Avignon

This past weekend Sara and I traveled to southern France. When choosing a city, we did not look for a well-known tourist area such as Cannes or Paris. We instead opted for the small town of Avignon. Yes, the famous bridge is on the outskirts of the city, but it wasn’t what stole the majority of our attention during our visit. We could easily walk from one side of the city to the other in fifteen minutes, and in that time, we never passed a single tourism stand—no pins, no shot glasses, and no miniature replicas of the bridge.

This town was filled with beautiful gardens, churches, and old palaces. We were left to roam around on our own and to just take in the beautiful scenery. We climbed several hills and towers, and could easily go two hours without seeing another human being. It was peaceful. I felt less anxious than in other towns, and how nice it was to experience a different kind of traveling. For one of the first times since I have been in Europe, I felt like a romantic tourist versus a collective tourist. Urry reflects on the romantic tourist in the following passage: “Those who value solitude and the romantic tourist gaze do not see this as merely one way of regarding nature. They consider it as ‘authentic’, as real” (Urry, Consuming Places, 138).

My personality usually categorizes me as a collective tourist—searching for things that others have seen, desiring to see things simply because they are famous, etc. I’m guilty of collecting shot glasses and post cards from the places that I travel too simply so I can say I was there. However, the authenticity of Avignon totally captured me. It was such a change from Venice, Florence, Salzburg, and London. It was solely a real city, not focusing on any aspect of tourism. There were few signs designating where famous landmarks were, there were no souvenir shops, and people were just going about their everyday business.

The very first day, I was so taken back by how difficult it was to order from a little sandwich shop. It was crowded and the woman only understood French and was fairly impatient (understandably so), because she was very busy. After reflecting on this experience, I began to embrace it. How incredible, that I was able to truly be thrown into another culture head on. This city made no exception for tourists. Sara and I found ourselves going to the local grocery store to grab dinner, and walking around in the hills and buildings as if we lived there. The only word that I can use to describe it was authentic. It was just so completely Avignon in all of its essence. The good and the bad, it was all the true city. They didn’t strive to put on a mask for the tourists who pass through.

The whole weekend was an adventure. We were left to think, to wander, and to take on the city. It was such a desirable experience. I needed the break from the museum lines, the stereotypical sights to see, and the crowds of people. Avignon was the perfect place for taking that break! I guess I shouldn’t continue to share my love for this city though, because as Urry says, once the word is out, the crowds will start coming!