Combining fine food, wine and relaxation on a south of France cruise
by Paula Prindle, Orient, OH
Question: What could be better than cruising through southern France?
Answer: Absolutely nothing!
My husband and I, newly retired, decided to celebrate with a different type of trip. Although this was my 24th trip to France, it was our first river cruise. For once, we would not be packing and unpacking, looking for parking spaces or wondering where our next meal would come from. Cruising from Avignon to Chalon via the Rhône and Saône rivers turned out to be a nearly perfect way to relax and sightsee at the same time.
On Oct. 8, ’03, we flew into Nice to spend two days with my French mother (Maman). She doesn’t drive into the busy Nice area anymore, so we took a bus from the Gare Routière (bus station) at Terminal 1 to Juan-les-Pins.
The bus leaves twice an hour, takes 45 minutes to get to the main drag in Juan-les-Pins and costs €7.40 (about $8.80) per person. This bus goes all the way to Cannes for €12.40; round trip is even cheaper.
To the dock
Saturday morning, Maman drove us to the train station in Antibes. Destination? Avignon. We had purchased our tickets online at voyages-sncf.com, thanks to the timely advice of ITN reader Malcolm Carden (Sept. ’03, pg. 15). We picked up the tickets, jumped on our train and rode happily to Marseille, where we had to hustle to find and board our train to Avignon-Centrale.
Since I had just remarked to my husband how sad it was that he had never been in a train à compartiments, we were delighted to find ourselves in one on our way to Avignon. This train was sans réservations, which means first come, first served. We grabbed the first empty compartiment and settled in to eat the lunch Maman had prepared for us.
Our train trip to Avignon took 3½ hours and cost €34.10 (about $41) each. We should have taken a taxi from the central station to the dock, but it seemed so close on the map! We had little luggage, but our wheeled suitcases were of no help on the uneven pavement.
We arrived sweating at the dock (less than one mile from the station), where our luggage was whisked away by crew members of the Viking Burgundy and deposited in our cabin. From that moment, we were treated like honored guests.
We had a cold drink, checked out our cabin and headed for town. We were ready to revisit this beautiful, walled Provençal city. The boat was docked two minutes from one of the city gates, so we took the subterranean passage under the busy roadway and found ourselves inside the walls, where the first thing we noticed was a Petit Casino, a small grocery store. What a convenient location!
We wandered the streets of Avignon for several hours, climbing to the top of the hill behind the Popes’ Palace for photos and climbing down again past a small vineyard to the bridge, the famous Pont d’Avignon. The late-afternoon light was soft and yellow on the old bridge.
A great beginning
We returned to the boat for dinner. Scratch that last sentence. We returned to the boat for a feast! And a feast it was, twice a day for the rest of the trip. Counting the cheese selection, we had magnifique gourmet, 5-course meals for lunch and dinner (except for the Captain’s Dinner, when we had seven courses).
Our breakfast buffets were nothing to sniff at either. Cereals, assorted sweet and hard rolls, cheeses, ham, salami, sausage, bacon, salmon, yogurt, apricots, prunes, fresh sliced fruits, fruit cocktail, scrambled and hard-boiled eggs, four juices. . . and we could even order oatmeal, omelets, pancakes, French toast, etc. if we liked.
Anyone getting the munchies between meals (hard to fathom) had only to stop in the reception area for fresh fruit, iced tea, a fruit drink, coffee, hot tea or hot chocolate.
The first evening, we gathered in the lounge at 7 p.m. for a complimentary kir royal (crème de cassis, a black currant liqueur, mixed with champagne) before dinner. We met after dinner for a slide show of the next two days’ activities. Then we retired to our cabins to find the beds made up and the following day’s newsletter on a pillow.
Arles
We got up bright and early the second day, since it was to be a busy one, and hit the breakfast buffet at 7:30. An hour later, our three buses left for Les Baux. We toured the area with excellent guides and then had free time to shop. (I’m not much of a shopper, but we could have used another half hour at Les Baux to snap up Provençal bargains.)
We hit Arles on a busy Sunday morning (they were having a bullfight that afternoon). We had a quick walk-through of Arles, passing the Roman amphitheater, the Roman theater and the Romanesque church of St. Trophime and stopping at several sites painted by van Gogh.
We finished our walking tour at lunchtime, and our boat was docked right in front of us! It had followed us to Arles. We walked on and sat down for another wonderful meal.
