Avignon

Avignon is quite an amazing city.  it is entirely surrounded by over 4.5 kms of intact ramparts which  have been preserved.  within the walls is the Palace of the Popes.  Avignon was the Papal See in the 14th century and six successive Popes resided in the city.  Outside the ramparts is the remains of the Bridge - Pont D'Avignon or Pont St Benezet.  only about half the bridge remains as it was ravaged by a flooding Rhone river in 1680.  Even with the huge ramparts, the city was still flooded many times right up into the early 1900s which resulted in dams being built further up river.
Inside the walls, the city is lovely mixture of very very old and beautifully restored. Again, we were able to park out of the city (this time for free) and catch a little bus from the car park to the city centre -so convenient.
The only big downer of the city as with all major cities in France is the huge number of beggars, gypsies and scammers.
Other than that, it was a great city and a great learning experience for the kids.  The tourist attractions are well set out with lots of information in varying languages and we were all able to learn a lot.