Sunday, 24 February 2008

The Avignon area - balance sheet


On the plus side:

  • great food with good value (even snacks on the run from pastry shops can be outstanding)
  • great variety of fines wines, although these can be relatively expensive in restaurants
  • interesting sights and well preserved towns, such as Arles and the city walls around Avignon
  • the Popes' Palace
  • well thought out ticket bundles for tourist attractions
  • friendly people with good natured teenagers
  • cafe culture
  • very pretty, stylish women seem to be everywhere!
  • good weather (seemingly rain-free)
  • easy, good value Internet access
  • great bag and jewelry shops to keep the ladies occupied!
  • trains are always on time but are relatively expensive if you travel without discount cards. The TGV is a world class train.
On the minus:

  • dog turds are everywhere! (It's a a feat to avoid it all day. This has got to be a health hazard when the weather hots up! )
  • the French love dogs too much. Even tough looking baldy guys have tiny dogs with coiffured hair under their arms
  • prices of soft drinks, teas and coffees are usually higher than alcoholic drinks
  • narrow, unmaintained pavements
  • cars in historic cities where there is no room for them (I always found myself dodging out of the way of a cars coming from all directions.) Cars are the bane of Avignon and should be banned.
  • clothes and items such as table cloths are often at rip-off prices
  • our wine guide said that a shirt in Avignon that costs 80 euros would cost 60 in Paris, with the same shirt in Rome going at 30 euros.
  • too many homeless people on the streets with no alternative but to beg for money
  • the old parts of Avignon are spoiled by graffiti.
  • not enough public WCs.

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About Me

I teach Film, Media and English Lit.