Great Wine And An Extraordinary Bridge...

Avignon, France

June 1

Châteauneuf du Pape, known worldwide for its vineyards and its wine, is a lovely spot and just the right place to enjoy the “precious nectar” produced in the area. It is thought that vines covered the territory as early as Gallo-Roman times, although the first written record of the vineyards dates from 1157. It was the popes of the 14th century, however, who were the “real promoters” of the area’s wines as they realized that the unique rocky soil would provide excellent growing conditions; church archives reveal that in 1334 there were more than three million grapevines.

Pope John XII, wanting a summer residence for the papacy in Avignon, oversaw the construction of a castle high on a hill overlooking the Rhône Valley. Grapevines and olive trees were planted all around and, although only a remnant of the castle remains, the views are simply beautiful.

As to our wine and chocolate tasting...wonderfully French and wonderfully "extraordinaire!"...

The boat departed from Châteauneuf du Pape en route to Avignon just as we were sitting down to lunch. Shortly after docking across from the former papal capital, many of us set off for an optional tour of the Pont du Gard, one of the world’s best and most beautiful examples of Roman cleverness and technical skill.

Built in the  late 1st century in order to redirect water from a spring fifty kilometers from Nîmes and constructed with massive six ton stones held together by iron clamps and without any mortar, the bridge consists of three tiers of arches with the aqueduct at the top. Falling into disuse after the end of the Roman Empire, it continued to be used as a toll bridge controlled by the local lords and bishops who levied taxes on travelers wanting to cross the river. Damaged in the 17th century with the looting of stones, tourists began visiting the Pont du Gard in the 18th...and thus began a program of renovation that lasted until this century.

To say that it’s awesome  doesn’t do it justice; designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985, the Pont du Gard is sure to amaze…