On the weekend I took my first foray into being a tourist and visited the old Papal city of Avignon, where the Pope fled during various uprisings in Italy (and stayed for 100 years). [yes my camera is still being repaired so you get wikipedia links instead of my photos]
So as you arrive you pass through the old city gates through the mediaval wall and into the city. For my medieval-loving-blood it was too much. I just sat there and stared. Thinking about how long ago this was built and used by people. However, it wasnt medieval day for me, it was ROMAN day and I went off on the bus to the Pont Du Gard. Which is a roman aquaduct that was built to bring water to Nimes. From the Pont the tourist office lady suggested that since there weren't many busses that I go to Nimes and catch the train back.
Amazingly Nimes had begun what turns out to be a month long Spanish and bull fighting festival. So there was street parades, music, Spanish bull fighting etc. It was an amazing atmosphere. The bull fighting is held in the Roman Amphitheatre (where they also hold concerts and motor-cross races) and they kill the bull, as opposed to in Camarge where they place rings on the horns of the bull instead of killing it. Also, on this weekend there happened to be another Argentinian festival on at the same time.
Unfortunately, I was enjoying the atmosphere so much I was running late and had to run the 4km from the train station to the YMCA. Not only was this hard but I hadnt locked the keypad on my mobile so I managed to send close to 80 messages in the time it took me to run that distance. However, it was worth it because my room had the view to kill all views over the city, about 400m from where the French King built a tower to spy on Avignon :-)
Ill skip over most of the specifics for the weekend because my explanations will mostly be "oh it was so cool", "man it was old/big/stoney/touristie" and pretty much it was. The most impressive site was the Palaise de Pape or Palace of the Pope. Which was in the center of the town and where the popes lived during their time here.
I must say I think being a tourist is harder work than going and doing some of these crazy hikes...seriously...I was exhauseted by the end. Anyway, they havent managed to pay me yet so I will be taking a quiet month following.
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8 comments:
Medieval walls and roman coluseum and Spanish AND French food? Its a trifecta!
I love the way ancient things in Europe are still in daily use - like our perenial favorite, the fortress of the knights templar in Toledo that is now a youth hostel.
Dont let them get away with not paying you for too long...
he he he, its great. (BTW your a nerd rob with your RSS feeds!)
So I have synthesised this product at work and its nice and pure (I did a really good job). However, I have just done some more reading on it and I have found out its highly explosive and unstable...so someone suggested I post and see if you guys can come up with a suggestion on what to do with it???? anyway Ideas people?
What texture does it have and how does it taste? Would it make a good sandwich spread?
Texture: Oily
Colour: Yellow
Composition: 1,4-diazidobutane
Taste: Poison (similar toxicity to cyanide)
Although im sure Snerg could use it to make a interesting cocktail.
Sounds a bit too much like peanut butter for a cocktail.
I reckon Scruf would drop it on the kitchen floor.
Of set fire to it in the back yard.
Or check it's velocity, aiming at the back fence.
Yeah, send it our way. We'll figure out something new and exciting.
ballista for festival!
....oooohhh now we are talking.
Ill ask the airline if I can take "explosives" on as hand luggage.
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