Avignon 28 May-To Find a Car

As you may recall for Jess' birthday I gave her a horseback riding session, and as you also may recall the Feast of Asencion also happened on that day and in France, the feast took precedence. The week started out with us trying to find a suitable horseback riding place. We found one in the Mont Ventoux area, a world heritage site because it encompases all of the terrain that can be found in Europe--ranging from grasslands and riverin areas to arctic tundra above treeline. Everything seemed simple, make reservations and simply show up. reservations not so hard? showing up, much more difficult. This morning we set out to get a car after finding out that public transport would leave us over 6 km from our destination. Normally ~4miles wouldn't be so bad but 4 miles before and 4 miles after spending 6+ hours on a horse is not something we relish. Thus begain the trial of finding a rental car.

First stop the Avignon Centre Train Station where as the Lonely Planet guide puts it "all rental car companies are located and well marked." Anyone who has ever used a Lonely Planet knows the books are out of dqte the minute they are printed. the only one there was Avis and the young female attendant stated that "we have nothing." After taking a ten-minute shuttle to the main TGV station the next 5 companies told us the same. Why on earth, you might ask, would all the rental companies be out of cars? "c'est une, how you say? holiday religouse. funny that sounds familiar. For a country that stresses La laïcité or complete seperation of church and state it seems interesting that catholisism shuts France down more than car bombs shut down Baghdad. Anyway, long story short at about 5:15 we found a company that had a car if we could get there by 6. Everyone in the states is familiar with rush hour, now add a medeival walled city and see what you get. Our taxi driver was a true pro not only did he get to the rental place with 5 min to spare he did it while discussing American domestic policy.

Our driver was under the impression that people were dropping dead on the sides of the streets--no hyperbole--because of the lack of general health insuarance. Jess and I did our best to assuage his thoughts on this mater. Anywho we got the cqr and after a hair-raising drive back to the hostel we got the car. My butt hurts pre-emptively for the 6+ hour horseback ride tommorow.