Day 32 - Tuesday 31st October 2023

Today we'd be exploring Paris. When we went down to the hotel breakfast at about 8:45am, it was cloudy and cool (11C) outside. Yesterday they'd been forecasting rain but there was no longer rain on the forecast.

We had a very nice breakfast in the hotel restaurant. They had the same machine for cooking boiled eggs that I'd seen earlier in our holiday and so I knew how to use it except this time the timer was an hour glass rather than a clock timer.

Since we've had success with the hop on hop off bus in other cities we've visited on our holiday, we decided to do the same here in Paris. We left our hotel at 10:15am.

The Big Bus ticket office was only a block away from our hotel. We'd already booked online and so the office just issued us with the paper tickets. We'd decided to book a two-day pass including a boat trip on the River Seine.

As with other cities, the top deck is open - although sometimes the bus has a canvas cover over the rows at the front for weather protection. We managed to get seats on the top deck.

There are ten stops on the tour and we decided that we wanted to get off at three stops: Notre Dame, Arc de Triomphe and the Eiffel Tower.

Unfortunately we miscalculated with the first stop and got off one stop too early. This gave us an opportunity to take photos of the river and surrounding buildings while we waited for the next bus. They are supposed to come every 15 minutes but it doesn't always turn out that way.

We were then worried about the stop for the Notre Dame site because the bus just sailed past the cathedral. All was well because the bus did a loop around several city blocks before depositing us very close to the cathedral.

It was a popular spot because most people got off there. Although it wasn't raining, the ground was wet and there were puddles and mud to avoid. There was a very visible police presence.

The cathedral was still under reconstruction and there were cranes everywhere. At the front of the cathedral, they've built a temporary timber grandstand for people to sit and take photos. We know all about delayed construction.

It was a long wait for the next bus. As we waited we chatted to a couple from Brisbane in front of us in the queue. She was in a wheelchair because she'd had a mishap on their holiday.

After navigating various other parts of the city (and after crossing the River Seine several times it seemed), the bus travelled along the full length of the Champs Elysees past all the cafes and expensive shops before stopping near the Arc de Triomphe where we got off the bus.

This was obviously another great photo opportunity.

Then we walked a short distance down the Champs Elysees before stopping at a sidewalk cafe for a coffee and cake. It had great atmosphere with the crowds walking past close to us in the cafe and the Arc de Triomphe close by. As Suzy said, this ticked lots of boxes.

It was then only a short wait to board the bus again. When we reached the stop for the Trocadero, they announced that it was an ideal place to take a photo of the Eiffel Tower. Although we took photos from the bus, we managed to take heaps of photos later of the Eiffel Tower from other locations.

When we got off the bus at the Eiffel Tower stop, the main purpose was to find where to board the boat for the river cruise. After a few false starts we found it and found a bench seat onboard. It was mostly sunny and the temperature had risen to 14C.

Unsurprisingly it was a popular outing because the boat was full. A large group of enthusiastic girl guides from England occupied the full length of the long bench in front of us.

The boat set off down the River Seine at 2pm taking us past various landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower, Place de la Concorde, Louvre Museum, Pont Neuf, Notre Dame and the Trocadero.

There was plenty of activity on the river. People on our boat and others would wave to each other as we passed by and the kids would create an echo ruckus as we passed under low bridges.

There were numerous small police boats patrolling the river. In fact, most of day we'd heard sirens throughout the city - mostly police cars and occasionally ambulances.

After the boat turned around, we saw the landmarks from our side of the boat. We docked at the Eiffel Tower just after 3pm. It was an excellent way to see so many of the highlights of Paris. Suzy always likes to see a city from the water such as a river, canal or sea.

We grabbed a sandwich for lunch before heading off for a walk further along the riverside. Just as we were heading back, we ran into two other couples from our river cruise. They had just been up to the top of the Eiffel Tower.

A nearby cafe attracted us for a brief stop for espresso coffee before we headed back to board the bus for the remainder of the journey.

Soon we managed to get more photos of the Eiffel Tower from the bus. I now had heaps of photos of it from every conceivable angle.

Suzy got off the bus one stop early before our hotel so she could go to the Galleries Lafayette shopping centre. I went to the final stop and walked back to the hotel.

