Last week all IAU students were on vacation, giving us the opportunity to travel before the school year is over. My cousins from Germany drove down to AIX to spend some time with me, including Easter, which was nice. Having a car made traveling on the coast convenient, and each day we traveled to a different city. The cities we visited that I had not seen before included Saint-Cyr-Sur-Mer, Montpellier, and Avignon.
Saint-Cyr-Sur-Mer Montpellier Center The Papal Palace, Avignon
Saint-Cyr-Sur-Mer is a town on the Cote d’Azur to the northwest of Bandol. Once separated into several different villages, Saint-Cyr-Sur-Mer is now one town with three separate ports. The beaches in the town were pretty, although I think it’s best to visit during the summer when the water and climate are warmer.
Montpellier, my favorite of the three, is the eighth largest city in France and the third largest French city on the Mediterranean coast. The medieval center, Place Jean-Jaurès, hosts countless cafes & restaurants, with the Mediterranean sea within proximity.
Avignon is known for The Papal Palace, the home of the popes that dates back to the 13th century. It was Pope Clement V who chose Avignon as his preferred seat instead of Rome, and until 1377, popes stayed and ruled in the city. The region of Avignon is renowned for its wine, and the famous region Chateauneuf-du-Pape (new castle of the Pope) is about 7.5 miles north of the city.