Burgundy & Provence

Burgundy and Provence

June 2009

 

Our Viking River Cruises trip on the Rhine 6 years ago was wonderful, very relaxing and only something of an exaggeration to describe it as gourmet dining interrupted by sightseeing.  Saw a similar cruise in Burgundy/Provence (“Portraits of Southern France”); knowing Marjorie had a yen to travel to Provence . . . well, not a hard decision.  Arranged it well in advance, to get some discounts and in anticipation of being joined by several family and friends.  But all abandoned us (you know who you are!) w/ lame excuses about weddings and family reunions. Guess we’ll have to get along just the two of us.  We get into the mood by reading Hotel Pastis: A Novel of Provence, loaned by daughter-in-law Anthea; a very enjoyable read and intro to Provençal ambiance. My next book, historical novel The Dream of Scipio, is also coincidentally set in 3 historical periods around Avignon: fall of the Romans, the Avignon papacy and Black Death, and the period leading up to WWII; we encounter all 3 periods during the tour.  We also have the usual Frommer’s travel info and some detailed booklets from VRC.  There’ve been reports all month about swine flu becoming a possible worldwide pandemic (it was so labeled a week after we returned, the 1^st in 40 years); a reminder of bird flu concerns before our trip to Istanbul.  We’ll follow proper hygiene principles.  Another coincidence: Russ’ brother Doug & sister-in-law Ann will also be traveling in France at the same time, but no crossed paths.

Wednesday, 5/27- Friday, 5/29:

          First some other traveling. A Wed. PM “Megabus” to NYC (roundtrip only $10 apiece!); rendezvous with son Matt to get Marjorie’s Mothers Day gift of concert tickets for 3 lead performers from “This is Spinal Tap” and “A Mighty Wind,” mock film documentaries of folk and heavy metal groups.  Special thanks to daughter-in-law Anthea for spotting this: very funny and surprisingly good music at Beacon Theater, a classic venue w/ opulent interior.  Overnight in Queens, only brief time w/ grandsons William & Miles; we assure them more time when we return soon.  Thurs. AM Megabus back to Albany.

But I digress. Isn’t this supposed to be about France?  Friday we finish packing, back down to Queens for overnight w/ the family.

Saturday, May 30:

          We hang out in the AM, then Matt drives us to JFK.  A friendly, chatty Lufthansa agent, and Marjorie inquires about cost of upgrade out of “Economy”  ̶  too much $!  Just being conversational, she tells about being bumped to Business Class by British Air on a trip a # of years ago.  Lufthansa agent says something like “I can’t stand British Air and don’t want them to beat us!”  Clickety-click on her terminal . . . and we’re moved into Business Class!  So off we go into their Lounge, thinking “we’re not worthy” but nonetheless enjoying comfy chairs, free snacks & drinks  ̶  and my 1^st photo of the trip.  Nice tarmac views; Marjorie is intrigued by large plastic-wrapped cargo containers being offloaded.  On the plane we study the instructions for recliners, massage, multiple entertainment choices!  Away from the gate on time, then sit an hour until takeoff at about 5.  Some OJ and water passed out before takeoff to quench thirst, another difference between BC and our usual steerage.  But there is trouble in paradise: M has trouble w/ her “entertainment system,” it all eventually goes down (I was going to say it crashed, but seems an unfortunate choice of words under the circumstances).  I manage to watch “Twilight,” a teenage vampire romance (not my usual film genre, but curious about the popularity of these books and movie), before that happens.  Ahead is 7 hours flying time, 6 hours time change.  We both get a little sleep.

Sunday, May 31:

         A little late into Frankfurt at 6am, sun rising.  Relaxation and breakfast stuff in another Lufthansa lounge (milking our short-lived upper-class status), a long bus ride to the plane, then back to the reality of Economy  ̶  but it’s a short flight.  A bit early into Lyon Aéroport Saint-Exupéry at 9:15.  Bags are here, no customs or anything to go thru (having gone from 1 EU country to another), into the terminal w/ some others from our flight to meet Ulrike from VRC.  

We head to our bus, passing people departing from the previous cruise who seem very happy.  About 2 hours to Chalon-sur-Saône Port: sunny, a pretty drive thru agricultural areas, first views of cream-colored Charolais cows.  We reach the ship, Viking Burgundy, at noon, hand in passports and vouchers, then off to lunch. 

A wait for cabins to be ready, so a post-lunch stroll around town.  There’s more here than expected: pretty streets, a market square, cathedral w/ interesting nooks & crannies; a good start, many photos are taken.  Pretty “plane” trees line promenades here and elsewhere on the trip. 

