River cruisers talk about French history and food
France is like a magnet. Its attraction is powerful — and totally undeniable. I suspect some would go so far as to say it is the most romantic country in the world.
At one point, I might have been skeptical of such a statement, but, then, one summer, my husband and I spent a couple of weeks rambling around its amazing countryside, exploring on our own. It did not take long to realize this country is blessed with an embarrassment of riches!
The mind-boggling history, world class museums, beautiful beaches, stunning ski resorts, elegant shops, charming villages and bustling cities, delicious cuisine, and a lifestyle that is the envy of the world make it a destination not to be missed. We returned with a " Vivé la France" attitude, because a place so special needs to last forever!
In last week's travel article, I suggested a river cruise was an excellent way to experience this country. How Rob and I had loved our cruise on the Seine River from Paris to Normandy, but, on our last night, the ship captain remarked that we should miss the Rhone River. In fact, his exact words were "the Rhone is a joyau cachen (a hidden gem) that romances the heart."
Still, instead of a river cruise, we rented a car and covered the south of France on our own, yet, because I am discussing the rivers of our world in this column and out of deference to this old ship captain, I contacted local travelers Janice and Robert Williams. They are avid river cruise fans of Monroe Travel Service and have just returned from a 7 night cruise on the Rhone with Viking River Cruise Line. I wanted to know their assessment of this "hidden gem," but, first, here is some travel agent 101 information about this river.
The Rhone is neither the longest nor the widest of French rivers, but, for centuries, she has been one of the major trade routes of the world. The river originates in the Swiss Alps, meanders about 500 miles, and ultimately empties into the Mediterranean Sea, which explains how the Greeks and Romans were able to travel so far into the interior of France. Located at the confluence of the Seine and the Rhone River, Lyon was their gateway to new and different worlds, and they clear left their mark all up and down this river.
For Janice and Bob, their fall river cruise on the Rhone began in Lyon and ended in Avignon. When I asked Janice if she would call the Rhone a romantic river cruise experience, her incredulous look answered my question before she ever said, " How could it not be? It's Provence--the land of amazing medieval towns, beautiful rolling hills, unbelievable UNESCO World Heritage sites, lavender fields running along the banks for as far as the eye could see, and an abundance of wine! It was all so striking--sometimes even fragrant--how could that not romance the soul?"
"Oh, and then there is the food!" she continued. "We were so glad you encouraged us to add a couple of extra days in Lyon. This city deserves to be called the food capital of France, and we did our best to try as many of the local specialties as we could. My favorite was their 'quenelles de brochet,' a mousse of pike. Of course, there was more to Lyon than their wonderful food. This 3rd largest city was at one time the silk capital of Europe.
A city tour took us to the top of Fourviere Hill for a view of the city, the river, and the vineyards, but, afterwards, we decided to visit the famous 'traboules,' a series of arched passageways connecting one building to another in the old city. In the 1500's, these beautiful old passage ways were used as shortcuts to keep their luxurious silk products from getting wet while runners carried their fabrics from the shops to the river boats waiting on the Rhone. Each traboule is different in color and design and, since they cut through shops, homes, and the gardens of private property, it was neat to follow them through old Vieux Lyon. We even found a few silk shop still weaving their product, but affording one of their gorgeous scarves was another matter!"
From Lyon, our next port stop was Vienne, where we visited a Beaujolais vineyard. I've had a few glasses of Beaujolais Nouveau over the years but was never a fan. Yet, at the Chateau des Ravatys, where we tipped back a few samples of the wine, I learned they are now making wines called Beaujolais Vieux which, due to varying degrees of aging are more interesting and more drinkable. Between the lush vineyards on the hillside and the excellent wine complimented by a delicious dinner on the boat, I ended the day quite content. I told Bob I had experienced the France I had dreamed about for years.
Little did I realize there was more to come. The next morning, we had time to experience more than just the vineyards of Vienne. I figured this little place must have been a monumentally astonishing place in Roman times. We toured the 2000 year old Temple d'Auguste which basically filled the town's main square before our boat headed down river to Tournon-su-Rhone. FYI: we were told hillside acreage in this area goes for about 1 million euros per acre, thanks to wines like Maison M. Chapoutier which come from these vineyards.
The streets of Tournon were made for walking and seeing shops of cured meats, cheese, and Valrhona chocolate, but the highlight of this day was the Train de l'Ardeche, a delightful vintage steam train running between Tournon and the mountain town of Le Cheylard in 1891. Beautiful scenery--and an occasional sunbathing nudist--along this 10 mile train adventure made it one of those " Ooh là là" travel moments my husband loves to share with anyone who ever asks about our trip!
That afternoon on the Rhone, we experienced something we had never encountered on any other river trip: a bridge so low that the crew actually came out on the top deck to make sure everyone knew to duck as we cleared the bridge. Even the captain’s bridge, a box-like building on the top deck, became like a jack-in-the-box and disappeared until it was flush with the top deck so we could navigate under it.
Then, in the evening, we had another curious experience. After dinner, our cruise host took us on a late-night history tour of the tiny town of Viviers. Carrying flashlights and those indispensable Quietvox headsets used on every shore excursion, we walked the dark empty streets of the village and discussed architecture dating back to the Roman era. It was eerie seeing this old world place in such a different light.
Arles was our next port, and about all I knew about this place was its link to Impressionist Vincent Van Gogh. It was such a lovely place, too, and there was this amazing and pretty much intact, arena which was completed about 10 years after the Colosseum in Rome. The arena sat around 20,000 spectators who would come to watch a daily show that started with animals fighting in the morning, public executions at noon, and gladiator games in the afternoon. Luckily, the bubonic plague in the Dark Ages forced people to quarantine indoors, and ended such brutal sporting events. That night we went to the sound and light show at Les Baux-de-Provence and it ended another perfect day on the Rhone.
We could hardly wait to get off the boat when our boat docked outside the gates of the walled city of Avignon. As we headed into the gate, our guide told us the wall was completed in 1370 to protect the Catholic papacy from their enemies, not because the Romans wanted to keep the French out. Even when given the perspective of time, I was probably as confused as those countries were years ago who had to choose allegiance between the two rival popes--either the Avignon or Roman papacy. You just can't make up the history of Avignon and it was the perfect place to end a very magical trip," concluded Janice.
If you ask me, it certainly sounds like their cruise on the Rhone River romanced Janice's heart. Want to think about a journey like this for yourself? Then, please, give me a call at Monroe Travel Service and let's discuss the options. The really nice thing about a river cruise in France is no matter the river you choose, it is almost a year round destination. Early spring and late fall are great if you prefer to avoid crowds. Springtime weather may still be a little rainy and on the cool side —in the 50’s to 60’s — but that is when you will find the greatest value for your money. The weather is usually best in the late spring (May to mid-June) and in the early fall (September to late October), but here is the thing you must remember: France is the most visited country on the planet.
All those travelers who sat home in 2019 and 2020 moved their deposits to 2022 dates and they are already onboard. Maybe it is time for you to get onboard, too!
Dianne Newcomer is a travel agent at Monroe Travel Service. For questions or help with your next vacation, please call us at 318 323 3465 or email Dianne@MONROETRAVEL.com. We would love to send you away.
This article originally appeared on Monroe News-Star: River cruisers talk about French history and food