Saturday, July 19, 1980
Arrived in Marseilles at about 06:00 and ate a breakfast
of cookies. We restocked on water as we waited for the 07:10 train to Avignon. Arrived in Avignon about 08:10 and
looked for a restroom. It was locked, so we checked our bags in a locker and started
to explore the city. The town was still asleep as we walked to the Palace of
the Popes, and then to the Pont du Benezet (the Pont d’Avignon) which was not
even completed.
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| Palace of the Popes |
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| Pont d'Avignon (TAT) |
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| Pont d'Avignon |
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| Postcard of the Pont d'Avignon |
Also kept an eye out for a restroom. Ended up in a pedestrian shopping area, and then in a large covered market area with several butchers, bakers, and fruitsellers, etc. They also had a pay restroom which Kathy took advantage of. We bought provisions for our hopeful trip to
Spain; bread, a whole baked chicken, and a melon. We also got chocolate milk and croissants for a more substantial breakfast which we ate near the flower market outside. There was a tiny pony pulling a cart with a sign asking for the health of plants (?), and there was a monkey on the pony’s back (literally). There was also a guy selling a communist paper and a brief glance at the headlines spotted "Reagan, Carter." We are always peeking at headlines. We then headed back to the station, and walked along the city wall for a while, passing a flea market.
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| Avignon city walls |
We
found we still had plenty of time before our train, so we went back into town
to look for a post office. Instead found a grocery store where we bought some
more provisions. Terry heard a guy speak in English about how those cookies she
was buying were fattening. When it registered that we were in France, he came over
to talk to us for a while about how he helped liberate France, married a
French girl, moved to the U. S., retired back to France, and how the Eurailpass
was the way to travel, not by bus tours. Returned to the station to await the
12:41 train towards Spain.
We are getting tired of all the comments, of being followed and brushed against
(where there is plenty of passing room) by these guys who look like Arabic
Africans. They had better unveil the ladies in northern Africa so that these guys
don't come trooping up to Europe to stare.
Our
compartment was always full but with a great turnover. One passenger was a
strange girl who stared at us while eating raisins, although she didn't stare
in any one direction too long. She also snuck jelly beans from her purse to her
mouth, and her hands were forever flitting, barely touching the people on
either side of her and even reaching across the aisle to touch our bag. Arrived
in Port Bou, Spain about 17:00, and got the OK to
board the 17:25 train to Barcelona.
It was a local, but we got to see more of the very clear Mediterranean Sea. Arrived in Barcelona about 20:30, apparently in an annex
station because we were sent to the principal station to get our tickets. Stood in the not
so long line to get cuchette reservations to Madrid the next day. Then boarded the 20:58
train to Sitges. Sitges was obviously a resort town and the recommended hostel
by the $10 book was full. So we tried another hotel, who gave us a 2-bed room
and board for about $40. The room was in a building several blocks away, with a
wrought iron gate. We had to always lock the gate behind us. We ate our dinner of
chicken sandwiches and melon, then took a walk around the town. We found a
small beach, and later a larger one. We checked out the train schedule for
the next day, and bought a bottle of Coke. Then off to bed to the sounds of
crowds and a band singing English songs. We pushed together the two beds and all
three of us slept crosswise on them. The room reminded us of a monk’s cell.
Next: Costa del Sol/Spanish Riviera.
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