          Our cabin #104 is ready at 3.  A different layout than before, smaller w/ sofa and foldout beds.  As before, we’re on the lowest deck w/ half-size windows at the water line offering an interesting perspective on the river.  Same tiny bathroom; Program Director Rene, a very large man, later offers advice on showering: “I soap up the walls and twirl myself around.”  We manage showers, I shave, we feel refreshed.  The ship also has a somewhat different layout than before, w/ lounge at the bow (near our cabin), dining room at stern.  A 2-level upper deck w/ lounge chairs, wheel house, oversized chess set (pieces about 1-2’ tall) and jacuzzi; tho we never see anyone using chess or jacuzzi.  It’s about the same size as our prior ship, 140 passengers.  Ship is full, concerns about swine flu notwithstanding.  TV is less limited than before: satellite channels for CNN, BBC, Eurosports, some non-English programming; in-house channels w/ travel info and movies (e.g., very apropos van Gogh bio “Lust for Life”, “Phantom of the Opera,” “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”); a camera showing views from the bow.  Rene prepares printed daily news summaries for US, Canada, Great Britain, Australia.

    

           A gathering in the lounge for our 1^st “port talk” (done every evening to give info about dinner, next day’s activities), welcome champagne, “easy music” by on-board musician Nick.  First dinner has 5 courses (usually “only” 4), and they’re testing me at the outset w/ some not-favorite foods: asparagus soup, chicken liver mousse w/ mushroom sauce.  But I’m a good sport, partaking of all, to be rewarded w/ tasty Guinea hen and chocolate/chili dessert.  We dine w/ Caroline & Kevin from Chicago, Jack from Vancouver.  C & K will become our best shipboard friends.  Some disappointments: we’re 1-2 weeks too early for the lavender blooming, shops mostly closed today (Pentecost) and tomorrow.  Beds prepared during dinner w/ next day’s “Viking News” schedule and info.  The lobby also has info sheets and maps for the next day’s stops.  Sunset at 9:45.

News today: Susan Boyle, dowdy sensation of British “Idol” version, finishes 2^nd; GM being restructured to be “viable auto company.”

Monday, June 1:

          Sunrise about 5:50, a beautiful 1^st AM.  Our 1^st breakfast buffet: eggs, bacon or sausage, fruits, cheese & coldcuts, cereals, breads & croissants, etc. (and you can order things like pancakes, French toast).  Today the ship stays here while we bus into Burgundy w/ guide Ulrika.  We hand in our keys, a routine so they’ll know who’s away from the ship.   

         

 

 Thru town as Ulrika points out how provincial towns try to look like Paris.  Orientation to Burgundy and “wine growing,” as they seem to call it here.  Thru pretty agricultural areas, bright-colored poppies, then many vineyards w/ little towns in the distance.  Chardonnay and Pinot Noir the main wines in this region, some 4,000 wine growers.  Here and other drives many roundabouts w/ pretty arrangements in the middle: flowers, sculptures, even some little vineyards & wine barrels.  To the town of Beaune, we switch to a walking tour using headsets to hear guide’s commentary; after some initial confusion this system works well thruout the week. 

           We begin w/ Hospices de Beaune Hôtel-Dieu, a charitable hospital.  A fabulous multi-colored tile roof.  Fascinating “ward of the poor”: dark red bed cubicles line the sides leading up to chapel at the end of a large hall, colorful carvings across the ceiling. Old pharmacy, pretty tapestries, fabulous polyptych of the Last Judgment from 15^th C.  

        As on other walking tours, we keep crossing paths w/ other groups from our ship; usually there are 2-3 buses, each w/ a guide.  Into a wine cellar for tasting: 2 whites & 2 reds, small breads to “cleanse” between, cassis to finish.  We get a lesson on Burgundy and different types of wine. 
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Some time on our own to wander about the town: lovely old streets, hanging flowers, pretty shop signs. 

We get an inexpensive bottle of wine to take back to the ship.  I’m beginning to have seasonal problems (which I’d also been having back home), pollen wreaking havoc w/ my contacts.  Back at the bus we seem to have misplaced 2 people  ̶  we eventually leave without them, they have to catch a taxi back to the ship (on later touring, someone from the staff seems to shadow this couple).  Back to the ship for lunch: there’s a typical “light” lunch buffet in the lounge: soup, sandwiches, something warm like spaghetti, cheeses, a dessert (of course!); or there’s sit-down in the dining room, but we never bother.

Our 1^st optional tour (3 of these on the trip, we choose 2).  Brit Leslie is our guide “in search of Romanesque architecture” dating to 1000 AD.  A nice PM, some clouds, into the 70s.  We pass San Loup de Varennes, learning the saint’s head (in residence here) has magical properties, like putting out fires.  Again thru pretty agricultural countryside.  Some brown cows; she says they’re bred with the cream ones, yielding pinkish cows (tho we don’t see any).  Pretty towns, lots of roses (which seem to be at their peak), churches, a chateau.  

