May 29: Avignon evening 1

I was only spending one night in Avignon, so I had to make the most of my time. I ate dinner and then explored around the old city. Avignon is one of the best-preserved medieval cities in France. Because basically everything seems to be built out of limestone or otherwise plastered in light tones, the entire built environment coheres, even when elements differing in age by millennia (Roman ruins are present) commingle.

8259

Upon blessed emergence from the train, the sun was still strong even though it was almost 7:30PM.

8262

The trainshed is this minimal open structure, with some sort of complex curve cross-section. The main station, at least, was built in 1860, and maybe this was too? That'd be pretty cool.

8267

Near the station is this pleasant spot, the Square Agricol Perdiguier. I had no idea until writing this that "square" is used in French to mean a square with a park.

8273

Near both the station and the Square is the hotel I stayed at, the Hôtel du Parc. Here the view from my room, complete with honest-to-goodness real shutter.

8277

At the start of the post-prandial, still some golden sun left on the Temple Saint-Martial across the Square, built in the 1300s and serving as Avignon's Protestant church since the late 19th century.

8279

Rue de la République is essentially the Main Street of the old city; it forms a north-south axis with the Gare (the railway station) past the southern end, just outside the city walls, and the central Place de l'Horloge ("Clock Square") at the northern end. Here, just past the Square and Saint-Martial along Rue de la République is the Musée Lapidaire, with last sun.

8285

On the Passage Agricol Moureau, a jumble of buildings of possibly wildly divergent ages; who knows?

8287

Adjacent, a curious little skyway over Rue Racine, still blending in pretty well, at least in terms of materials.

8289

Also adjacent: the Collégiale Saint-Agricol, with history dating back to the seventh century. Bits of Roman ruins also exist on the site.

8290

Soft twilight on the northwestern side of Saint-Agricol.

8291

Directly under the skyway aforepictured is this bathworthy fountain.

8294

At the corner of Rue Racine and Rue Molière: a calming fire escape, the perfect fusion of cage and chute.

8299

Some neato stone inlays in a courtyard off Rue de la Balance.

8300

Here the windows almost look carved out of a monolith, but finely, with those thin stone mullions remaining.

8301

A fountain with an extreme stone-to-water ratio.

8302

A porous boundary between Rue de la Balance and Place Campana. Interesting concrete geometry too.

8303

At the northern end of Place de l'Horloge, a look to the Hôtel de Ville (City Hall), a 19th-century building that envelops a medieval clock tower, which the Place is named for, and which you can see here. Along with newish moon, waxed since Zernez.

8310

Now passing by the Collégiale Saint-Pierre, another medieval church with earlier roots in the 7th century.

8311

Pretty nice amount of daylight for 9:15PM.

8312

Newish moon in a sky funnel.