• Our route to the Pont du Gard and Avignon

• The Pont du Gard was built by the Romans in the first century CE. It was part of an aquaduct that carried water from the Fontaine d'Eure to Nemausus (Nîmes). It also served as a bridge over the Gardon River.

• A map of the route of the aquaduct created by Clem Rutter, Rochester Kent - This W3C-unspecified vector image was created with Inkscape., CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4213305

• The Pont du Gard

• Our tour group with tour director and guide Julia in front of the Pont du Gard.

• This tower is at the north (source) end of the Pont du Gard.

• A view downstream from the north end of the Pont du Gard

• A view upstream from the middle of the Pont du Gard

• A view downstream from the south end of the Pont du Gard.

• On the upstream side of the bridge

• The Gardon River downstream from the Pont du Gard

• After leaving Pont du Gard, we travelled to the walled city of Avignon. Avignon is separated from the Rhone River by this roadway.

• Detail of the old city wall

• Along our path to Avignon's main plaza

• Colorful pottery at a shop in Avignon

• The 12th century Avignon Cathedral and the connected 14th century Palace of the Popes dominate the 'Plaza of the Popes' in medieval Avignon.

• Major renovation of the Pope's Palace was underway.

• On the Plaza of the Popes opposite the Palace

• The Musée Du Petit Palais is located at the north end of the Plaza of the Popes.

• The plaza in front of the Palace of the Popes (at left). Our lunch restaurant was located in the building in the center of this photo.

• First order of business: Lunch!

• The Palace of the Popes - Three of us did the interior tour of the Pope's Palace: Kathryn, Doug, and Carmen.

• Inside the Palace

• The tablet-based tour of the Palace provided detailed information and drawings that recreated the appearance of each room during the time the Popes lived there.

• Ceiling detail - very little renovation of the frescos/art work has been completed.

• A timbered ceiling

• A straight-up view of the 'exhaust fan' (chimney) for the kitchen

• Kathryn in the Pope's Palace

• Carmen and Kathryn in the Pope's Palace

• Detailed preservation and restoration work was underway.

• We exited at the rear of the Pope's Palace

• Newer businesses incorporate vestiges of Roman structures from the 1st century CE

• Avignon is on one of the routes of the Camino de Santiago - The Way of St James.

• Mary, atop the tower that rises above the Avignon Cathedral, watches over Jesus on the cross, located on the terrace at the entrance to the cathedral.

• The statue of the Virgin Mary was added in 1859.

• Interior of the Avignon Cathedral

• On our way to the Pont d'Avignon

• A view of the Pont d'Avignon from the gatehouse - The building on the bridge is Chapelle Saint-Nicolas.

• Chapelle Saint-Nicolas

• A view of the right bank of the Rhone River at Avignon

• A downstream view of the Rhone River with the walled city of Avignon on the left bank

• A view of the walled city of Avignon from the Pont d'Avignon

• The Pont d'Avignon is also known as the Pont Saint-Bénézet.

• A view of the walled city of Avignon from the Pont d'Avignon

• The gate house of the Pont d'Avignon

• On the Pont d'Avignon