For dinner we went to Le Comptoir restaurant at 7pm. It was another good meal. I had salmon and Suzy had pork spare ribs (which didn't look at all like spare tibs). We ordered a Cote du Rhone red wine but they charged us for the wrong wine and gave us a reduced bill.

Next we went to a nearby laundry to sort out our washing instead of paying a fortune for hotel laundry.

We were back at our hotel at about 9pm after a memorable and tiring day in Paris.

Day 31 - Monday 30th October 2023

Today we'd be leaving our river cruise and getting a train to Paris.

Scenic has an excellent system for arranging disembarkation. They issue everyone with coloured tags for their luggage according to their departure time. They organise taxis and vans to take passengers to the airport, railway station or hotels.

Some people left as early as 4am whereas a few didn't leave until the afternoon. Our taxi had been booked for 11:30am to take us to Lyon Part-Dieu railway station.

Everyone had to vacate their room by 8:30am and so we had a few hours to relax in the lounge after breakfast before our departure. We shared the taxi with two other couples and reached the station at about 11:50am.

Danielle had given us advice about the train travel including that we buy something for lunch before boarding the train because the food onboard wasn't great. So we bought some baguettes and found a waiting room to sit and wait.

In the waiting room, we saw another couple from the river cruise. It turned out that they had a French speaking guide and so we decided to tag along with them because the guide knew where to go.

Eventually they allocated platform B to our train and we followed the guide. They are very long trains and we were on carriage 11 and we had to wait in area W on the platform for this carriage. The areas go from A to Z.

Originally the train was due to depart at 1:04pm. The display board said it was running 10 minutes late, then 20 and then 25.

They was another train waiting at the platform and when our train arrived, they hooked them together.

It wasn't easy getting our luggage on board. Luckily Suzy had booked seats downstairs so we didn't have to carry the bags upstairs. She'd also booked first class and so the seats were comfortable.

The train took a few minutes to reach top speed. There was a screen at the front of the carriage displaying information such as a map. At one stage I noticed that the speed was 266km/h.

The scenery dashing past the window was mainly rural with sheep in green paddocks. Because of the mist and rain, we couldn't see long distances. You could tell we were going fast when we passed a train going in the other direction - at least I assume it was a train because it was just a noisy blur.

When we arrived in Paris at the Gare de Lyon station at 3:20pm, there was some sunshine. The platform was very long and narrow. Although it was busy and crowded, at least everyone was carting their luggage in the same direction.

Outside the station, we joined the queue for a taxi. The ground was wet but it wasn't raining. While we were waiting, Suzy made the comment to me about how pushy the French are.

It took the taxi about 10 minutes to travel the first 100m out of the station precinct. I was glad I wasn't driving because the traffic through the city was chaotic.

We reached our hotel, Hotel Moliere, safely at about 4:15pm. This is a boutique hotel in the heart of Paris a couple of blocks away from the Louvre Museum and close to many other attractions.

Our room on the fourth floor overlooked a courtyard. It was spacious by Paris standards but smaller than most other hotel rooms we've stayed in. It was hard to find space for our bags.

The room had a queen size bed, work desk, carpet, safe, fridge, wardrobe, separate toilet (without its own handbasin), walk-in shower. The wifi speed was about 70Mb/s in both directions. It had heating but no air conditioning.

Downstairs there were tasteful lounge areas. The staff were very friendly an helpful. It had a very different atmosphere to a big hotel.

The hotel is in a narrow one-way street, Rue Moliere. At the beginning of the street, there is a statue of Moliere with a fountain. Moliere was a famous French playwright in the 17th century. When I was learning French at school, we studied one of his plays, Le Malade Imaginaire.

The hotel reception had recommended the Bistrot Richelieu for dinner and so we booked to go there at 7pm. It was a good choice.

After dinner we went to a small supermarket nearby where they sold wine. It was very cheap. I bought a nice bottle of cabernet shiraz for 3.49 Euros (less than $A6).

Day 30 - Sunday 29th October 2023

Daylight saving ended last night and so we got an extra hour of sleep. It was a mild cloudy morning (16C). There was no rain on the forecast - just wind.

Our outing this morning was a guided tour of Lyon starting at 9am. Suzy made sure she was one of the first to leave the ship and get to the bus so we could sit on the front seat to get the best view and to be able to take photos out the front window of the bus.

The first destination was the basilica at the top of the hill. Along the way, we passed some Roman ruins - one was a set of tombs and the other was an open air theatre.

