Provence River Cruise – Avignon to Lyon
We took a Uniworld River Cruise that started in Avignon, France and ended in Paris after a TGV (Tres Grand Vitesse) train trip from Lyon.
Thursday, August 24, 2017 – Chicago, IL
Flight 86 to London from Chicago on American was above average because it was the new 787 Dreamliner which has very nice Business Class accommodations. It was a short flight so we ended up in Heathrow at 6:30 AM with our next flight at 1 PM.
Arriving in Marseille, we had to find the bus to the train so we could get to Avignon. It was in the high 80’s but not too humid so we survived although the train was not designed for people with luggage since you had to up or down to get a seat and regardless of which way you went, there was no place for luggage.
We took a taxi to the Hotel D’Europe in Place Crillon which is an old but beautiful hotel.After unpacking we had dinner at one of the several restaurants on the square called Scene.
After dinner we strolled down to the Rhone and joined a large number of people to watch fireworks. We finally made it to bed around 11 PM.
Saturday, August 26, 2017 – Avignon, France
Avignon is home to the medieval bridge immortalized
in the folk song “Sur le Pont d’Avignon,” as well as
the mighty Palace of the Popes. From a distance, the picture-perfect city center looks as though it has been lifted straight from the pages of a history book, but all you need to do is step inside its medieval walls to discover the prosperous heart of contemporary Avignon.
Breakfast prices in the hotel were a little steep so we went across the street and found ourselves to be the first customers of the day for the café SCENE. La Formule for le petit dejeuner was a small cup of espresso, a glass of orange juice and a baguette split in two with butter and jam. Pretty much a classic French breakfast all for the low, low price of 6 euros each.
Later, we walked up to La Place D’Horloge which is the main square in town, full of restaurants and tourists. We found a tram that does a trip around the city and took it. It did give us a feel for the town which is encircled by old city walls from the 14th century.
The square is also close to the Papal Palace also built in the 14th century by the popes that had abandoned Rome to move the center of papal power to Avignon. There are quite a few old buildings in town dating from this period and even a few from the Roman times.
We had dinner in front of City Hall which is the building with the clock and there were weddings going on even at that time of night.
Sunday, August 27, 2017 – Avignon, France
We opted for breakfast in the courtyard of the hotel and it was very nice. The hotel is really exceptional. We checked out and took a cab to the ship, S.S. Catherine from the Uniworld Line. While we had to wait until 2 to get into our room we were able to enjoy the ship while we waited.
The ship is very elegant and only two years old so quite fresh. It seems longer than the AMA Dolce we took a couple of years ago on the Danube.
Monday, August 28, 2017 – Arles
Arles has existed since the sixth century BC, when the ancient Greeks founded it and named it Theline. It was here that the Romans built their first bridge across the Rhône River, creating a vital overland route between Italy and Spain and facilitating the expansion of their empire. Long renowned as one of the region’s most attractive cities, it lured artist Vincent van Gogh, who painted hundreds of works here (including Sunflowers and The Yellow House) in just 15 months.
A short distance from Arles is the ancient and charming town of Tarascon. Its many medieval sites include a 12th-century church and a 15th-century castle that is rich with tales of a beloved ruler. Bask in the warmth of the Provençal sunlight in either of these friendly Mediterranean towns.
Today we did a walking tour of downtown Arles with many references to Vincent, his house, his café and his ear.
Tuesday, August 29, 2017 – Avignon
It has been in the 90’s every day of this trip so far and today was no exception. Instead of opting for a tour of the Palace of the Popes which we knew would be crowded, we chose instead a trip to the Pont du Gard which is the remnants of a Roman aqueduct over a river.
It was the right choice because we got to see it up close and visit the museum where they explained how it was built. We had a different guide but she too was very good.
Wednesday, August 30, 2017 – Viviers
An enchanting village where time seems to have stopped centuries ago, Viviers has a long and storied past that goes back more than 1,600 years—and a splendid architectural heritage to match. At one time, Viviers was divided along religious lines—the clergy lived in the upper part of the town, the laity in the lower part.
We docked in Viviers around sun rise and later took a walking tour of the old town. The town is very small with narrow cobblestone streets that wind up to the top of a hill where you find the inevitable cathedral. There we heard an organ recital in the smallest active cathedral in France.
Thursday, August 31, 2017 – Tain L’Hermitage
Nestled on opposite sides of the river in the heart of
the Côtes du Rhône, the twin cities of Tournon and
Tain-l’Hermitage are an ideal destination for connoisseurs of fine wine. Tournon may be a small town, but stirring events took place here: A castle was raised on the hilltop in the 10th century to protect the region, and new fortifications were added over the centuries, including two “new” towers built to defend against Protestant attacks in the 16th century.
