Visiting Avignon, France, the City of Dissenting Popes and the Famous Bridge with Savvy Mom Ruth Paget

Visiting Avignon, France, the City of Dissenting Popes and the Famous Bridge with Savvy Mom Ruth Paget


Avignon is famous for its summer theatre festival, which uses dramatic lighting on the Porte des Champeaux entrance to the Palais des Papes (Pope’s Palace) as background.

My husband Laurent and I visited Avignon during their equally crowded Christmas festival and market.  We secured the last parking spot in the garage by our hotel for this festivity and did not mind our walk to the hotel in the pedestrian district amidst all the revelry.

Getting to the hotel made us appreciate how the city within the ramparts built during the 12^th to 14^th centuries was set up for defense and secret messengers; narrow, one-way streets abounded with what the French call “ruelles” leading off from the streets.  Ruelles are meant for one or maybe two pedestrians to pass where horses would have had trouble navigating.

Many of the one-way streets were closed due to the Christmas Festival, which had our GPS navigating system going haywire.  We spent a good half hour just trying to reach our hotel.  A call to the hotel outside the ramparts helped us find our way to the garage by the Pont d’Avignon (Avignon Bridge).

The Palais des Papes, which is right behind the Pont d’Avignon, is a Gothic structure that was built in the 14^th century.   It sits on a hilltop and is a multipurpose compound with a residence and church that also served as a fortress.  It was a fort within a walled city.

The Palais des Papes served as the papal see, a type of French Vatican, from 1309 to 1377.  This period in the history of the Catholic Church is referred to as the Avignon Papacy.  During this time, seven French popes held court at Avignon.

The first pope to live and rule from Avignon was Clement V (1264 – 1314), who refused to move to Rome and made Avignon a papal enclave.  Avignon was also the residence of antipopes, who resided there from 1378 to 1408.  Antipopes lived during the time of the Great Schism (1378 to 1417) in the Western Church when two or three different popes ruled in different regions.  Avignon was home to several rivals for control of the Catholic Church.

Today the French remember Avignon for its famous bridge, the Pont d’Avignon, which has been immortalized in a children’s song.  The famous lyrics for the song follow:

Sur le Pont d’Avignon,

On y danse,

On y danse,

Tous en rond.

(On Avignon Bridge,

We dance,

We dance,

Together in a Circle)

(Literal translation by Ruth Paget)

The Pont d’Avignon’s official name is Pont Saint-Bénezet (Saint Benedict in dialect).  Benedict was a shepherd, who left his flock in the care of angels to build this bridge in the 12^th century.  It is huge tourist draw for French families.

The Italian poet Petrarch (1304 – 1374) captured Avignon’s forbidding beauty in his sonnets to the beautiful Laura, whom he saw in church.  He wrote poetry for her in his Rime Sparse.  My souvenir from Avignon is a pledge to myself to read these sonnets in Italian.

By Ruth Paget - Author of Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

Click here for:  Ruth Paget's Amazon Books

Laurent Paget Photography

Laurent Paget Photography

Laurent Paget Photography

Laurent Paget Photography

Laurent Paget Photography

Ruth Paget Selfie

Visiting Chateau Lafite-Rothschild in Pauillac, France with Savvy Mom Ruth Paget

Visiting Chateau Lafite-Rothschild in Pauillac, France with Savvy Mom Ruth Paget


Even though Château Lafite-Rothschild did not advertise visits on their French-language website, I called them to see if I could obtain a visit for my 25^th wedding anniversary.

I am fluent in French and know from previous experience that that can work magic in getting things done in France.  “At the worst, they can say ‘no’ or refer me to another château for a private visit,” I said to myself.   I called, exchanged emails, and secured a tour five months in advance.

On the appointed day, my husband Laurent and I drove to Pauillac and did reconnaissance on where hard-to-find Château Lafite-Rothschild is located.  We also visited the wine store in town and let them know we were visiting Lafite-Rothschild and looked through the stock that they had.  We promised we would be back after the tour.

We still had time left before the tour, so we ate a seafood lunch by the Gironde Estuary with a white Bordeaux Graves wine.  We bought a laguiole knife with a wood handle that is perfect for cutting off wine bottle neck covers the right way.  Then we set out along the Route des Châteaux and took pictures of the showplace châteaux along the way.

Bordeaux is very commercial; it was created to serve foreign trade purposes.  It differs from Burgundy in this aspect, which has a more religious foundation to its winemaking.  This is not a criticism of Bordeaux.  The region has created an incredibly reliable luxury product that is available at several different price levels.

Lafite-Rothschild’s tradition as a luxury good began in the last 3^rd of the 17^th century according to Jancis Robinson in The Oxford Companion to Wine.  Bordeaux wines taste very good, because they are blends.  Each varietal brings something to the whole.  This blending of varietals differentiates Bordeaux wines from a single varietal cabernet sauvignon, for example. 