Although navigating the narrow streets was a challenge for the bus driver, he managed to get there without any scratches on the bus. We've seen this several times of this holiday. The drivers are very impressive.

Because it was a Sunday, it was probably more crowded than usual at the basilica. They divided us into two groups - each with a separate guide. I think we did well because our guide was easier to understand than the other guide.

The basilica is called the Basilica of Notre Dame of Fourviere. It was so large that it wasn't possible to get all of it in a single photo.

Our guide took us first to an area next to the basilica that gave us an extraordinary panoramic view of the city of Lyon way below. As we all took photos, he described various buildings and points of interest.

For example, he pointed out several buildings, structures and swimming pool that were constructed decades ago in the unsuccessful attempt to host the Olympics at various times.

The forecast for today was "windy" and they were not wrong. It was very windy up there at the top of the hill.

Next he took us back to the front of the basilica to describe more about its features and history. After that, we had about twenty minutes of free time to explore inside and outside the building. It is a very impressive buildings inside and outside.

The bus then took us back down the hill to the old town. with our guide providing interesting information along the way about the buildings, bridges and river.

Our guided tour of the old town started outside the courthouse which is a grand building with lots of tall stone columns. He told us that this is where they tried one of worst Nazi war criminals, the Butcher of Lyon.

Like so many other towns, we walked along narrow cobblestone streets lined with houses and shops. Our guide stopped at a couple of shops in particular - a patisserie and a silk shop.

He also showed us something I'd never seen before: a traboule. This is a passageway in a building that provides access to apartments. There is usually a large wooden door at the entrance. It's like walking through a secret tunnel. Usually the traboule goes all the way through the building to the next parallel street.

Some apartments have access at ground level from the traboule but usually there are three or four levels of apartments. Part of the way along the traboule, there would be a small courtyard  and the apartments have windows overlooking the courtyard.

The final destination of the guided tour was the Saint John Cathedral next to a large plaza. We had about 20 minutes of free time to look inside the cathedral or explore the surrounding streets before meeting back in front of the courthouse for the bus trip back to the ship. We reached the ship at about 12 noon.

There was live music in the lounge at 5:30pm. Almost everyone was there and so the lounge was crowded. There was only one waitress on duty and she was struggling to look after drinks for the masses.

At 6:30pm, Danielle gave the last port talk during which they introduced all the crew so we could clap and thank them for their great work on the cruise. The captain was missing because he'd already left the ship.

We enjoyed yet another excellent dinner and good company.

I was very tired and we in bed at about 10pm.

Day 29 - Saturday 28th October 2023

Originally the ship was due to be sailing all day back to Lyon without any stops. However they decided  yesterday to change the plan by leaving earlier and getting to the ancient town of Vienne by the morning. There wouldn't be any organised outings but we would be free to go ashore ourselves.

Although they expected to reach Vienne at 6am, it was about 8am before we got there. Later I found out that they were delayed by the height of the river. There must have been a storm upstream resulting in increased water and a faster current.

Another factor might have been the amount of debris being washed downstream. A few logs were quite substantial. You wouldn't want to run into one of them.

When we opened the curtains soon after 8am, the ship was moored right next to the town. It was overcast again and cool (9C) but not raining.

At about 9:30am, straight after breakfast, we ventured out to explore Vienne. We walked north along the riverside until we could see the cathedral (St Maurice Cathedral).

We looked at the front of the cathedral but didn't tackle the many stairs leading up to the entrance. Instead we found a side door from the street next to the building.

This cathedral is big. Very big. Perhaps it is not as ornate as most cathedrals but it makes up for that with its imposing size. Apparently parts of the building date back more than a thousand years.

Saturday is market day in Vienne and Suzy is always keen to go to the markets. They were only a couple of blocks up the hill from the cathedral. The markets were big too. The plaza and streets were blocked off for the many stalls.

I left Suzy there and went along the street to see the ruins of the Roman temple (Temple of Augustus and Livie). It seemed to be in reasonable condition considering its age. Most of the columns were still standing.

This was quite an attraction for the city. About a block further up the hill, there was an attraction from a different era: a big ferris wheel in the plaza outside the town hall.

A block or two further on, I came across more Roman ruins. They consistent of stone arches, walls and some foundations.

At each of the sites I went to, I came across other people from our ship who were also exploring the town.

I was back on the ship by about 10:45. When Suzy got back at about 11:30am, it had started to rain.