After lunch, our buses picked us up and took us to the Pont du Gard. This Roman aqueduct, made with no mortar and looking good after more than 2,000 years, is truly breathtaking. For those who haven’t been there in a while, there is now a visitors’ center and paved parking, both of which charge fees.
Avignon
We returned to the boat and cruised back to Avignon, arriving after dinner. Most of us waddled away from the table and up to the sun deck as the captain guided us toward Avignon’s famous bridge, now illuminated. We sang “Sur le Pont d’Avignon” and other French tunes as the boat held position near the bridge.
Our third day began with a walking tour of Avignon. Another excellent city guide focused on the 14th-century Palais des Papes (Popes’ Palace), built by two of the seven Avignon popes. During a time of much political unrest in Rome, the papal seat was moved to Avignon for security. The years 1309-1378 are often called the “Babylonian captivity of the Church.”
Lunch was back on the boat, followed by a free afternoon to wander the old streets.
Most of us were on the sun deck as we pulled out of Avignon to head north. We quickly learned how low some of the river bridges are; the top sun deck was cleared, the captain lowered the wheelhouse and the rest of us ducked!
Viviers
That night at 11:30 we arrived at the village of Viviers. Those of us who were awake were invited on a midnight walk by the cruise director. This was a memorable part of our trip.
Viviers is a medieval town built on a hillside. (I swear it’s all uphill!) The walk in the crisp night air was invigorating, but nothing in the town was open, of course. We returned to the ship ready to sleep late the next morning.
The morning was laid-back as we made our way up the Rhône. We toured the captain’s bridge, attended a wine lecture and slipped into our buffet pants for lunch. The dessert choices at lunch were crème brûlée and pastis parfait. I couldn’t decide between the two, so I had both.
The pastis parfait was so good that I decided I’d ask for any leftovers at dinner. What a disappointment! I learned they were not permitted to keep leftovers, so I had to content myself with crêpes suzette or chocolate duo. The following day, however, the pastry chef made another batch of pastis parfait just for me! (Of course, I shared.)
Tournon, Tain and the Doux River Valley
Tournon was our next stop. I’m sure it is a very nice medieval town with a very nice feudal castle dominating it, but we gave it short shrift during our free time. Instead, we all dashed across the bridge like lemmings to the small, vineyard-dominated town of Tain.
Tain is undoubtedly best known for its wine, Tain l’Hermitage, but most of the Viking Burgundy’s passengers headed straight for the Valrhona chocolate shop. It was chaos, but we sampled while we waited, so no one was in much of a hurry.
After the chocolate high, we headed for a wine shop with dégustation (tasting). Who says wine doesn’t go well with chocolate?
We moseyed back to the boat, where we boarded our buses for a drive into the beautiful Doux River Valley with its steep gorges and fantastic views.
After a stop at an old railroad station for tarte tatin (open-topped French apple pie) and kir (crème de cassis and white wine), we boarded an old, narrow-gauge steam train for a trip down the valley and over the viaducts, enjoying the breathtaking scenery. We did stroll through the Old Town of Tournon on the way back to the ship for more food and again in the evening to walk off said food.
Some time on board
We awoke the next morning in a lock, one of 15 we went through on our cruise. Twelve of the locks were on the Rhône part of our trip and three on the Saône. They ranged from 8½ feet in height to 75 feet. Our boat measured 11½ meters in width, with all locks being only 12 meters wide — good thing we had the captain of the fleet on our cruise.
Next was another lazy morning, with an update on our activities for the next three days followed by a lecture on the French legal and social systems. I know that sounds boring, but our cruise director, Marc, made it quite interesting.
I fancy myself an expert on France after 24 trips (including an exchange year in high school) and 13 years of teaching French, but I did learn a few things.
The countryside was becoming prettier and prettier, so we spent some time on deck taking photos and videos. The fresh air must have whetted our appetites; we were first in line for lunch!
Vienne
Vienne is a wonderful town. This may have been our favorite stop, due in part, perhaps, to Anabelle, the cutest guide you ever saw. (Everyone wanted to take her home.) But Vienne has many attractions and can hold its own with any town in Europe.
This was my first visit, and I was bowled over by the Roman ruins. The Temple of Augustus and Livia is every bit as striking as the Maison Carrée in Nîmes; in photos, I would not be able to tell them apart. Vienne also has a large Roman theater, a Roman street with chariot tracks, a garden of Roman ruins including the forum and thermal complex, and a Gothic cathedral.
