting as a leisurely afternoon on the Rhône sounded, my mind raced back once again to my high school French class and images of that ancient Roman aqueduct extraordinaire. Herb was intrigued as well, and soon we were traveling about half-an-hour west of Avignon through the countryside on our way to Pont du Gard.
Built in the first century AD, the Pont du Gard was designed to carry water over 31 miles from the Eure River in Uzés to the Roman colony of present-day Nîmes. Three levels of arches, constructed without mortar, stand 161 feet above the Gardon River. The aqueduct was built with soft reddish shelly limestone, known locally as “Pierre de Vers,” and is considered an artistic as well as an architectural and engineering marvel.
We arrived at the Visitors Center and began our walk to the Pont du Gard. A paved walkway leads through a landscape that has the feel of a recreational destination as much as a historic site. Hikers, cyclists, boaters and swimmers were enjoying the warm summer afternoon, as if the Pont du Gard were merely a backdrop for their activities. And oh, what a backdrop it is!
When Past Meets Present
It’s funny how moments from our past materialize in our present lives. Memories from long-ago experiences lie dormant, only to be reawakened when the Universe waves its magic wand. One day I’m learning a song about a bridge in Avignon, and the next minute I’m here, standing on that bridge.
I will be forever grateful that my high school French classes were so much more than vocabulary words and verb conjugations. They were about music and food and art and history and culture.
In a way, they were about the love of travel.
Indeed, memories from the past! Many years ago, in the early days of our marriage, we went to the Pont du Gard. This was before the visitors center was built and one had free access to the pont. If I remember, we could even scamper about the top level. We walked across, walked down to the river and rented a row boat for an idyllic afternoon!
Avignon was a later trip. We were traveling with our best friends in horrendous traffic. When my back seat driving resulted in a fight with our friend, Chris, who was driving, I went into deep silence in the back seat. The problem? I was the only one with navigation skills as we found ourselves deep in the vineyards of châteauneuf-du-Pape. My husband was in the shotgun seat and managed to get us within the walls of Avignon. Unbeknownst to us it was the first day of the Avignon Film Festival. The sun was low at this point, no hotels to be found as we headed out of the city. We finally found a hotel, but there was only one room left. At this point, Chris and Cher were drinking martinis in the hotel bar. My husband (who is French) pleaded with the desk clerk – who felt marginally sorry for us- and managed to find a room for us at another hotel near the city walls. A few hours apart, a nice shower, and a meal at an Italian restaurant offering limoncello shots at the end of the meal managed to restore our spirits and our friendship!
Wow, Jennifer, what a day that must have been! I could feel your frustration just reading your story, especially since I’m a fairly proficient back seat driver myself! 😎 I’m glad everything worked out with your friends. Navigating new places can put a strain on even the best of relationships.
Your visit to the Pont du Gard sounds lovely. It’s very formally organized now, with the Visitor Center, gift shop, restaurants and exhibits. I’m not sure if you can still walk across the top level – I was more than fine staying on the lower level! – but the boats are still there, and the river still looks wonderfully idyllic.
Idyllic indeed – I am really enjoying this meander through what is mostly, for me, an unfamiliar part of France though just like you, Mary, I sang about that bridge in school at an early age. Some years ago, Edward travelled through Avignon on a tour with his University choir, prompting a not unreasonable (I thought) question about whether they sang and danced on the bridge. That was met with a “huh?” because it seemed like that song totally passed him by – clearly French lessons had moved on in the intervening years!
I think you are surely seeing these scenes from the best vantage point on the river and I really appreciate your great photographs taken from there too. I’m savouring each day – thank you!
This is so interesting, Gill. After I wrote this, Emily commented that she never learned the song in her French classes! You are spot on that there’s a generation gap in teaching “Sur le Pont d’Avignon.” Maybe it will resurface with a future generation of teachers. At least our accordion player was of a certain age!
The extraordinary vantage point from the Rhône made so many of these places come alive, especially arriving in Avignon just before sunset. I absolutely loved this part of France, and it ticked a lot of boxes for me on places I’d dreamed of. I think you’d really love it as well…and hey, you already know the song!😉