To Cluny and a Benedictine Abbey that was the largest Christian building in the world until St. Peter’s was rebuilt, and deliberately made a bit larger.  Also here is a major stud farm (presumably no connection to abbey residents), a number of foals in the fields.  Abbots here were very powerful figures in the medieval world, heading a “monastic empire” of 10,000 monks.  Many relics were here, each w/ its own chapel.  They were able to build taller here due to an innovative arch construction.  Only parts of the original still stand  ̶  a model shows the whole complex w/ a darker shade to distinguish what remains.  Other parts were taken down during the anti-church period after the French Revolution, something we hear about a number of times during the trip.  A 3-D film of the complex; it would have been more exciting if some bats flew at us from the alcoves.  C’est bon!  

 Everyone back to the bus on time.  Back to the ship about 6, we set sail to go down the Saône to where it flows into the Rhône at Lyon.

          A cocktail party for those of us in the “Explorer Society” who’ve traveled before w/ Viking.  Tasty Kir Royale, champagne + cassis.  Rene tells us about Lyon, 3^rd largest French city, “culinary capital of the world” and a World Heritage site; also a center for silk.  Thru our first locks; locks and levees on these rivers control what used to be substantial flooding and enable river commerce.  When leaving locks you have to watch for water dripping from above; shrieks from people who don’t pay attention.  M catches an after-dinner program on Burgundy, I’m on the top deck w/ C & K watching scenery glide by on a pretty evening.  Lots of swans here and elsewhere along the rivers.  Dock overnight in Mâcon.  I haven’t slept much, but decongestant tonight helps.

Tuesday, June 2:

          Sunny & clear blue sky AM.  In the news: UK Parliamentary expenses scandal, Air France flight from Rio is missing.  Coffee machine in the lobby not working: sign says “Thank you for your understandment.”  Set sail at 7 for AM cruising to Lyon.  Several programs in the lounge: Qi-Gong exercises, Provence info, French lessons.  A quiche class and tasting; Rene says “this will give us energy to get to lunch.”  Plus some wine; this w/ my decongestant has me feeling pretty mellow.   

Beautiful and relaxing as we glide along the Saône, more swans & egrets.  The countryside is similar to our Hudson R, but we haven’t seen as much barge traffic as on the Hudson (or on our Rhine trip).  Some low bridges ahead, so people up top asked to move from the back to the lower level front deck; crew puts down railings and flattens deck chairs.  Just before lunch they close off the entire sun deck due to many low bridges in Lyon.  More locks to go thru, one w/ a fabulous profusion of wildflowers. 

As we approach Lyon our 1^st views of what locals call the “upside-down elephant”: 4 fat towers of the basilica perched high above the city.

          Dock on the Rhône by Universite Lumiere building, near a set of “mushrooms:” tall towers marking the site of city park and swimming pools.  PM in the high 70s.  A tour of Lyon w/ guide Ingebad, who promises 2600 years of history starting w/ Celts and Romans.  We start w/ narration of history, culture, culinary info.  Here as on other tours we hear about things that began in France; we’re wondering if the French invented everything!  And they haven’t even mentioned French toast, French fries, French poodles.   

We pass Roman leftovers  ̶  baths, aqueduct, theater  ̶  and uphill to Basilique Notre Dame Fourviére (the aforementioned elephant).  Panoramic (and very windy!) views over the city, w/ the aforementioned “mushrooms” as landmarks for our ship location.  Ingebad says the church has “no weddings, baptisms, funerals  ̶  just praying.”  A very impressive church.  Hail Marys in many different languages arrayed along a staircase.   

 Back down to the city: Hôtel de Ville (city hall), Bishop’s fortress, opera house, and along the main shopping street w/ beautiful wooden doorways interspersed.  Some fascinating trompe l’oiel: murals on building facades of fake people, windows, balconies.  They look so real!  

Into Vieux Lyon (the old city), walking thru traboules, passageways that go thru and connect buildings.  

 Now on our own, M & I go to Musée des Miniatures et décors de Cinéma.  Very interesting, starting w/ props and sets used for movies, including “Star Wars,” “Alien,” and “Perfume” (w/ Dustin Hoffman) while creepy music plays.  A curtain is drawn across an “area inadvisable to children or sensitive persons;” I, of course, head right in to encounter fairly tame 2-headed monsters, aliens, fake gore.  Then very unusual and varied miniature rooms, from whimsical to dark themes. 

A lovely after-dinner stroll w/ C & K.  Lighted churches, buildings, bridges.  Beautiful, especially the basilica high above.  We wander into the main square and shopping areas, place Bellecour and rue Victor Hugo.  Many photos are taken.  

