Lones in Europe: Avignon, I think I am in heaven.... so far at least..

Well as you may or may not know I am spending a week in Avignon. I left Lyon this morning and arrived in Avignon about lunch time. Being as how I never read any instructions, unless I cannot get out of it, I didn't read the instructions on the apartment booking form did I? No, I usually have Kearie for that, she reads everything. So I get to Avignon and find out I have to ring half an hour before arriving, not a problem except my mobile doesn't work in France. Okay phone box then, well nowadays they are few and far between. Hmm. Well I did finally track one down, but it doesn't take coins, only cards and I don't have one. Hmm what to do? So I track down the local tourist office, which was surprisingly easy for once, not hidden away like in most French cities. So I ask the lady there what I should do, hoping she would offer, and she did. YES!! So she calls the dude and he is expecting me, yes I was surprised too! I am still dragging all that luggage, but gallantly trek off a million blocks to find the place. Okay perhaps not a million, but definitely 8, at least.

Well the place is very central, has air conditioning, wifi, a washing machine and dryer!! Oh my God!! I love it. I have already washed 3 loads of clothes, been to the supermarket, cooked myself lunch and intend to cook some real vegetables for tea, none of this French crap!! Woohoo, I am loving it. The big screen TV has bad reception, but I just worked out how to play the Internet through it, so tomorrow the Tour de France on large screen and in English. Oh, Oh, Oh I cannot believe how good this is.

Avignon seems like a nice place, it is too hot to explore today, so I am doing my washing. I met a really lovely French lady on the train and she told me that Avignon is having a huge festival thing on for two weeks, it is all about culture, yep me and culture, you all know how well that goes together!! Never mind, I shall excel myself. The lady at the tourist office told me they were having 1000 plays a day, not sure if her English was correct, but that is what she said. Apparently they are showing them in all the theatres and in the street and everywhere, so that should be a lot of fun tomorrow. I am looking forward to exploring Avignon in the morning, before it gets too hot. It is very warm here and they have no air conditioning in anything, well I have here, but not on buses or that kind of thing. They have no fridges in their hotels etc, it drives me mad... I have a fridge now though, it is already stocked with coke, thanks for asking!!

I was sorry not to spend more time in Lyon, I only had one day there and it looked really nice, so if I get time later I might return. Not to "Hobo corner" but to another hotel on the better side of the park, it was a really nice area (except for the wino's). Having said that, the hotel was really nice, the people who run it were very, very helpful. I actually enjoyed staying there, if only they had air conditioning... alas very few of them do.

I am going to go for a walk once the night cools off, or maybe not, I have no idea really. I am loving this apartment. Here is the link to the site, if it works you can see the apartment, it is called "Apartment Jolly", and it jolly well is.

I shall leave you with some picks of Lyon that I took, as I have taken none of Avignon yet.

Later guys

Lones

One of the wino's in Hobo corner. They were lying everywhere but I didnt want them to see me taking there picture so I just took one. Note the blanket in the tree, I am assuming that one of them was concious and has gone off for refreshments. See he found a free locker too, for his belongings.