Tuesday 15th April – Our last day at Vaisons La Romaine.

Amazing … I swear that last night when I went to bed there was a square out the front of the hotel and there were miles of narrow streets with nothing but the odd car to restrict movement around the town. This morning there are literally hundreds (maybe four or five hundred) stalls spread across the square and along EVERY street surrounding the city centre. Car access is banned – the weekly market has come to town!. The produce is amazing and the variety is stunning. There is everything from fresh sea urchin to silk dresses. Everyone is there buying their weekly provisions. The fish vendors come equipped with refrigerated display cabinets and awnings that are the length of a semi trailer and that can be closed up and towed away behind a large van inside about fifteen minutes. The scene was just amazing. Equally amazing was the reality that we returned some six hours later and everything had gone and the streets and square were back to normal … I now know what is actually meant by market day!

We took the opportunity to purchase chicken, cheese, bread and avocados for our lunch and headed off through Avignon to the Pont Du Gard. We are doing everything at a slower pace now.

We dined on our cheese, bread and water at the Pont Du Gard. For me it is a mysterious structure that demands a little more study. There is something odd about the design that is inconsistent with the normal Roman approach. It is an impressive structure and the visitors small in number and very relaxed.

We again fought with the parking machines … when will we ever learn that “accepting a card” actually means accepting a “chipped” credit card rather than the Australian magnetic strip cards – beware approaching an automatic booth on a toll way without coins or a chipped card … the standard cards do not work and the note readers are a disaster unless you have a very effective note holder.

Upon return to Vaisons La Romaine we spend a quite evening drinking Kir de Maisson’s while watching the early evening bustle of the Square Du Montford.