Walk & Eat Series: AVIGNON (2008)

Updated 20/4/2010

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Updates given below supplement the information provided in the guidebook. It is vital that this Update is read in conjunction with the text of the book, but note that the Update applies only to the edition stated.

Information has been forwarded to us by users of the book, and Sunflower Books offers the data in good faith but cannot be held responsible for any misleading or inaccurate content in the Update. Unless indicated otherwise, what appears here has not been verified by the author or publisher, so please allow due caution when new or amended routes are suggested. Each piece of information is dated; bear in mind that some of the older observations may have since been overtaken by events or further changes. If, during your holiday, you are using the current edition of the guide and are able to provide any additional updating to add to this page, we will be pleased to hear from you. Please send information, preferably in hard copy, by post, to Sunflower Books, PO Box 115, Exeter EX2 6YU (or if you prefer, by e-mail, to mail@sunflowerbooks.co.uk).

Bus web site: The site for the Gard buses (stdgard.com) has been changed to stdgard.fr; if you type in .com, the search engine just goes dead. (Sunflower)

General: I was delighted that my husband found your book before a recent planned trip to Avignon. It enhanced our visit. You asked for feedback so a few comments. We found Au Jardin D'Arcadie 04 90 15 07 78 just north of Villeneuve les Avignon on the D980. It is a huge health food shop with masses of organic stock and a wide range of gluten free. It is very convenient for those camping on the Ile de Bartolet. All in all, a very good general guide to that area - we found plenty we would not have found on our own and the eating recommendations were sound. It was small enough to carry with us and certainly helped us to enjoy our holiday. (User, 11/08) + We met another couple in Vers who had planned their whole holiday around this
> book and had enjoyed many other holidays using Sunflower books. (User, 3/10)

Getting around: My French is good enough to use the SNCF site, but for those who feel uncertain, I would recommend using the German railways site: www.reiseauskunft.bahn.de or just Google 'German railways'. They have an English version and do all European trains (including the UK!) Very clear and straightforward. (User, 3/09)

Food shopping in Avignon: I'm delighted to report that there is now an organic stall in Les Halles. As you come in from Place Pie it's in the first aisle on the far left-hand side. They do a good range of bio fruits and vegetables that you can choose yourself plus a range of dry goods and some GF stuff. But they don't have a
chilled cabinet. For things like soya yogurts and a better range of GF foods (such as biscuits, pasta), there's a little shop down the street on the north side of Les Halles. (User, 3/09) + That 'bio' stall in Les Halles is called Le Panier des Amis and the phone is 04.90.87.14.32. I was also excited (how sad is this?!) to find almond milk in Carrefour in rue de la Republique. (User, 3/10)

Walk 1: Search as we might, we could not find the access to the ramparts from the bridge. We did not resent having to pay for the bridge, however, since the audio-guide was so good. So we just walked down Rue des Remparts to Place Crillon. The Petit Louvre is 'being restored, so I don't think anyone will be able to see into the courtyard for a while. We looked at Le Forum for Sunday lunch, but it was almost empty, whereas
the Opera Cafe a couple of doors away was full of people having Sunday lunch, so we went there instead. I had their sushi platter, which was terrific (as well as being GF/DF, of course). (User, 3/09)

Walk 2: We loved Nimes and thought it the best of the three cities. The Arena and the Maison Carree were amazing. Please don't discourage people from climbing the Tour Magne, it's nothing like 800 steps, more like 150, and the view from the top is spectacular. The Esplanade Charles de Gaulle is currently being dug up but it's easy enough to skirt around the outside. I'm afraid that Les Jardins d'Isa now seems to be called something else and is more of a bar/cafe.Instead, we got the last table at Aux Plaisirs des Halles, 4 rue
Littre (04.66.36.01.02)and had the best meal out of the holiday for 68 euros including wine and water (not DF, but thanks to you I had the lactase tablets with me). Wonderful imaginative cooking with market-fresh
ingredients. (User, 3/09)

Walk 3: This was a bit of a disaster, sights-wise. First of all, Avenue Paulin Talbot had become the edge of a construction site and there was also work going on in Place du Forum. Then the Arena was closed until July for a massive restoration project, ditto the Musee Reattu. The Theatre was open but had lots of scaffolding and work going on. The Museon Arlatan had many rooms closed but we could still see the tableau of Christmas dinner. And in winter most of the sites close for lunch; we got to Les Alyscamps at just
after 12.00 but it had shut at 11.30! (User, 3/09)