Lunch in the dining room was excellent again. I had the roast turkey. I was delicious.

The ship departed from Vienne soon after 1pm. The river was still flowing quite fast and there were even white caps on the waves. The brief rain shower earlier had gone and there was mainly blue sky. We continue to be very lucky with the weather.

Tonight's schedule was different from normal because we'd be going to a concert in Lyon. Therefore the dinner was rescheduled to the earlier time of 5:30pm. There was a disembarkation talk at 4:45pm and the port talk was at 5:15pm. The ship docked at Lyon at 5pm in the same place we boarded the ship at the start of the cruise.

We boarded buses at 7:30 to take us to the concert which was held in a hall that used to be the chapel for the nearby Catholic school (Chapelle de la Trinite). The hall was ornately decorated with statues.

The performance was by a choir (no instruments) of five women and five men plus a conductor or leader. She made the announcements, acted as the conductor and sometimes joined the choir in singing. It was all classical music and lasted less than an hour.

Some people walked back to the ship after the concert but most of us caught the bus. We were back at the ship by about 9:30pm.

Day 28 - Friday 27th October 2023

When we woke this morning, the ship was moored at Chateauneuf du Rhone (not to be confused with Chateauneuf du Papes where we'd been yesterday) which is an industrial town near the ancient town of Viviers. However, the dock was not close to the town and so we mainly had river views.

It was slightly cooler this morning (11C) and there was plenty of blue sky.

Our outing this morning was a walking tour of Viviers. To get there, Scenic had organised buses to take us from our ship to the town. Although there are moorings at Viviers, they were all fully occupied. The bus trip was about ten minutes and reached Viviers soon after 9am.

There we met our guides for the tour. Initially our guide led us along a long road lined with plane trees. She said this route used to be where the Rhone River flowed many years ago.

She guided us through the narrow cobblestone streets explaining the architecture of the buildings as we went. Slowly we were making our way up to the cathedral at the top of the hill.

We were lucky with the nice sunny weather - not just because it was a pleasant day but also because the sunshine lit up the cathedral.

She said this cathedral is the smallest cathedral in France. We were allowed to take photos and we were allowed to walk around the altar area.

After leaving the cathedral, we walked to a large adjacent grassed area on the same level as the cathedral that had fabulous views of the city below, the river and the mountains in the distance. At the top of a nearby mountain, there was a large statue of the Virgin Mary.

She told us that there are two power plants in the area - one hydro and one nuclear.

Next she led us down more cobblestone streets to get back to the buses that were waiting to take us back to the ship. We were back on board by 11:30am.

Our afternoon outing was scheduled to start at 1pm and so lunch was earlier than normal at 12 noon.

The primary destination was to be the Chauvet Cave which is also known as the Pont d'Arc Cave or Caverne du Pont-d'Arc. This cave, which was discovered in 1994, contains artwork that dates back 36,000 years.

We wouldn't be going to the original cave because it's protected. Instead we'd be going to a full size replica of the cave known as Chauvet 2 or Grotte Chauvet 2. It would take about 90 minutes to get there.

The bus left the ship at about 1pm and took us through rural areas including vineyards and small towns.

They'd warned us about windy roads and had even suggested that people consider taking seasickness tablets. Some of the roads were windy but seemed tame to me compared with others we'd encountered earlier this year in Scandinavia and Portugal.

About an hour into the journey, we stopped beside the road at a lookout that had excellent views of the valleys and the river below. We had time to take photos.

Further on, the bus slowed down so we could take photos of the Pont d'Arc which is a natural 50m high rock arch over the Ardeche River.

When we reached the replica cave site, we were divided into groups of 20, supplied with headsets and allocated to a guide.

We were told we weren't allowed to take photos inside. If I'd known that, I would have left my camera on the bus instead of having to lug it around the exhibit for an hour and a half.

The exhibit used subdued lighting in an effort to resemble the real cave. There is a metal walkway that meanders through the various parts of the cave.

Overall it is very impressive that they have managed to reproduce the cave in so much detail such as the contours of the cave and the stalactites hanging from the roof of the cave. They even show footprints from bears and the areas where bears used to sleep to hibernate.

The guide led us from one viewing area to another. The final one had the most artwork showing many different kinds of animals.

The tour lasted for almost an hour. I struggled with this because there was nowhere to sit down. On other guided tours, I usually manage to find a seat so I can listen to the guide.