 As we follow the river back to our ship we pass many young people getting “lit up” along the bank, but we don’t join the partying.  My congestion combines w/ the TV on all night in the next cabin to disturb M’s sleep.  After a friendly note to our neighbor, who’s very apologetic, at least the TV problem is solved. 

Wednesday, June 3: 

          

          Clear blue sky to begin, it’s going to be warmer, a shorts & t-shirt day.  Pretty view of basilica in the distance across a peninsula between the 2 rivers.  Decks hosed down while we breakfast.  AM program in the lounge by people from a local silk workshop.  Very interesting description and beautiful examples of silkscreening & handpainting on silk.  Fellow travelers swoop in to purchase; it’s a bit pricey for our tastes: 49€ for silk ties, scarves up to 100+€.  

          We stroll the nearby Universite and commercial neighborhood, including Middle Eastern and Asian areas.  Saint André church: unimposing exterior but inside we find fabulous windows; almost any church in Europe seems like an art museum, it’s fun to make unexpected discoveries like this.  There are places to write comments on a pad or a large Mur de Expression  which seems a kind of community center. 

 

Swimming pools along the river being cleaned for summer opening.  We investigate large “eggs” along the walkways; I theorize they’re alien pods (like “Mork from Ork”), but they prove to be recycling spots w/ proceeds going to cancer research.  A chat w/ Rene: his main job is teaching at a tourism school + administrative duties; he’s a “jumper” who goes from ship to ship filling in where needed, enjoys getting away from his desk  ̶  so this a “busman’s holiday” of sorts.

          Set sail at noon, sun deck cleared again for low bridges.  Thru industrial areas.  Uh oh!! Kevin has inadvertently erased camera files w/ all his photos.  We promise to share our pics.  At lunch I find tea w/ lemon & honey soothing for my congestion.  PM narration by Rene of history, agriculture, barge life (much like the Rhine, tho we’ve seen few so far).  M sketches a chateau along the river for use later in watercolors.  As we approach particularly low bridges they actually lower the level of the wheelhouse.  And some especially deep locks this PM (and evening).  

 To Vienne at about 2, un ville romaine et medieval from Roman temple to 13^th C church; also the site of a big annual jazz festival.  We dock in the heart of town, opposite rose bushes along the road, Roman ruins in a traffic circle, and a pretty park.  Lots of PM sun, warmest day of the trip (hi 80s). 

Guide Magalie for a bus/walking tour begins by explaining north/south differences in Provence (e.g., use of butter vs. oil).  Past a carousel on the main drag (we see these in several cities), parts of a 2000-year-old wall in a shopping area.  Another French invention!: the wine barrel (well, that makes sense).  Vienne is also a center for restoration of mosaics.  Past Eglise St-Pierre, 1 of the oldest churches in France, has been a stone museum since the Revolution when churches became publicly-controlled.  

Cathédral St-Maurice (not actually a cathedral now, but they call it one anyway): many angels sculpted above doorway: some happy, some sad, musicians, etc.  Some very modern windows, replacements from WWII bombing.  Magalie says St M’s skull is here, but few get to see it.  Walls are pretty bare, painting stripped away, but there are some tapestries.  Exterior being cleaned  ̶  the difference is striking.  Past a Roman temple, which became “temple of reason” during the Revolution; 1 of only 2 Roman temples left in France, others taken apart to use stones for construction.  “Window licking” as we walk back to the ship (a French term  ̶  can you guess its meaning?).   

Then a minitrain for a steep/narrow/winding ride up past main cemetery layered up the hill to a panoramic view of the city and river, Roman theater below.  Sculpture of the Virgin from black volcanic stone.  Kapelle Mont Pipert w/ dark interior.   

Back down I stroll thru the pretty park near our ship: flowers, sculptures, playground.  [N.B.: “window licking” = window shopping]

An international dinner (and apparently silly costume night for staff) as we set sail.  I’ve about lost my voice.  We eat w/ a couple married for 57 years; they note another couple onboard has been married 65 years!  We pass industrial complexes, including 2 nuclear power plants.

Thursday, June 4: 

Back to cooler (low 70s today), another clear blue sky start.  Docked alongside a campground in Tournon.  In the news: Obama reaches out to Muslims in a speech from Cairo; Osama bin Laden expresses skepticism.  Rene promises a quieter day before 2 very busy days; we’re only halfway thru but have seen so much!  Looks like a busy eating day, tho, including wine & chocolate tours, PM tea, and late-nite snack.  We see the real heart of the ship at the end of our corridor: the “shop” where everything gets fixed; the ship’s handyman is perturbed that while he was away his replacement left things a bit in disarray.  M’s Uncle Bill would have found this the most interesting part of the ship.