The Oxford Companion to Wine writes that Lafite-Rothschild wines are made up of:

71% Cabernet Sauvignon

  3%  Cabernet Franc

25%  Merlot

  1%  Petit Verdot

This combination alone does not tell the whole story of Lafite-Rothschild’s success.  I could see on our tour that the Château is hospital clean in almost every cellar and uses very sanitary production techniques to clarify their wines.

When we began our tour with the Château’s sommelier, he confirmed that Lafite-Rothschild is one of the First Growths listed in the 1855 Classification of 60 leading Médoc châteaux.  There are five levels of classification in the 1855 listing, which is still referred to today for quality wines.  The 1855 Classification was established by Emperor Napoleon III (1808 – 1873) to help sell French wines at the Exposition Universelle.

Before we walked down into the cellars, we examine a glass case with a cut of what the vine roots had to go down through.  I suspected it was for cabernet sauvignon as it was full of gravel on one layer and ended with sand.  The sommelier told us that water extended down to the sand, which was about six feet down in the glass case.

There was also a map in this antechamber, which showed the vineyards – first and second growth areas.  1/3 of Lafite-Rothschild’s production is produced by younger vines under the label Carrudes de Lafite according to The Oxford Companion to Wine.

On the tour we went through the spotless cellar rooms where wines are “elaborated.”  Winemaking is like music for me; I do not want to know all the details.  I just want to enjoy a glass or two of red Bordeaux with duck breast.

The one messy room at Château Lafite-Rothschild was the cellar with antique wines.  The Lafite-Rothschild visitor’s book says there are bottles in this cellar dating from 1797, 1798, 1801, 1805, and 1811.  Those must have been good harvest years.  The sommelier assured me that they were not vinegar, but did need decanting to be drunk.

Once past this room, there is the cellar with all the barrels for aging.  The barrels are all made at Lafite-Rothschild.  They are beautiful examples of French craftsmanship.  (The barrels made here also go to Château Rieussec in the Sauternes, which is also a Rothschild family property.)

When we went into the round cellar for aging second-year wine, the sommelier explained that Lafite-Rothschild clarifies wine of debris with egg whites before the second aging.  I remarked that the same technique is used in the sherry region of Spain.  I suggested that Lafite-Rothschild should make and sell Portuguese flan, which uses egg yolks only as a winemaking byproduct.

Dinners are held in this round cellar, and I thought flan would be a good dessert for one.  The room is the work of Catalan architect Riccardo Bofill.  Baron Eric de Rothschild commissioned the room in 1987 according to the Château’s visitor’s book.

We finished our tour with a wine tasting and many thanks for the lovely visit.

By Ruth Paget - Author of Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

Click here for:  Ruth Paget's Amazon Books

Chateau Lafite-Rothschild - Laurent Paget Photography

Route des Chateaux - Laurent Paget Photography

Route des Chateaux - Laurent Paget Photography

Laurent Paget Photography

Laurent Paget Photography

Laurent Paget Photography

Ruth Paget Selfie

Visiting Vauban's Fortress at Besancon, France with Savvy Mom Ruth Paget

Visiting Vauban's Fortress at Besancon, France with Savvy Mom Ruth Paget

A visit to Madigan’s Pub was the first stop my husband and I made in Besançon, France, famous for its Citadelle by Vauban (Born Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban 1633 – 1707).

Madigan’s serves Irish beer with French brasserie food such as Croque Monsieur (smoked ham sandwich with melted cheese served with French fries and salad), andouillettes (tripe sausage with mustard sauce and fries), entrecote Charolaise (Charollais beef steak), and salads with Celtic names.  Their selection of regional specialties appealed to us however.

I ordered escalope de volaille Franc-Comtoise (a gratinéed baked casserole with chicken breast, cream, mushrooms, and strips of the region’s flavorful ham).  The casserole arrived at the table bubbling hot in an oval dish.  It was served with fries and salad on the side.

My husband ordered jambon de Haut-Doubs braisé (braised ham from the Haut-Doubs region).  This came served with a white cheese sauce flavored with chives.

We shared a cheese plate for dessert and loved the pronounced flavor of the comté cheese.  Comté is solid and perfect for summer and winter dining, because it does not become runny.  The region’s cancillote cheese is liquid in all kinds of weather.  It was easy to spread on bread, but I thought it would be wonderful to cook with.  

I wondered if this were the cheese in the cheese sauce that came with the braised ham.  Chèvre goat cheese rounded out the cheese platter along with a salad dressed with a tangy dressing.

Besançon is close to Switzerland, which explains the hearty food for cold weather.  The town is located on an isthmus on the Doubs River.  Vauban’s towering and mammoth Citadelle Fortress dominates the town.  It has been classified as a UNESCO World Heritage site and is a major tourism draw for the town.