When we emerged from the exhibit, it was drizzling.

The bus trip back to the ship was shorter than the journey to get there and we were back on the ship at about 5:30pm. It was raining when we got out of the bus.

This evening, we'd been invited to another special dinner called Table La Rive. It is held on a table at the back of the lounge area and can accommodate six couples.

It is a 10-course degustation meal with excellent food that is well presented. Before each course, the chefs and waiters describe the dish. Although they provide a different wine with each course, Suzy and I stuck with the red wine all the way through.

The waiters make the evening very entertaining. For example one waiter showed us how he can balance one empty wine bottle on another empty bottle before finally revealing that they were stuck together with a cork. It was a lot of fun.

The entertainment in the lounge was a disco night with music that suited our generation. People were dancing, singing, chatting and having a great time. It was a wonderful evening. It doesn't get better than this.

Day 27 - Thursday 26th October 2023

Overnight the ship had left Avignon and we were now docked at Arles. It was another cloudy morning with a mild temperature of 15C.

We had a very pleasant view of the city of Arles. Across the river from the ship we could see the ruins of an ancient stone bridge. Further on was the city with its stone walls, stone buildings and churches.

This morning I ordered the minute steak for breakfast as a change from eggs and omelettes. It took longer than a minute but when it did arrive, it was delicious. Back home, if you order breakfast steak, it's normally pretty ordinary but this was perfect.

This morning we'd decided to do the walking tour of Arles starting at 9am.

There was a ship moored between us and the dock and so we needed to climb up the stairs to our sundeck, across a ramp to their sundeck and down spiral stairs (fairly dicey) and then along various ramps to get ashore. So we'd already had good exercise before reaching dry land.

Our guide informed us that Vincent van Gogh used to live in Arles (even though he was Dutch) and much of her commentary was about him on the tour.

Initially she took us through city streets and plazas. Her effort to try to make it sound attractive wasn't helped by noisy construction work on the streets and buildings.

The first destination was the Roman amphitheatre which is in reasonably good condition considering it is 2000 years old. Most of the external stone arches are intact.

She led us into the amphitheatre and we sat in the grandstand just like audiences would have done over the centuries.

She described how the amphitheatre had been used for various forms of entertainment such as gladiator fights, animal fights and bullfights.

Next she took us to the ruins of the Roman theatre. She explained that a theatre is a semicircle shape whereas an amphitheatre is two theatres joined together to form an oval shaped arena.

Although you could see the semi-circular seating of the grandstand in the theatre, there wasn't much else left standing apart from some stone columns and walls. It wasn't a functioning building like the amphitheatre.

Further on we walked through the botanical gardens to a monument commemorating French soldiers. The garden also has a monument to Vincent van Gogh.

She escorted us through various city streets to the city square which has a tall monument in the middle and various stone buildings on all four sides including a church. We had 20 minutes free time to explore the square. Suzy went shopping instead and bought herself a shirt.

There was a pharmacy nearby and I realised this was my opportunity to get some more Panadol. So I walked up to the counter and said "Bonjour je veux de paracetamol". It worked. The pharmacist did not hesitate. She spun around and placed the packet down on the counter in front of me.

When the guided tour restarted, the guide explained the stone carvings at the entrance to the church. I'd already been inside the church during our free time break.

Next she took us to another plaza that would normally have been crowded with people in the summer.

The final destination of her tour was a building which was originally a hospital but is now a library. Although she gave us 20 minutes to explore it, Suzy and I went out to a nearby plaza to sit in a cafe and enjoy an espresso coffee.

To get back to the ship, our guide showed us through the main square again, into the city hall, down more charming narrow streets with lots of shops, past the ruins of the Roman baths  to reach the river.

Next to the river, there was an elevated stone walkway all the way back to our ship. We reached the ship soon after 12:15pm.

By this time, it was a pleasant 20C.

For lunch in the dining room, I enjoyed an excellent fish and chips, a couple of glasses of red wine, chocolate mouse cake and ice cream. Decadent.

The ship left Arles at 6pm and started sailing north again.

We'd been invited to a special dinner tonight, L'Amour, in an area at the end of the lounge. Everyone gets a turn and tonight was our turn. Surprisingly, there were six or seven empty seats.

It was a special meal prepared by the chefs. There were three starter dishes followed by a beef main course, dessert and finally limoncello.