Guide Barbara takes us thru Tournon to Tain l’Hermitage, pretty towns along the Rhône, medieval ramparts, vineyards spilling down the hills.  Past a 15^th C chateau perched on granite outcropping.  Over Europe’s 1^st suspension bridge  ̶  another French invention, of course!  The economy here is “wine, wine, and more wine.”  Off the bus, we walk thru pretty alleyways past a cat in the window who gets lots of attention.  

To a museé for local painter Palué, w/ his daughter who restored the house.  I learn Barbara grew up in Sayre PA, my father’s hometown.  Her mother still lives there, she went to school with some Flynns, a family we knew when I was a kid. Her grandfather worked for the RR, as did mine.  Small world!   

We pass a status of “Harry,” as they refer to memorials for WWI soldiers. 


  

 Past pretty flowers and doorways. 

And this is as good a place as any to include some of Marjorie's door photos, a favored theme of hers.

On to famous Valrhona chocolate factory store, known for very dark chocolate, once considered the “most bitter” in the world.  Plentiful samples, including very rich hot chocolate.  We think of sister-in-law Ann, a chocolate aficionado who’d love this place!  Barbara takes chocolate to driver Rafael so he’ll be “wired” for driving.  

Now, of course, it’s time for wine.  A pretty drive thru vineyards, apricot orchards, fields of rye & corn.  Barbara tells more about Rhône wines: this is the 2^nd largest French wine area; migrant workers used here from Turkey, Morocco, Tunisia, E. Europe.  Lots of cherries here also.  At Crozes Hermitage winery, in an old convent, 7^th-generation son gives very informative tour on winemaking process and stages.  As we’ve seen other places, rose bushes are planted in vineyards to indicate healthy conditions: if roses are sick, the vines will be at risk.  Wine-tasting: a white (always 1^st) and 2 reds.  

 

Returning to the ship Barbara points out winery signs high on a hill.  A midnight prank once turned one into a “Hollywood” sign.  Oh, those wacky French!

After-lunch cruising.  Squeals on deck as water from locks reaches people lounging on sun deck  ̶  haven’t they learned yet?  Programs in the lounge include info about mustard and a chocolate class that concludes w/ very decadent cake.  Our 1^st time on-board for PM tea, w/ some tasty desserts.  A gorgeous warm PM.  

 I do some reading (and photos), M uses her earlier sketch to do watercolors; she gets lots of compliments from passersby.  Past pretty towns, locks w/ hydroelectric power generators, the 1^st wind turbines we’ve seen.   

A striking nuclear power plant: one cooling tower has a huge painting representing a child surrounded by the 4 elements (water, fire, earth, air).  One area has a particularly large flotilla of swans.  Levees in places put us higher than the surrounding countryside.  Mountains in the distance, occasional colorful barges and other tour ships.  An idyllic afternoon.  But one must still remain alert: as I walk up to the sun deck the captain warns me to look to the bow  ̶  a low bridge coming at about nose level!  Maybe that would have cleared my congestion.

Lamb chops (a personal favorite) for dinner, and they come around w/ seconds!  We dock at Viviers, Bishop’s seat w/ cathedral high on a hill overlooking town.  After-dinner walk as sun sets and lights come on.  Guide’s a resident, tho very British, and very witty  ̶  M says the best yet.  As we walk into town a motorcycle speeds toward the group: guide says “don’t worry, I know his mother.”  Many residents work for 2 nearby nuclear plants.  Steep cobblestone climbs thru evocative alleyways, many rock swallows swirling overhead (not bats, as some of us thought).   

Up to Cathedral St. Vincent (patron saint of wine) and beautiful panoramic views of the town in the evening light.  This is the smallest cathedral in France.  Guide says cypress tree in a garden means “welcome;” in a cemetery it has the same meaning, she says.  Why so many blue shutters?: supposedly blue repels mosquitoes and flies (perhaps French ones, anyway).  Back to the ship we exercise unusual restraint (for me, at least) and skip the late-nite snack.

Friday, June 5:

           Overcast AM.  We sailed thru the night into Provence, past Avignon to dock at Arles during breakfast.  I’m up early for reflection pics from the sun deck.  The river looks less picturesque from our cabin window at water level here, w/ bits of flotsam.  We learn later the river is not good for swimming due to dangerous undercurrent; no beach sand this trip for stepsister Mar’s international sand collection.  In the news: Forbes reports Angelina Jolie passes Oprah as “most powerful celebrity;” China “aggressively deterred dissent” on yesterday’s 20^th anniversary of Tiananmen Sq crackdown; calls for the British PM to resign over expense scandal and cabinet resignations.  

