The Papal Palace of Avignon is admittedly (in all the guide books) a beautiful and very well preserved palace of the 14th Century but, I'm sorry to say, I find it too austere for my taste and it doesn't make me dream...

Avignon makes sense if you visit just the Provence region, but for us it's a bit far from Saint-Raphael. We could drive-through on the way to (or back from) the Riviera, we could also go see the Pont du Gard if you fancy seeing the highest and one of the best well-preserved roman aqueducts in the world (and if therefore you don't mind taking a whole morning or afternoon with a lot of walking to get there from where we have to park the car...).

It's all about the time and motivations that you have.

My advice is: come with me to the Riviera where I'm at my best and we have a free flat to stay at; and leave Provence to professional travel agents who have a smooth well-oiled itinerary which makes your day with just the deluxe hotels, the lavender fields, the food and the wine tastings! And there's nothing wrong with all that!