We set out along Grande Rue in the direction of the Citadelle (built between 1668 – 1683) and admired the Renaissance architecture along the way.   I had done research on Vauban and filled my husband in on details.  My husband patiently smiles when I do French tourism spiels.

Vauban was Louis XIV’s (1638 – 1715) chief military engineer.  He built 160 fortifications in France during his lifetime and invented techniques that revolutionized warfare: parallel trench fighting, ricochet fire, and the creation of the bayonet.  

His writings on fortifications and warfare technique have been translated in many languages.  According to the UNESCO World Heritage website, regions where his work has been perpetuated include: Europe, the American continent, Russia, Turkey, and the Far East.

Just as we were about to reach the zigzag road leading up to Vauban’s Citadelle, we discovered Victor Hugo’s birthplace (1802 – 1885).  Hugo’s father was a general, which explains his presence in a garrison town.  Right across the street was the home of August (1862 – 1954) and Louis (1864 – 1948) Lumière, who are considered to be the inventors of cinematography.

Right by these homes are the Square Castan and the Porte Noire.  The Porte Noire is a Roman Arc de Triomphe leading up to the Citadelle.  There are Roman ruins in the Square Castan that hearken back to Besançon’s ancient roots as the town of Vesontio.  The Square is now a park where there is a Roman theatre, a grotto venerating nymphs, and eight Roman columns.

I thought this spot would be perfect for children to play Romans and run up to the Citadelle to defend the town against invaders.

Photos of Victor Hugo's house and Roman ruins in Square Castan are below.

By Ruth Paget - Author of Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

Click here for:  Ruth Paget's Amazon Books

Laurent Paget Photography

Laurent Paget Photography

Laurent Paget Photography

Ruth Paget Selfie

Visiting World War 1 Cemeteries in Arras, France with Savvy Mom Ruth Paget

Visiting World War 1 Cemeteries in Arras, France with Savvy Mom Ruth Paget 

Most people come to Arras, the capital of France’s Artois region, to visit the various cemeteries and war memorials set up by the different governments involved in what is known as the Battles of Artois during World War I.

According to Michelin’s Touring Guide, the Germans established themselves in the hills around Arras after the Battle of the Marne in the autumn of 1914.  The three battles that made up this offensive are known as the Battles of Ablain-Saint Nazaire, Carency, and La Targette.  The French counter offensive in May and June 1915 retook Neuville-Saint-Vaast and Notre Dame de la Lorette, but the Canadians reconquered the total area in 1917.

Driving to Notre Dame de la Lorette, you pass the elegant, white English memorial in downtown Arras with green lawns and Polish, Czechoslovakian, German, and French cemeteries in the countryside.  The German cemetery in Neuville-Saint-Vaast alone tells of the vast numbers who died her: 48,830 in the German cemetery.  The German markers are brown metal and enduring war memorials.  The Moroccan memorial across from the monumental Canadian memorial at Vimy is unvisited it seems.

Back in downtown Arras, rain greeted us on Memorial Day Weekend.  The bells from Abbaye Saint-Vaast sounded muffled in the downpour.  The Abbey was founded in the 7^th century by Saint Aubert, the first bishop of Arras.  Close to the Abbaye St. Vaast is the Grande Place. 

The building of the Grande Place has had to be built in stone or brick since 1583 according to building code.  The result is a square that is totally built in Baroque Flemish style.  The Grande Place was badly damaged during World War I, but has been restored.  On Saturdays, a large market takes place there.

Arras and the Artois region are famous for their brasserie tradition – pubs with excellent food.  Brasseries are on every corner it seems and offer respite from the rain and cold weather in winter.  We tried the Eurostar Café for all its allusions to the Eurostar train that links London, Paris, and Brussels together via the Eurotunnel, or Chunnel, that goes under the English Channel between Great Britain and France.

We began our meal with a Kir, a sweet wine with black currant syrup, which makes a colorful beginning to a meal.  We started with a Salade Périgourdienne, which was a salad topped off with strips of foie gras and Bayonne ham and scatterlings of sliced chicken gizzards.  This course was followed by Tournedos à l’ardennaise, beef tenderloin with bacon barding.  I imagined the bacon came from the Ardennes region.

Scalloped potatoes and salad accompanied this dish.  We drank Belgian Leffe brown beer with our dishes and relished participating in the brasserie tradition of the Artois region.  Strawberries Melba, strawberries with vanilla ice cream and whipped cream on top, gave us even sweeter lasting memories of Arras.

By Ruth Paget - Author of Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

Click here for:  Ruth Paget's Amazon Books

Laurent Paget Photography

Laurent Paget Photography

Ruth Paget Selfie