Walk 4: As described. (User, 4/10)

Walk 5: When you reach the lake, there is a difference between the map and the text. Immediately after reaching the lake the path forks. The text describes the right hand fork, a wide gravel path which leaves the lake to rise and fall to the road. The map shows the left hand fork which is also a wide gravel path going partway round the lake. This peters out and becomes a very poorly waymarked path over the rocks. It may eventually also reach the road but might require some scrambling. I recommend you stick to the text and take the right hand fork. (User, 3/10) [Sunflower: Apologies! This user is correct, and the path to take is NOT shown on our map, but is easily found. Take the right-hand fork: it heads south very briefly, then east. It joins the D5 1km south of Les Antiques and the lane to St-Paul de Mausole. Do not continue on the GR6 unless you are very adventurous. Here is a description of the left-hand route (GR6) from another user: "The waymarked GR6 follows the eastern shore of the lake for a while. However, once it leaves the lake, it is nothing like the description in the guide. For someone with no head for heights it gradually becomes more and more horrendous. First, there is a bit of scrambling across rocks, which isn't too bad, then an ascent up steep steps cut into the rocks. After this, we felt that it would be impossible to go back (as going down is always worse than going up), but then there is a ladder up a vertical rock face! Like your previous contributor, I believe that the intended route is the path shown on 3042OT as heading east (then slightly south) from the southern end of the lake. This is not GR6. Moreover, it would be helpful to have a warning in the guide that this part of GR6 should not be attempted by those who suffer from vertigo."]

Walk 6: .We had great difficulty finding the start of route back from the abbey. Even when we did find it, we found the directions much less clear than anything else we had followed in the book. Around the llama bit there were lots of recent fencing and we failed to find the llamas at all. We muddled through, however, and completed the walk. They seem to have renamed the fire tracks - very new sign and not mentioning fire track 7 at all. We did enjoy the walk but the initial frustation on leaving the abbey spoilt it for a bit. (User, 11/08) + The buses no longer stop in the centre, but skirt the main bit of town. The nearest stop is St Joseph, from where it is 10-15 minutes to walk up to the town. Le Fournil had just re-opened on Weds 17th March, so we were very lucky to find it open and enjoy a lovely lunch there. It is currently serving lunch Wednesdays to Sundays. There were no set menus but a limited carte, perfectly acceptable if a little pricey. On the return leg we got lost after the hairpin bend and ended up coming back to the road. We cut back in again and found ourselves climbing up the Mont de la Mere, not a hard climb, and were rewarded with a wonderful panoramic view from the top. There was a clear path leading down in a north-easterly direction, which we followed, soon meeting up with the Draille du Mas de la Dame and getting back on track. A previous contributor commented that the sign for fire track 7 had disappeared. Indeed it has, but there is now a sign saying "MO104", which may be reassuring although the description of the route is perfectly clear. Back at the windmill, we turned right instead of walking to the main road, and followed yellow waymarks along a wooded road keeping at the same level until we came to the Tour. There was then a flight of steps down and a route through the Vieux Village past place de l'Eglise, coming out under an arch diagonally opposite the Poste. This was a much nicer route than the road past the fire station and I would suggest it for both outward and return legs.
(User, 3/10)

Walk 7: We found that the road from the car park of the Hotel la Begude was tarmac from the start rather than a track. A minor point but maybe worth correcting. (User, 11/08) + Near the end of the walk, you no longer have to descend a steep embankment to the D981. There is a new, and very welcome, flight of steps. The whole route is now a Petite Randonnee and well waymarked in yellow. The amenity areas at the Pont are now closed November - March inclusive (which meant that we shared the experience with about 30 other people - bliss!) (User, 3/10)

Walk 10: There is a mistake on the map: a rogue green line runs east from the camera symbol south of the Abbaye de Sénanque towards 'Les Bories' - this is NOT part of the walking route. There is also a crucial word missing in the 'Visiting Senanque' panel on page 127: 'You cannot speak or ask questions during the tour, nor can you LEAVE before the tour is over.' (Sunflower, 8/08)