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Saturday, May 4 – delayed in Avignon
In spite of my late night last night, I am up as early as ever. It is a sunny, pleasant day. Mike and I are hoping to do a day trip to the town of Orange and the famous winery at Chateau Neuf des Papes so we go right away to the train station to claim our bicycles. The SNCF (Syndicat National de Chemins de Fer) agent returns with our tickets shaking his head. No bicycles in the baggage area he tells us. We were told they would be here, Mike explains. They will arrive this evening, the agent reassures us. Could they possibly show up earlier, Mike asks. Maybe, the next train comes in at 11am, he suggests. We return to our room and pack our bags for a day trip, donning our cycling shorts under our pants so that we can leave on short notice if they arrive by 11.
But they are not there by 11, and not there when we check again at noon after the next train arrives. We check again at 2 and 5pm without results. This is extremely disappointing. We return to our room and change out of our cycling shorts. I spend part of the afternoon looking for a French/English dictionary and other miscellaneous supplies. 
I take a walk around the refurbished city walls. My side is still quite sore but my hand is healing fast. I relax in the main square and read more of Anna Karenin. What a great book!This evening Mike and I find a cheap cafeteria with chicken dinners at a reasonable price. But after wine and dessert it is more than three times the price. I am way over budget again. I have a sore throat again, my third cold since the start of the trip. With my injuries still hurting, I decide to go to bed early instead of going out again tonight.
PHOTO 1: gates of the walled city
PHOTO 2: street cafe near the main square
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