Rain was predicted as a cold front moved through but we avoided it during our walking tour. Jeanette led us again for a walk through the town of Tournon which sits opposite Tain L’Hermitage on the Rhone River.
Both have some narrow streets and at the end of our tour we stopped at Chapoutier for a wine tasting.
The wines were good but all from the high end of the price range. We strolled back to the ship ourselves about 30 minutes before the rain started.
We sailed north and went through several locks before docking in Lyon near midnight. They say there are 17 locks on our trip and we have gone through most of them by now.
Friday, September 1, 2017 – Lyon
Two rivers: one tranquil, one torrential. Two hills: one for labor, where the sound of the silk weavers’ looms used
to echo; the other for prayers, crowned by a spectacular basilica. Two cities, as different as night and day: one boasting colorful Old World façades, medieval mansions and hidden passageways; one with a sophisticated urbanity reminiscent of Paris. Situated at the confluence of the Rhône and Saône rivers, and with roots stretching back over 2,000 years to the days of Julius Caesar, Lyon is a place of fascinating dualities.
We did a bus tour of Lyon which is situated on a peninsula in the confluence of the Saone and the Rhone. The oldest part of the city is on top of a hill on the west bank of the Saone with a basilica at the top of the hill and the old town at the bottom.
We saw various sites all over the city and really liked it. It is like Paris but more manageable in size. After the bus tour we spent some time at the Basilica and in the square that houses Louis XIV’s statue.
Saturday, September 2, 2017 – Macon
Located in the southernmost part of Burgundy, Mâcon,
a Saône River port, is the gateway to Beaune.
The tour today was an all-day trip to Beaune which Mom opted for and Dad did not. Instead he went on a short walking tour of Macon which is a small town on the Saone River in the southern part of Burgundy. It sprinkled a little in Macon.
Sunday, September 3, 2017 – Lyon to Paris
We were out of our room by 7:30 and sat around until 10 at which time we boarded a large bus to take the 14 of us to the TGV train to Paris. 8 people were going on the “Joie de Vivre” river cruise to Normandy and the remaining 6 were staying in Paris at the Marriott Ambassador at 16 Blvd. Hausamann.
We were met there by Sylvie, our local guide who helped us check in and showed us a restaurant Au Petite Riche on Rue Pelletier where we had lunch on our own nickel. We later ate dinner there.
Sylvie had tickets for the self-guided tour of the Opera so we went there and then to the Galleries Lafayette where we hoped to get on the roof for the view but did not succeed.
Monday, September 4, 2017 – Paris
Our room includes breakfast which was a buffet but very good. There is a large contingent of Japanese staying here and the breakfast room had quite a few different languages being spoken.
We were promised a city tour and expected a transfer to one of the standard Paris city tours. Instead we found ourselves in a small minivan driven by our guide, Roseann. She said she would take us anywhere we wanted to go and started by driving us to Montmartre even though most of the passengers did not know where or what that was.
Over time we covered the entire city including Pont D’Alma which I had requested because the 20th anniversary of Diana’s death was just a few days ago. She was very knowledgeable about the city and its history.
She dropped us back at the hotel around noon and then Sylvie suggested lunch at a nearby brasserie.
In the afternoon, Mary and I wanted to join a Paris-Walks walk about the Paris writers of the Lost Generation. My mastery of the Metro system was much diminished so Sylvie paid for our tickets and escorted us to the Vavin Metro stop on the left bank where the walk started. She also wrote out instructions for our return. She then left us promising that if we needed her, we should just call her and she would come and get us.
We enjoyed the walk which ended at Odeon and took the Metro back without any problems. We had a beer in the Lindbergh Bar and later had dinner at the same place as the night before.
Tuesday, September 5, 2017 – Paris
We had breakfast early and waited for Sylvie to escort us to the airport but she did not show so we found our driver and accompanied him on a rapid trip to CDG airport where check in took no time and in spite of a messy security check we still had more than two hours to wait for our flight.
After an announcement that the flight was ready we stood in line for 25 minutes before boarding. During boarding I was singled out for extra security where they again checked everything I was carrying. American Airlines appears to run by amateurs.
The flight over Greenland and Canada was smooth and the 777 was comfortable although many of its features defied our attempts to understand how to operate them.
We enjoyed our trip very much and realized we need to spend more time in France!