A
Fall Trip Through Provence
and the Côte d’Azur!
A ten-day exploration
of the charms of the French Riviera and the grandeur of a
Rhone River cruise.
T
he following is a
detailed report that follows our trip itinerary and includes
traveler’s notes on the places
we visited, impressions of our river cruise and hotels, meals
and wines we enjoyed, notes on some hotels and excursions
we made either with a group or on our own.
Part 2: Gordes, Arles, Avignon, Tournon,
Tain l'Hermitage, Vienne
Day 7 ARLES.
We enjoy a nice breakfast and then walk into old Arles to
tour on our own. We visit the majestic Roman amphitheater
where gladiators battled and Christians were fed to
lions. Blood still flows in that same arena. Arles
is one of the few cities in southern France that allows bullfighting
the Spanish way. That is, when a bull leaves this ring the
next stop is the butcher's shop.
And then, I suppose, our lunch plate! Dining at one
of the outdoor restaurants at the Place du Forum, we choose
the prix fixe menu which includes Chinese salad, steak
de toro, potatoes au gratin, and crème brulee
for 13 euro each. We visit the Museon Arleton which depicts
daily life in Arles in the 1800s-1900s, with dioramas, artifacts
and fascinating displays. Stop into the Nord-Pinus Hotel
where Picasso, Cocteau, Yves Montand and other celebrities
stayed, along with bullfighters for which Arles is famous.
The rooms drip with the atmosphere of that era of luxury
and style, but modern pieces of art from around the world
are also in evidence. A kind hotel manager treats us to
wine in the bar that was a collection of photos and memorabilia—fascinating
and wonderful. Back on the boat we enjoy prosecco before
dinner, and finally we are underway, motoring upriver toward
Avignon.
Day 8 AVIGNON. We
walk into the old town and locate the office of a tour operator
associate, with whom we walk for a visit of Hotel La Mirande.
Located right in the shadow of the Palais de Papes, it is
a rare and wonderful hotel, almost a historic monument itself,
with a refined aesthetic and beauty
in every corner, every room a work of art. We see its
authentic 19th century kitchen with original wood stove
and huge woodblock table. This is where the hotel operates
its cooking school where classes are taught by
the most renowned chefs of Provence.
We visit the Palais de Papes, but make
quick work of it, briskly moving through the massive rooms
and listening to the recorded guide through our headphones.
Then we search for a recommended restaurant—not easy in the convoluted
streets of old Avignon—only to find it closed. So we
buy baguette sandwiches, which we eat in front of the Palais,
then hurry back to the boat for …
OUR PRIVATE WINE TOUR
TO CHATEAUNEUF DU PAPE. Our
guide, Marc Jonas, is very wine-knowledgeable and fun to
be with. We pass through the town of Orange, passing by one
of the best-preserved Roman ruins in France. Unfortunately
we have little time, and Orange is one of the five communes
that produce the best known of the Rhone wines, the rich
and complex blended wine (both red and white) called Chateauneuf-du-Pape. First
we visit the cellars of Maison Bouachon, and then enjoy
a pleasant tasting of several fine vintages of their Chateauneuf-du-Pape.
Next we head to a high plateau, site of a large family winery,
Mont Redon. Gazing beyond a rolling sea of vines, where vines
have grown since Roman times, we can see the Palais du Pape
in distant Avignon. On another day Mont Ventoux would be
visible. We taste some very wonderful wines and buy several
bottles. On the boat tonight we are entertained by gypsy
guitar players and a dancer from the Camargue region.
Day 9 TOURNON and TAIN L’HERMITAGE.
In the morning we’re in Tournon, in the Ardeche department.
On the Western bank of the river are the Syrah vineyards
of Saint-Joseph wines, which we always enjoy. The stark
hillside above the river here has been planted in vines for
more than two thousand years. The vines produce the
grapes that go into the famous Tain l’Hermitage wines.
Off the ship, we cross the pedestrian bridge, to the town
of Tain l'Hermitage. We enjoy a morning walk along the river
and find our way to the tasting and retail shop for Valrhona
chocolate. What a delicious stop! We buy a large selection
of delectable treats, and then head to a little café for
lunch. Just off the town square we visit a wine shop, Compagnie
de l’Hermitage where Jean Philippe adds to our knowledge
of regional wines while pouring tastes for us. The
proprietor arrives, expresses his disdain of wine guides,
specifically the Wine Spectator, makes the statement
that one “cannot use the English language to talk about
wine,” and other friendly insults, and then wins our
hearts by pouring us an absolutely delicious taste of a fine
vintage.
Day 10 Lovely VIENNE. This
morning we awake on the quay of the lovely old town of Vienne.
We join a delightful tour led by an excellent
guide, Elizabeth, starting with a ride on an open air rail
car that climbs up Mont Pipet to see the first century
Roman Theatre and other well preserved Roman ruins. As
we roll along a narrow street a French gent exclaims, “Je
t’aime!” “I love you!” Elizabeth
mentions the success of the annual Vienne Jazz Festival
that brings revenue to the town. The Vienne Jazz
Festival has become an important event that attracts
thousands of international jazz fans and world class musicians.
This year
the festival takes place June 28-July 13. Vienne is considered
one of the best and most beautiful event sites on the summer
circuit of European jazz festivals.
At noon our boat departs for the 20-kilometer
trip to the city of Lyon. We open the french doors of our
cabin and enjoy the swirling green water almost close enough
to touch, the white swans, the lovely chateaux dotting
the banks of the river ... this is a completely different
kind of cruise experience, so visually rich. We open a
bottle of wine and watch the countryside go by. At such
a nice slow pace, it takes us 3 enjoyable hours to reach
Lyon.
Beautiful LYON. We jump on
the motorcoach tour and head up to Fourviere Hill, from where
we enjoy a fantastic view over Lyon which is situated at
the confluence of the Saone and the Rhone Rivers. We
can see the two rivers and old section of Vieux Lyon below,
with its beautiful houses of Gothic, Renaissance and late
16th century periods—the era of Lyon’s heyday
as an important center for silk weaving and fabric manufacture.
We stop into the 19th century Basilica, ‘Notre
Dame de Fourviere’ which we will see from many vantages
in the days we wander tirelessly the streets of Lyon.
Medieval PEROUGES.
On the tour bus we head out of the city and northeast thirty
kilometers for an excursion through the rural departement
of l'Ain. As it rains lightly, we enjoy seeing the
passing landscapes and
country homes and farms which utilize traditional construction
and sytems of ponds for irrigation, and in less than an
hour reach the “Old
Duchy of Savoyen,” the perfectly
preserved medieval village of Perouges. With our guide we
walk through the cobblestone paths and alleys of the town,
which was famous for
its weavers and craftspeople. It begins to mist, and the
atmospheric
quality of a town with such a long history creates a dreamy
mood. We duck
into a shop filled with antique furniture along with photos
of famous
visitors (including Bill and Hillary Clinton) for hot tea
and the local
pastry.
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