The entertainment this evening in the lounge at 9:30pm was a combination of name that voice and name that movie.

We were in bed by 11pm.

Day 26 - Wednesday 25th October 2023

The ship remained moored at Avignon overnight. It was another pleasant morning with blue sky and a temperature of 12C. Daylight saving doesn't finish until this weekend and so it was still dark when I went down to breakfast at 7:30am.

This morning, Suzy and I would be going on different outings. Hers was shopping expedition with the chef at the Avignon market and it left the ship at 8:20am.

My outing was to Chateauneuf du Pape which was located near Roquemaure where the ship was moored the night before last. It would include wine tasting.

The bus left at 8:45am. Luckily I managed to get the front seat of the bus on the right side so I would be able to take photos out the front of the bus as we travelled through the countryside.

From our ship moored in the Rhone River, we look out on the city fortifications and so the bus needed to drive past the city walls into the inner area of the city before emerging into the rural areas beyond. For much of the way, we travelled on highways or motorways.

The name Chateauneuf du Pape refers to three things: the castle, the town or region and the wine. Our guide told us that this is where the French appellation system for wine was invented.

It took more than half an hour to reach the town and we stopped at the site of the castle ruins at the top of the hill. This gave us great opportunities to take photos of the town below and the countryside beyond.

Naturally, there is a vineyard next to the castle and our guide took the time to talk about the local wine. She said the main grape here is grenache and that often it is blended to create a GSM wine. The grenache vine is very capable of finding water at considerable depth below ground.

She said the town has about 2000 residents and 375 wine makers but only one bakery.

The bus then took us down the hill to one of the wineries, Bouachon, who specialise in cellar tours and wine tasting. Pauline, one of their staff, gave us a very informative and entertaining introduction to their wines and then took us to a different room for wine tasting.

Rather than just taking about the wine, she showed us how to hold the glass, how and when to sniff the wine, how to check the colour of the wine and various ways to drink the wine. All very good information. 

They presented us with samples of three wines - a white, a red and a premium red. Unfortunately I didn't particularly like any of the wines. They don't ship to Australia anyway.

Next the bus took us to the foot of the hill and our guide showed us up to the main square and then up various local narrow streets. Naturally there was a church at the top of the hill. Along the way we took photos of the street scenes and the town below.

By this time, it had warmed up to 17C in the sunshine. We were back on the bus at noon for the journey back to our ship.

As we approached Avignon, our guide told us about a children's nursery rhyme which is popular in France that sings about dancing under the bridge at Avignon. We were back on the ship by 12:45pm just in time for lunch at 1pm.

This afternoon, Suzy went to a painting class in the lounge followed by a cooking class.

After the special occasion last night, the schedule was back to normal tonight with the port talk in the lounge at 6:45pm and dinner in Crystal Dining at 7pm.

Day 25 - Tuesday 24th October 2023

When we woke this morning, the ship was safely moored at Roquemaure which is on the Rhone River north of Avignon. There was no sign of severe weather now. The river was calm, there was no wind, there were grey clouds but the sun was shining most of the time. The temperature was a pleasant 18C.

We went down for breakfast soon after 9am.

The ship departed from Roquemaure at 10:30 and headed for Avignon.

Just after 11:30, the ship was approaching a lock and so we went out on deck to observe and take photos. The captain told me that the lock was 22m tall but it didn't look that big to me. The signs said it was the Avignon lock.

Even though the temperature was 18C, it felt cool on deck and there was a hint of a sprinkle of rain - nothing like the dire forecast from yesterday.

One thing that was different about this lock was the overflow next to the lock which was gushing like a waterfall.

At about noon, we reached Avignon. Instead of heading straight to the dock, the captain steered the ship close to the famous Avignon Bridge. No doubt he was giving us the best opportunity to take photos of the bridge and the town.

The original bridge was built more than 800 years ago and it had 22 arches of which only four remain.

Up the hill from the bridge, you can see the Popes Palace where we will be going tonight for a fancy dinner with Scenic. This is where the popes lived in medieval times.

At 1pm, there was a barbecue lunch in the dining room with chicken, steak, pork and fish. Another delicious lunch.

Our outing this afternoon was to the Pont de Gard. This is a massive aqueduct bridge across a valley 25km from Avignon. It was built by the Romans about 2000 years ago to supply water to the city of Nimes.