             But enough of the real world, we’re off for a walking tour of Arles w/ Johanna from the Netherlands.  Ship is docked by the site of RR bridge bombed by Americans in WWII.  Johanna recounts early history here of both Greeks & Romans.  Scattered thru town are signs showing where and what Vincent van Gogh painted here (including a print of each painting).  Imagine, standing right where he painted!  The signs remind us of designated “photo stops” in Disney World; but this is real culture and history!  Johanna notes different pronunciations of van Gogh by various nationalities.  

More narrow pretty streets w/ interesting signs, flowers, etc.  

 Thru a Roman amphitheater from 1^st C AD: seated 23,000 for gladiator fights, 60 arches around the outside.  After the Roman period houses were built w/in the walls, but razed later.  It’s now used for various events including bull “games” (the bulls aren’t killed).  M was weepy at the Colosseum in Rome, but partial restoration here makes it less affecting.  Past Roman theater from 1^st C BC, more like the Roman Forum.   

City Hall, w/ the “most remarkable” ceiling in France: stones cut to fit w/o mortar; the Venus of Arles in staircase.  More rock swallows flitting about, w/ annoying screetches. 

  Place du Forum, where Picasso stayed regularly in a room overlooking the square.  Statue of Frederic Mistral, Nobel Literature winner.  Some Americana: rue President Wilson, Obama burger in a café (avec des frites: w/ fries).  Hôtel Dieu, where VvG was hospitalized after ear-cutting: beautiful flowers in the courtyard (yes, of course, he painted this scene).  Signs for Fete de Meres, French Mothers Day on Sunday.  A steady rain begins during last part of the tour, the 1^st and only notable rain of the trip.  Back to the ship tired & damp for my dose of tea w/ honey. 

          PM optional tour to Les Baux, a Frommer’s “best romantic getaway” described as “nesting place for eagles.”  Sun peeking out now, a nice PM w/ hazy sun.  Another excellent guide, Isabel.  We learn numbered signs the guides hold over their heads so we can follow are called “lollipops.”  A 40-minute bus ride, we’re reminded to wear “security belts.”  Past rice fields, barbed wire fence around army property.  Many olive trees  ̶  M was allergic to these in Greece, but seems OK here.  Into very different countryside: very hilly, dramatic rock outcroppings, pretty yellow Scotch broom flowers.  They used to extract bauxite here.  The town looks down on Val d’Enfer (Valley of Hell), reputedly once the haunt of witches & goblins. 

A pretty town, many stone walks up & down, tho as foretold by Frommer’s lots of tourists.  There are many shops, something for every taste. 

          

Museé des santones w/ local figurines, Chappelle des penitents w/ pretty frescoes.  La Cure Gourmande is a pretty store w/ colorful baking stuff; I get a few cookies to share.  M makes a few small purchases in other shops.  A short drive past vineyards, olive trees, a group of donkeys roaming free.  

To St. Remy, where Vincent went after being asked to leave Arles (guess he wasn’t a very good neighbor).  Roman arch and mausoleum.  VvG hospitalized here; we can’t go there, since it’s still used as mental hospital for women.  He did hundreds of paintings during a year here, more signs to mark some of the places.  Cloisters and courtyard w/ pretty flowers.  A garden w/ field of red poppies, another of lavender (M says it may be Russian sage, but at least it looks lavender).  A reproduction of VvG’s bedroom.  

We drive thru the town, birthplace of future-seer Nostradamus, and along a pretty country road lined with sycamores.  Huge oleander displays. 

          Back to the ship for a session on disembarkation.  I tell Rene I don’t want to disembark, he says there may be a position in the kitchen if I’ll work very hard for little pay.  We’re now going upstream, rising in the locks, headed back north to Avignon.   

Accordion player at dinner & in the lounge after.  Provençal dinner includes regional specialty escargot (which basically tastes like garlic).  We want to bring the snail shells back for grandson Willy but they get scooped up.  We do have some French stones; he’s always giving us little stones he finds on our walks.  I run back & forth to our cabin to keep tabs on a Federer tennis match at the French Open; people may think I have an overactive bladder.  More wind turbines, limestone quarries along the river.  1^st views of Avignon and lighted papal palace at 9:30, docked near a bridge only partly restored to reach about 2/3rds of way across.  From up top we watch crew maneuver a gangplank over the side and into place.

