To be continued and photos to be added
Never thought that I was a Cruise person but this was our second river cruise with Riviera Travel and we have thoroughly enjoyed both. We exited the plane at Lyon and found our rep pretty quickly. Our boat was only 30 mins away but it took over an hour because of strikes and demonstrations in France. We didn't see any trouble but the police kept blocking our route. How our driver kept his temper I'm not sure. We could see the boat only yards away and he had to re-route for a couple of miles. This year we boarded the MS Thomas Hardy at Quai Claude Bernard in Lyon and finished in Avignon. The on-board food and wine was magnificent. All the staff were friendly and efficient and we met and enjoyed the company of some wonderful fellow travellers. Everything was well organised from the minute we boarded until the day we sadly left for home.
There are some low bridges on the Rhone river and it was a shame the sun canopies were only put up on the day of arrival in Lyon and put down for the rest of the holiday until the ship reached its destination in Avignon. The reason for this is due to the low bridges and perfectly understandable when cruising but it is surprising and disappointing that they remain down even when in port for several hours or sometimes for the whole day. We noticed that other ships did put their canopies up whilst in port and so it was even more disappointing. Without the canopies it was impossible to find shade and after a couple of hours we had to resort to going inside to escape the intense heat.
Planning for travel and reflecting on travel are some of my absolute favourite things to do! I try to blog as soon as I get home when the memories are most fresh. They take awhile, but I'm glad to have them later!
What I loved about this river is that it combined the beauty of the river with the charm of Provence. The Rhone starts up in the Swiss Alps, it's 550 miles long and it dumps into the Mediterranean Sea. It has quite a history. You had Celtic tribes who settled along the banks. You had Greeks. You had the Romans. You still see vestiges of all of that on this river. You also have some of the essence of Provence; you have the beautifuyl Burgundy countryside and in Lyon it joins the Saone River so the confluence is there. We did a little bit of the Saone River and cruised a whole lot of the Rhone river. There are also a lot of locks between Lyon and Arles.
We moored overnight in Lyon.
On Day 2 we had a guided tour of Lyon on coach and foot. Lyon, often hailed as the gastronomic capital of France. This UNESCO-listed old town, with its winding cobblestone streets and hidden traboules (traditional passageways), is a delight to explore. We began with a drive to the top of Fourviere hill to view the Basilica of Notre Dame and the spectacular view of the entire city.
The Basilica is definitely worth a visit. This 19th century Basilica is nicknamed "the fallen elephant" (imagine it upside down), Superb interior with its colourful mosaics.
Then a walking tour through the cobblestone streets of the old city. We learned from a local expert about the 2000 years of history visible within its architecture from the Roman Forums to the Renaissance architecture of the old town. Our guide made the history of the silk trade come to life explaining the background to the mysterious traboules or passage ways that the silk workers used to deliver their products to the silk traders. We were taken through doorways that led to secret houses and tiny courtyards. We learnt a lot!
We decided to walk back to the boat via Place Bellecour. Europeans are good at building all sorts of different kinds of squares in their urban environment. We don't know how many we've passed through during our travels on the continent, but most of them are always interesting to visit for several reasons. This particular square is enormously large(!) and centrally located in the middle of the large island between the Rhone and Saone rivers. The square, like most others in Europe, has a large statue of an important king (Louis XIV) on a horse - it's part of the whole concept and has also become a popular photo object. There is also a beautiful view of the Basilica at the top of the hill and by walking towards the river you can see this lovely floral sculpture.
We then departed Lyon for an afternoon and evening sail along the Saone.
One of the wonderful things about river cruising is waking up in a different place every morning. On day 3 we woke up in Chalon-sur-Saone. It's actually on the Saone, not the Rhone.
We drove through beautiful wine country to Beaune. Such a lovely and fascinating little town. It was market day, a perfect chance to stroll through the lively stalls and enjoy the local flavours. We also checked out some of the wine shops.
The most famous part was the Hotel-Dieu. This was the hospital for the poor. The roof is iconic. They took in everyone, except those with leprosy or the plague.
Back on the coach. Oh, the narrow TINY roads in the villages. GOODNESS! Sometimes only mere centimetres between the coach and the walls. It was equal parts fascinating and unnerving!
Dinner was another exercise in gluttony before we retired to our comfortable cabin for another nightcap while sailing back on the Rhone. Oh what a LOVELY day.
When we opened the curtains at Vienne on Day 4, we looked out at swans. I can definitely see why the impressionists spent so much time in the French countryside. The ship was moored within easy walking distance of the town so armed with a map we set off. We walked to the Cathedral St. Maurice then climbed Le Belvedere de Pipet. Uphill all the way! Quite a walk from the river, through the Roman remains and past the amphitheatre, then a long steep hill. The view at the top was worth it. The whole of Vienne could be seen, and was remarkable. Coming down, while much easier was still a challenge on the knees.
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