Our bus departed at 2pm and took us on a 30 minute drive through the French countryside with vineyards most of the way.

Suzy and I had been here before - probably about 18 years ago. It was quite different from what we remember of the previous visit because it is much better organised. There is now a building near the carpark that has a museum and shops.

They split us into two groups each with our own guide. First she took us through the museum and then to a cinema to see a film about the structure.

Then it was a ten minute walk along a wide path to get to the monument itself. At first, you see it through a few trees and then soon you are standing near it looking up admiring this engineering marvel. There are three levels of stone arches.

Our guide then took us down a gravel path near the river on the opposite side to the car park. This gave us an excellent view of the structure partly because it was fully lit by the sun on this side.

Next, we walked across the bridge. At the the top of the lower set of arches, there is a path that is now a footpath but was used by vehicles at various times in the past. Some people then climbed up the hill on the other side to get to the top of the structure but Suzy and I decided not to do so.

It was well worth the visit. It was one of the highlights of the cruise. We were lucky that by the time we arrived the rain had cleared, the sun was shining and the sky was blue. The temperature was a pleasant 20C.

We were back at the ship at about 5:45pm.

The outing this evening was a dinner at the Palais des Papes on the hill at Avignon. Scenic refer to it as a Scenic Enrich event. We left the ship at 7:30pm.

To get there, Scenic had organised small novelty trains that were only wide enough to fit three people side by side on each of the seats. It was necessary to have a narrow vehicle because some of the streets were very narrow.

Most of the way up the hill, they drove slowly over the cobblestones until they approached the steepest part where they accelerated to be able to get to the top.

The building is a large structure made of stone as usual. We climbed several stone staircases to get to the hall where the dinner would be held. Apparently this was the dining room used by the popes when holding a banquet.

The dining room had large circular tables for the guests and there was a string quartet playing on the stage.

It was a three-course meal with wine. We'd been asked to select the main course several days ago.

The event finished by 10pm and the trains took us back down the hill to our ship. We were in bed by 10:30pm after another very memorable day.

Day 24 - Monday 23rd October 2023

The ship was still sailing when we woke up this morning. We'd left the Saone River overnight and we were now travelling south on the Rhone River. Since we'd be sailing all morning, there would be no outings before lunch and so we were able to sleep in.

I went down to breakfast at 9am and sat at a table with three Americans that I hadn't met yet. I ordered lamb chops rather than eggs. They were delicious.

The weather was better than the forecast. Although it was cloudy, the sun was shining through most of the time. So much so that I had to close the blinds to be able to see the people I was sitting with at breakfast. There is a forecast for severe weather tonight including rain, strong winds and thunderstorms.

In the lounge, there was a talk by the chef about cheeses at 11am. Suzy sent to that whereas I sat on the balcony in our room and admired the view and took the opportunity to take photos along the way.

We docked at Tain l'Hermitage at about 12:30pm. Apparently the river is the dividing line between two different local government areas. On the other side of the river, the town is called Tournus.

One of the most significant buildings in Tournus is the abbey which is close to the river.

Our outing this afternoon was a chocolate tasting starting at 2:30pm. There was no need to get a bus because it was in the town just 300m away.

Our guide showed us through some of the cobblestone streets and past a church until we reached the Cite du Chocolat Valrhona.

They ushered us into a back room where a member of staff explained the process for making chocolate. She offered us beans to smell and later small samples of chocolate to smell and taste.

Our guide then took over again and showed us through the chocolate museum and then up to the next floor which had exhibits of artwork created with chocolate. The final destination was the chocolate shop in the building next door.

Suzy and I then walked back to the ship and on the way back we went inside the church we'd seen earlier.

We were back at the ship by 5:15pm. Just as we got there, the people who'd gone on the bicycle tour returned as well. They said they'd travelled about 20km on their electric cycles.

Originally the ship had been due to leave this town at 10:30pm but they decided to leave at 5:30pm instead - possibly because of the forecast for severe weather.

At the port talk this evening, we were told that there was a concern about the strong winds with the locks. The locks might be closed if it is too dangerous to navigate the locks in strong winds.

The plan was to get to Avignon tomorrow - originally at lunchtime but possibly earlier now - maybe.

When we went down for dinner, we sat with two couples from the UK. Suzy had frogs legs. I've had them before and liked them but decided not to tonight.