Saturday, June 6: Avignon

          Sunny & clear sky to begin, mix of sun & clouds later.  Quite a storm during the night, but we slept thru it.  Sports news: England has a 4-wicket loss in WorldTwenty20 cricket (whatever that means).  More significantly, it’s the 65^th anniversary of D-Day: Obama’s attending, Brits miffed that Queen wasn’t formally invited  ̶  French response seems a typical shrug of the shoulders.  Pretty views of boats, reflections from our cabin window.  Nearby ferris wheel being prepped for summer use, M sorry she can’t get a ride.  We’ve opted for an “extended” (extra 45 minutes) Avignon tour w/ guide Nadine.  Lengthy history again here dating to Romans in 2^nd C BC.  City was the property of Popes from 14^th C until the Revolution.  We pass thru 14^th C city walls, by pretty churches and along pretty streets, some paved w/ river stones, to big main square: Hôtel de Ville, colorful flowers & flags, carousel (shuttered now), opera house.  

Up to Cathédralé Notre-Dame des Doms and Palais des Papes, noisy swallows again overhead.  The Palais was 14^th C “capital of Christendom,” the papal home beginning 1309 to escape political infighting in Rome; after the Great Western Schism in 1376 2 rival popes were elected (Avignon & Rome) until Rome unification in 1417.  It’s the biggest Gothic fortress in the world.  After the Revolution this became a jail, then army barracks.  Interior courtyards now used for performances and recent rose show.  Darn, no interior photos allowed, tho rooms not furnished, instead set up w/ museum displays.  Some walls painted or frescoes; beautiful tho no restoration except cleaning.  Large dining hall and . . . oops, I’ve fallen behind our group so my headphones start to pick up a different guide.  Kitchen w/ a chimney rising way above.  Guide points out masons’ marks on stones in the walls; guess they were paid on a piecework basis.  A room painted with Provençal nature scenes, another room w/ deer on the walls.  Into the “new” palace and the biggest room: the Grand Chappelle, for use only by the pope and his guests.  Just as it’s good to be King (as Mel Brooks said), it’s good to be Pope: we learn popes were also among the few who could afford the finest wines.  The chapel is pretty bare now.  Exit leads thru wine shop and gift shop w/ many knight-themed toys & figurines.  M says I can’t get a knight’s outfit.  M counted 249 steps up and down during our tour of the palace; guide said there’d be “only” 220!  

On thru the city, which has more than 170 statues of the Virgin on buildings.  More pretty squares & streets.  

Eglise St. Pierre, w/ beautiful carved wooden doorway. 

Thru pedestrian area w/ many shops to Les Halles covered market.  The front is covered w/ spectacular vegetation up 4 stories.  Much stuff in colorful array: meats, fish, fruits & veggies, cheeses, spices, bread, etc.  Some time to wander, even un taste du vin.  

 Along rue des Teinturiers, an older section w/ shops, an old water wheel, Chappelle des Penitents.  Guide gives more information on history, culture, politics . . . the mind is filling up . . . can’t process it all . . . must eat!  But I nonetheless notice when the guide points out papelime candy, a local delicacy of pink chocolate encasing a liquer.  Back to the ship, where I’m a big hit at lunch w/ shopping tips from Frommer’s.

          We skip the last optional tour (the papal winery) to wander more in Avignon  ̶  with no group and no headsets (how daring!).  To the square w/ the carousel operating now.  A protest by musicians from a local music school; signs say “Musiques Actuelles en Danger.”  Despite our lack of French we gather it’s an issue also found in NYC about the use of recorded instead of live music.  We express solidarity as best we can on behalf of our musician family & friends.   

A Casa store has interesting kitchen and household stuff; M finds some pretty containers for Provençal herbs she bought earlier in the trip.  I can’t convince her to look into Lili la Tigresse across the street  ̶  I think we’ve missed an important part of French culture.  It’s a nice warm PM, so a stop for glacé (yummy cafe & nougat cones).  Finally, to rue de la Republique, the mother ship for shopping here (complete w/ a McDonald’s). 

 

My shopping interest wears out quickly so back to the ship, leaving a map and directions for M.  She returns later happy to have found a grocery store (always a favorite spot for her during our travels) hiding below street level.  They gave her a rose which she presents to Ulrike at the lobby desk.

          Tonight’s the festive Captain’s Dinner.  Our other cruise had a Captain’s table at which we were invited to sit.  Any hope for a repeat is dashed as everyone sits democratically.  Staff, and many passengers, all dressed up.  We’re elegant causal (M elegant, me casual).  Staff introduced and applauded, including the kitchen, waitstaff, reception, housekeeping.  A wide variety of European countries are represented among the staff.   

We sit w/ C & K plus Lloyd & Mary from Denver.  Dinner continues to offer some challenges to my tastes: asparagus stew, mushroom broth.  I’ve been quite tolerant, tho there are some limits to my adventurousness.  And I’ve decided that “vegetable terrine” is just another term for something I wouldn’t otherwise eat; Kevin opines that the kitchen has a smooshing machine for such purposes.  But then there’s always the good stuff: beef tenderloin & baked Alaska, paraded around w/ sparklers. 

