Vaison-la-Romaine, Le Mistral, and snow!

April 2, 2022

I do not like getting behind with my posts as it makes them much harder to write. My days are just so full, and I’ve had some technical issues and slow wifi, so I’m going to skip ahead to this morning because…it is snowing! Yesterday I travelled from Avignon to Orange and then on to Vaison-la-Romaine where there are two large Gallo-Roman archaeological sites. While waiting for my bus transfer in Orange, and again when I alighted in Vaisson, ”Le Mistral”, a cold and strong northwesterly wind, was blowing and the temperature hovered around four degrees! After finding my studio apartment and stocking up on groceries for my three day stay, my intent was to have a quiet afternoon and evening of rest but the late afternoon light called me back outside to go explore the castle-topped Cité Médieval which is perched on a bluff across from the modern town (which is not so modern!). To get there, I had to cross the Pont Romain, a stone bridge over the river Ouvèze that was built by the Romans in the second half of the 1st century AD. The bridge is still in use today by pedestrians and vehicles, some 2000 years later! It has survived many floods including a massive flood in 1992 which completely covered the bridge and took out several modern bridges further downstream!

Bundled up against the wind with almost as many clothes as I had brought with me, I climbed the steep and narrow road that zigzagged up to the medieval city. The sun, when it managed to occasionally push its way through the clouds, was very welcome and there were very few people about. It was exciting to pass first under the city gate and then beneath the splendid bell tower with its bell housed in an open wrought-iron frame in order to let the strong Le Mistral winds flow through. As I toured the narrow streets, I considered which of the characterful stone houses I would choose as my own. Perhaps the tall, narrow, and captured princess-worthy tower shown in the photo on the right?

Or perhaps one of these two? (I very much wanted to peak into the courtyard of the house on the right).

Finally, I choose the one below, on the left, which actually had a handwritten ”Maison à Vendre” sign with two phone numbers listed! The house sits beside a charming shop that sells tapenade, wine, and other gourmet items. Handy! (Remember that you can click on any photo to enlarge it. If you buy the house, you must let me visit!)

I climbed higher up the hill to the castle that was built in the 12th century by the Count of Toulouse who claimed the town when he defeated the last of the prince-bishops that had ruled Vaison since the 4th century.

It was very atmospheric being all alone up on the rocky hill with the blustery cold wind, and there were excellent views all around.

Chilled but happy, I returned to my apartment to have an early night, and now I will venture out into the still (lightly) falling snow to visit the archaeological sites of Vaison-la-Romaine…

The Roman city of Vasio Vocontiorum flourished here between around 100 BC and 450 AD and covered an area of over 70 hectares. The excavations, begun in the early 20th century, encompass about 15 hectares over two sites and comprise the largest archaeological center open to the public in France. Revealed are streets and the foundations, walls, and columns of homes, shops, religious buildings, baths, and even a theatre that could seat 6000. Extensively restored, this theatre is still used today for performances.

I had delayed my morning outing to wait for the air to ”warm up”, but that did not happen. The wind was bitterly cold and so I soon had to find refuge indoors in the excellent on-site museum. Here, there were two very good films available in English which described the history of the site as well as aspects of the day to day lives of the Romans and Vocontii who lived here. The museum featured displays of marble sculptures, pottery, glass, coins, tools, craft and religious items, as well as beautiful mosaics found during the excavations.

Back outside I tried my best on focus on listening to the informative audio guide while juggling map, glasses, camera, pen, paper and listening device with frozen fingers. It was still snowing (!) and the wind was still strong and fiercely cold so I headed back to my apartment (that was thankfully nearby) to find warmth, sustenance, and a very welcome afternoon cup of coffee.

Suitably fortified, and with an added layer of warmth provided by donning my hiking rain pants, I returned to tour the second site, La Vilasse. The snow was still falling in tiny, dry, swirling flakes but the wind seemed to be a little more settled and the afternoon sun, hiding behind thin clouds, had warmed things up a little. Okay, enough about the weather (did I mention it was snowing?)!

Here are several photos from the ”La Villasse” archaeological site.

The audio guide also provided information about the Cité Mediéval that I had visited yesterday and the nearby 11th century cathedral, Notre-Dame de Nazareth. Outside the cathedral, in the area beneath the apse, the foundations of the massive church are exposed to demonstrate how Roman stones were often used in the construction of medieval buildings.

The cathedral, built in the Romanesque style, is very simple in design with few embellishments.

The interior space is also starkly simple. With no flamboyant Gothic decorations, the beauty of the stones and the architecture shows through.

The adjoining cloister was a serene place that featured beautiful stonework.

And while I was in the cloister, I received a wonderful gift. A woman who was there with several friends began to sing “Gloria in excelsis Deo” so beautifully! Back in the cathedral, she sang three more hymns, impressing us all with the acoustics of that glorious space and with her own exceptional voice. It was the best way possible to end my day in Vaison-la-Romaine.

April 3, 2022

It’s still cold out! The temperature is supposed to rise to eight degrees today but with the windchill it will continue to feel much colder. My plan today was to do a ten kilometre hike to the small and picturesque hilltop town of Crestet. I took a morning walk through the town to test both the weather and my resolve, and after much deliberation I decided to have an inside day. I don’t really like to ”cross anything off of my list” but I think it was the wise choice. I can catch up on blogging, do a load of laundry, and rest up my feet for my next destination of Arles where more monumental Roman ruins await. I hope everyone back home is well and enjoying Spring. Thank you for joining me on my journey. 🙂