May 30: Rocher des Doms

Adjacent to the Cathédrale to the north is the summit of the Rocher des Doms, the riverside promontory that led to Avignon's founding at this site. Nowadays it's a lovely garden.

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On the cathedral side, these fancy symmetrical ramps lead up to the top of the hill.

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From the eastern edge of the Rocher, a viewout over Avignon's east, plus the Palais des Papes's northeast tower.

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This is a photograph depicting Mont Ventoux and also depicting a tile panorama-map depicting Mont Ventoux.

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Streetlike cracking patterns on the tile. I can just get lost in such expanses, imagining that they're actual city maps.

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The tile map, to the left here, is at the northeast corner of this plaza at a northeastern area of the Rocher.

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Closer to the center of the park is this neato grotto.

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And a secret stairway.

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And pidgies, duckies, and koi.

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And then there's also a café right there as well. This sorbet hit the spot, and as I write this I am distinctly envious of myself from this point in time.

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A look back over to Notre-Dame and the Palais.

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To the west, a surprise vineyard opens up on a terrace just below the park, still well elevated over the Rhône. Across the river is Villeneuve-lès-Avignon.

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This is just one of several venerable old trees on the Rocher (well, at least two) held up by beefy crutches. I wonder why it grew this way!

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Notre Dame du Soleil.

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On the winding way back down toward the Place du Palais was this band of alluring deep red roses.

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And a pretty oleander just coming into bloom.

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Mmmmmm, drink in the color!

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This part of the Place du Palais has these pleasingly glyphic patterns.