          After dinner M goes thru various staff trying to get a translation of something she found.  Parfait, head of housekeeping, takes it and very thoughtfully returns w/ a written translation.  He had earlier brought M a bottle of the shower gel used in cabins after she wondered what it was.  Since we head in different directions at different times tomorrow, we bid a fond farewell to newfound friends Caroline & Kevin.  M gives C one of her shipboard watercolors.  We trade contact info and invitations to visit (they have a vacation place in Maine, we offer a rest stop for their drive from Chicago to Maine); I’ll send them a photo CD and trip diary. 

Sunday, June 7:

          One last beautiful AM.  As usual, M was up very late packing.  We rise very early, settle the shipboard account, put luggage out, grab breakfast.  Rene & Captain are outside to see us off at 7.  1-hour bus to Marseille airport, a pretty drive (what we see of it between snoozes).  One of our bags seems unusually heavy: the airport counter registers weighs 20.2 kg (which calculates as 44 lbs, so it’s OK).  We sit about 30 minutes in the plane until departing for Frankfurt at 10:30 (Lufthansa again, tho we stay in Economy seats this time).  Frankfurt lunch from a friendly guy at Esspressamente.  A symbol of our global world: we’ve come from France, sitting in a German airport, as “Sweet Home Alabama” plays thru the airport.  M manages to stretch out for a nap during a nearly 5 hour layover.  On time from Frankfurt at 5pm, to JFK vicinity early but some circling and taxiing gets us to the gate on time at 7:30pm.  No complications w/ bags or customs, we come out to find Matt w/ an excited Willy on his shoulders: “Grandpa!  Grandma!”  What a nice welcome home.  But not home quite yet.  After a brief stop in Queens we hit the road  ̶  I managed some sleep on the plane, so able to keep going, w/ caffeine & head-clearing stops, while M snoozes  ̶  arriving home 12:30am.

          We’ve traveled in a variety of modes, from (usually) independent to fully escorted groups.  Each has its pros & cons.  River cruises are very relaxing and luxurious; everything is taken care of.  They are more insulated, tho, so you miss the experiences of being on your own and the nuances of everyday life in a different culture: struggling w/ the language, figuring out the local metro, finding interesting restaurants.  VRC questionnaires asked how our experiences “compared w/ expectations;” at the risk of being pedantic (I teach survey methods) that’s poor survey form, potentially equating fulfillment of low or high expectations as equivalent.  In our case, we understood what to anticipate and had very high expectations, which were well met, so that’s a definite thumbs-up: it was a wonderful trip! 

          Staff was friendly, attentive, and thoughtful.  We’ll miss Rene’s announcements begun w/ a sonorous “So-o-o-o-o . . . ladies and gentlemen . . .;” by the end we were all chorusing along w/ him.  He’s very good-natured and knowledgeable, as well as keeping a firm hand on everything; sort of the ship’s Dad.  Program assistants Ulrike & Janine were friendly and fun.  The Captain was very pleasant, tho he spoke no English.  It was interesting to watch him expertly guide the ship through locks using a joystick on the side.  Second Captain Sandrine, a tiny blond, is apparently one of the few women in such positions.  We enjoyed good-natured bantering and excellent service from waitstaff, including Christoph & Elzebeth.

Have I mentioned the food?  It was excellent, and plentiful.  Dinners had choices within courses, not large servings but they added up to very filling meals.  Many excellent sauces, nice presentations; it was a treat to have gourmet dining every night.  Chef Margite was a very jolly sort who took delight in her port talk announcements, w/ special emphasis on “and for dessert . . .”  Too bad, tho, M was unable to arrange a kitchen tour.  All the eating was counteracted by lots of walking on tours (cobblestones and hills contributed to some sore calves) and climbing of stairs in the ship from our cabin in steerage; so we avoided returning w/ cruise bulge  ̶  at least that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.   

          We enjoyed meeting and spending time w/ fellow passengers.  Sure, as in any sizable group a few seemed permanently crabby and others a bit eccentric  ̶  one man spent a lot of time doing work on his laptop in the ship library, tho his wife said he was having a good time.  Overall it was a friendly and interesting group, mostly folks from the US, others from Britain, Canada, Australia.  Some had begun their travels before the cruise, even going from 1 cruise to another; others continuing on to other travel, such as Nice or Paris.

Staff took pics of us thruout the week; there was an ongoing presentation in the lobby and a CD for sale.  I think we can manage on our own: 558 pics by me, 179 by M (once again we thank digital for enabling many photos w/o worry about film costs).  We complement each other: I more the generalist, M takes a more arty approach, doorways a specialty.  And once again we found each other to be delightful travel companions.  We’ll do more.