Vienne has everything. My husband even stumbled across an Old West General Store and Trading Post with a real cowboy. Well, he looked like a cowboy.
The boat left Vienne about 6 p.m. for Lyon. We arrived during dinner and went out to walk off the chocolate banana tart about 9 p.m.
The boat always seemed to dock in such convenient spots. We found ourselves in the university district and had only to cross a bridge to get to the Presqu’île, the center of town.
Lyon
Was it cold the next morning for our Lyon city tour?! Our view from the hill above Old Lyon was very misty, and so was our breath. We were grateful to enter the basilica of Fourvière, both for its ornate beauty and its warmth.
We were given free time to investigate the whole basilica (and the toilettes), so my husband and I decided to race down the hill and around the bend to photograph the two Roman theaters we had passed on the bus. We were back in plenty of time with no need for oxygen.
Our buses then stopped at the trompe l’oeil murals, for quick snapshots of famous Lyonnais past and present, and deposited us at St. Jean’s Cathedral for a walking tour through the alleys and traboules of Old Lyon.
The traboules are passages through homes and other buildings that allow one to traverse the city without going outside much. They were originally made because there weren’t enough streets to get through the thickly settled area. They became very useful for the silk merchants of Lyon, who did not want their goods to get rained on, and for resistance fighters in WWII.
After lunch back on the boat, we had the whole afternoon free. We checked out a silk workshop, wandered again through Old Town (le Vieux Lyon) with its many shops, “trabouled” through a covered shopping gallery and passed more than a few bouchons, small restaurants that specialize in local food and wine.
Magnificent meal
We sadly left Lyon about 6 p.m. and headed to our cabins to change for the Captain’s Dinner. Although we wore our best clothes, we were not really dressed up. I wore a short-sleeved pantsuit and David wore a nice sweater and slacks.
In the lounge we had champagne to toast our staff before heading for the dining room. Dinner was magnificent, as usual. The main dish was filet mignon in shallot-red wine sauce with vegetable bouquet and duchesse potatoes, and we had baked Alaska and an assortment of pastries for dessert.
A French singer was brought on board to sing old Édith Piaf songs (among others) in the lounge. We filled out forms to let the cruise director know our departure plans and called it a night.
One final stop
We were underway again early, headed for our last stop, Chalon-sur-Saône. Immediately after lunch we boarded buses for our last excursion. In Beaune, the wine capital of Burgundy, we visited the Hôtel Dieu (also called the Hospices de Beaune) and the Marché aux Vins, with free time in between.
The Hôtel Dieu was founded in 1443 as a hospital for the poor. The founder, Nicolas Rolin, chancellor of the Duke of Burgundy, made sure the hospice had its own income from vineyards and salt mines. To this day, the most famous wine auction in Burgundy takes place at the Hospices de Beaune, and the resources of the hospital continue to grow.
The Hôtel Dieu’s medical activities were transferred to a modern hospital in 1971, but the retirement home was retained. The Flemish-style tiled roof proved so popular that it inspired other roofs in the region and is now considered typical of Burgundy.
Rogier van der Weyden’s thought-provoking 15th-century painting of the Last Judgment used to hang at the end of the large sick ward. It must have disturbed too many patients; it now hangs in a special dark room near the gift shop.
The Marché aux Vins visit was more lighthearted. We learned about Burgundy reds and whites (whites make up a significant part of the market) and even got to taste a few vintages in our complimentary tastevins. We ended up in the gift shop with a last taste. . . of the local cassis liqueur. Hmmm, kir anyone?
Back on the boat, the mood was subdued. A brief disembarkation talk did not brighten our spirits, but a short after-dinner walk in Chalon helped.
Another great breakfast and WHOOSH! we were off the boat and in our taxi, somewhat disoriented. What a wonderful week, what a wonderful trip, what nice people we met. Time to schedule another trip.
Booking your French river cruise
Prices for Viking River Cruises’ “French Vineyards & Vistas” vary depending on the cruise date. We jumped on a fall clearance sale priced at $599 per passenger for the least expensive cabin, land only. I understand that this is not a usual discount. (Let’s face it, travel was down last year.) The 2004 price for an October departure starts at $1,459, land only.
For more information, contact your travel agent or Viking River Cruises (21820 Burbank Blvd., Woodland Hills, CA 91367; phone 877/668-4546).