During dinner, we noticed the ship was making significant waves. The captain was obviously powering ahead to get to the locks and Avignon before the weather turned bad.

At about 9pm, there was a thunderstorm with lightning close to the ship. The ship was shaking and some people in the lounge were quite anxious. It didn't help when two crew members ran through the lounge wearing life jackets.

Originally there was going to be a band providing musical entertainment at 9:30pm. The early departure changed that and instead there was a trivia quiz.

By the time we got to bed, the thunderstorm had passed.

Day 23 - Sunday 22nd October 2023

Overnight the ship had sailed further north on the Saone River and was moored at Chalon Sur Saone. This time, I was woken at 4am when the ship departed the previous port.

It was a cool morning (7C) with plenty of blue sky. It was a tranquil scene from our balcony looking out to the buildings on the other side of the river.

This morning we had booked to go on the outing to the the city of Beaune. The buses left the wharf at 9am with Sophie as our guide and took us through beautiful green countryside.

Sophie told us that the most popular sports here are soccer, rugby and basketball. They are particularly proud of their basketball team.

These towns are in the Burgundy region which is famous for its wine. She told us that most of the wine here is white wine but they are best known for their red wine such as pinot noir which sells for higher prices that their white wines.

She pointed out the limestone cliffs and said the limestone soil gives their wine its distinctive flavour. On either side of the road, we saw vineyards stretching into the distance.

Occasionally we'd drive through small villages with narrow streets. The driver had to be very careful because the streets were often only just wide enough for the bus.

Most of the houses and buildings are made of stone. Houses are usually two storey because they use the ground floor as their wine cellar and they live on the upper level.

The buses reached Beaune at about 10am. They had to park outside the city walls and we then walked a few blocks into the town where Sophie showed us the meeting point where we had to return by 12:15pm to head back to the ship.

She guided us through some narrow cobblestone streets and plazas before stopping at her favourite shop that sells chocolate, jams and other delicacies.

The main purpose of our trip to this town was to visit the Hotel Dieu which is also known as Hospices Civils de Beaune.

It was established in 1443 as a hospital for the poor as is now a museum.

Initially, Sophie took us into the central cobblestone courtyard where we could admire the architecture. The building is a solid construction with large stone blocks for the walls and heavy slate tiles for the roof. There are numerous towers and spires.

It's little wonder that it has lasted for so  many centuries.

Our tour would only go to ground floor rooms. The first room we stopped at had large paintings and various statues. The lighting was subdued - probably to protect the artwork.

After going through other rooms, she took us to the large hall that was used as a hospital. Here they had reproduced the beds on each side of the room.

At the end of this hospital room was the chapel with its altar, statues and tall stained glass window.

Towards the end of the tour, she took us through the kitchen to the pharmacy. Naturally their was a gift shop near the exit.

After the hospital tour, we had free time to explore the town of Beaune. Suzy and I found a coffee shop in the main plaza. It was pleasant sitting there in the sunshine even though it was still cool (13C).

For the return trip to our ship at Chalon Sur Saone, the bus took the motorway instead of the scenic route through the countryside. We were back at about 1pm - just in time for lunch.

At lunch we met another Australian couple and another couple from the UK. I had the duck dish for main course and the Malbec wine. Another excellent lunch.

Suzy went for a walk after lunch but there wasn't much open in the town because it was a Sunday afternoon.

The ship departed Chalon Sur Saone at about 3:30pm and headed south towards Lyon. We could admire the scenery from our balcony. From time to time, we saw swans on the river.

Suzy spent most of the afternoon rebooking our holiday now that we are no longer going to Jordan. Between Paris and Brussels, we'll be going to Strasbourg in north western France.

At about 6:15pm, we entered a lock and so I went upstairs to the sun deck to take photos. It was only a small lock - perhaps only 3m.

Apparently we'd be going through only three locks on the Saone whereas there would be twelve locks on the Rhone and they would often be much bigger.

Before entering the lock, they'd lowered the control room and a crew member was driving the ship from a small control panel near the railing.

As usual, Danielle gave her port talk at 6:45pm and we went down to the dining room for dinner at 7pm. We sat with two Australian couples (Adelaide) and another couple from the US. Everyone has interesting travel stories.

At 9:30pm, we went back up to the lounge where they ran a name that tune competition.

I was exhausted by the time we got to bed at about 10:30pm.