Rhone Day 4: Chateauneuf du Pape Jean XXII and Pont du Gard

On our way back to the ship, we made a brief stop at this summer palace of Pope John XXII.  The history of the 14th-c Avignon popes is tragic and very complicated. They were far more interested in political power and opulent luxury than in the gospel. Our guides made no mention of the corruption of the era. Their job was only to show us the physical remains.

Although the castle had been damaged by the Revolution and time, the final destruction was by retreating German soldiers in August 1944 when they blew up their stores of ammunition.

No wonder the Germans used this as an observation point.

When we returned to the ship for lunch, we found these sheep grazing on the banks of the canal. Two goats tried persistently to board with us.

In the afternoon we went from medieval ruins to Roman remains. A 31-mile-long aqueduct built in the first century before Christ, carried water to the city of Nimes. (Denim refers to canvas from (de) Nimes.) Pont du Gard survived when other structures were dismantled for ready stone because it served as a bridge over the Gard River.

The part we are walking on with railings and all is relatively modern (19th-c?). The part they walked on was the narrow bit around the columns.

I wish we had had more time for the excellent museum. 

Or better yet, to hike the trail that traces the original aqueduct from the mountains.

It's now a park, well used by local kayakers and swimmers.

The first night Ingrid and I found random places in the lounge for the introductory talk and recital trailer and found our view blocked by pillars. The next night we came half an hour early to be sure to have a better view of the piano.

Jackie, Aloysia, and Melissa Ousley (who introduced all the pieces) are charming people. They had prepared music specifically for the trip, but also were inspired by events of the day. After two visits to wineries, this evening was dedicated to composers who enjoyed their wine among other things. (* means violin. Others were only piano.)

*Camille Saint-Saëns – The Swan (in honor of seeing swans on the Rhône the previous evening)

 

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Fin c’han dal vino from Don Giovanni (also known as the champagne song, Don Giovanni’s energetic call to Leporello for more wine, recalling our winemaker tour)

 

*Ludwig van Beethoven – Spring Sonata 1^st movement (to celebrate April!)

 

Franz Schubert – Impromptu in G-flat major (written by a wine lover)

 

Claude Debussy – La Puerto del Vino (the Alhambra Palace’s Gate of Wine, inspired by a postcard sent to him by Manuel de Falla)

 

*Claude Debussy – The Girl with the Flaxen Hair (celebrating “locks”…whether blonde, or in navigation)

 

Richard Wagner – Ride of the Valkyries (written by another wine lover, and celebrating our ‘winging’ it in this program)

 

Happy Birthday in the style of Mozart, Beethoven, Schoenberg, and Tchaikovsky (for the four travelers who had birthdays during the voyage. See the video here.)

 

Paul Simon (Simon and Garfunkel) – Bridge Over Troubled Water (in honor of the Pont du Gard) 

This last one had to be explained to Sarah, the daughter of a mother/daughter team of travelers. Most of the rest of us were old enough to get teary with memories when we heard it. BTW, Sarah's mother Sharon was born in Thatcham, the town where we lived in England. Did I mention how much we enjoyed all the people we met?