Our day really began with the trip to Avignon, a medieval city along the Rhône. Avignon, prior to 1309, was nothing. It was the Church that created the city as Pope Clement V moved the papacy from Rome to Avignon. Lasting for 68 years, the situation was known as Babylonian Captivity, and the 40 years after that, which were arguments between two official popes, one in Rome, one in Avignon, was known as The Great Western Schism. Thus, think of Avignon as the could-have-been Vatican City.

What is so remarkable about the Papal Palace is that, despite being raided, looted, burned, and thrown through five republics and a billion kings, the Palace has remained… almost the same! Throughout the tour, we’ve seen several nonexistent castles, yet this was the moment of immersion.

The Palace by itself is certainly no masterpiece. It’s absolutely chaotic. It knows nothing of what it is. Y’know, suddenly, things change: Romanesque to Gothic, White to Gray, Stained to Basic. As a result… it’s sort of a mess! Most windows are uncentered and divaricate from their original purpose. With each new Pope and each new architectural fad, the palace became a further mess. Yet, again, despite its irrelevant existence, it remains practically untouched.

We arrived back before dinner and split. I chose to visit the Papal Cathedral and Papal Gardens, which were stunning. From the top, one could see another medieval castle, farmland, and snowcapped mountains. It was almost as if the entire place was left the way it was 300 years ago. Ransacked, sure, but unburdened by mass urbanization.

Our concert was certainly an experience. It’s lovely to be in the center of a medieval heart, but singing and playing without acoustics is not. I like to eat al fresco; I don’t like to sing outside, however. Either way, it was another hit.

At the time of my writing this, we are almost back to the hotel for our last Aix-en-Provence night. Lyon is next. Goodnight.