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Romantic Rhone and Seine

May - June 2019
Fly into Barcelona. Three days in Barcelona then a coach to Arles, Southern France. Seven day cruise on the Rhone to Lyon. Fast train from Lyon to Paris. Time in Paris. Seven day cruise on the Seine to Northern France. Fly out of Paris. Read more
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  • 19days
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  • Janette and JohnRomantic Rhone and Seine
    Day 8

    Travel and truffle tasting

    May 26, 2019 in France ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    Travelled overnight and docked at Viviers at 7am. Left by coach for Grignan at 9. Today we chose to visit a truffle farm just outside Viviers. On arrival we went into a marquee and met Serge and his truffle dog Amy. Amy is a Lagotto Romagnolo, an italian breed. Prior to using this breed, Serge used Labradors.
    Serge gave us a crash course in truffles and truffle growing. Provence is the main truffle growing area in France and black truffles are the most valuable at 2000 euros per kg. The biggest one ever found was in Victoria, Australia- 1.5kg. The biggest Serge has found is 750gms.
    Serge uses white and evergreen oaks but linden, hazlenut and poplar can also be used. From acorn to truffle is 15 years. The acorns are grown in compost that has ground truffle in it so as to inoculate the roots with spores. From each batch, perhaps there might be only five that grow truffles. “Why is it so?” asked Serge “they can put a man on the moon, but they can't help us grow truffles. It shows that nature is mightier than man!”
    Out on the farm Amy demonstrated her ability to sniff out truffles, dig them up and take them to Serge. Having said that, she did eat one before he could stop her, much to the amusement of our group. The visit finished with a tasting and a glass of wine, then into town for a tour of the castle.
    Yes, we climbed that hill to see the castle and have a guided tour.
    The statue in my photo is of Madame de Sevigne who wrote many letters to her daughter, Madame de Grignan. These letters (1000+) give a witty and insightful window into the life of the French court in the seventeenth century. She is depicted holding a feather (quill) which would have been her pen. Grignan hosts a literary festival each year and people put large red feathers outside their buildings.
    The last photo shows a field of poppies on the outskirts of Viviers. Apparently it's a good year for poppies this year.
    Back on board by 1.15 in time for lunch at 1.30 - MORE FOOD. Set off again. We'll cruise to Tournon which we should reach by 9pm.    Read more

  • Janette and JohnRomantic Rhone and Seine
    Day 9

    Train de Lardeche

    May 27, 2019 in France ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    Very relaxing day. After a scenic coach drive, we arrived at Gare de Tournon St-Jean - Tournon St.John Station. We watched as the little steam engine came around the carriages and reversed back to the front carriage. Once hooked up, we were ready to roll and off we went.
    The smell of the steam engine was very evocative of my childhood.
    We chuffed through the most picturesque countryside, up steep hills, along gorges, through a 265m long tunnel and over bridges. At the turn around point, local farmers had brought some produce to sell.
    The engine was turned around on a turntable and driven around to what had been the back of the train and hooked up for our descent.
    The last photo shows a small vineyard near the station. It might not be very clear, but there are patches of red. These are poppies and they are very significant. Poppies will not grow anywhere where chemicals have been used. Poppies growing among the vines indicates that no chemicals have been used. Locals will not buy wine from a vineyard without poppies.
    Back on board for 12.30 lunch and departure for Vienne - 7.30pm scheduled arrival time.    Read more

  • Janette and JohnRomantic Rhone and Seine
    Day 10

    Winetasting in the Beaujolais region

    May 28, 2019 in France ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    Finally it's rained. It was pouring as we disembarked, boarded our coaches and all the way to our first stop, then all clear albeit a tad cooler.
    Today's choices for activities were - a visit to a snail farm and sampling snails and frogs legs or - a visit to a historic vineyard and sample the wines of the Beaujolais region.
    Much as I would have liked to try snails and frogs legs...... I can't help but have an image of millions of frogs in wheelchairs.
    On the way to the winery, we visited the little village of Oingt. I can't tell you how to pronounce that - even french people from other parts of France have difficulty. If we hadn't been told that this place is medieval and earlier, I would have said it had been recently built as a tourist attraction. It is so well maintained and clean - there's no litter or graffiti. I've said it before about the French - people have an obvious pride in where they live.
    Then on to the winery of Monsieur Paire sixth generation wine maker. He and his son went organic when his son came into the business. Wine in France is not named after the grape variety but by the region where it is grown. So M.Paire produces Beaujolais White, Beaujolais Rose and Beaujolais Red.
    M. Paire gave us a lesson in wine tasting and then poured a white which we had with a little cheese. This was followed with a young red and then an older red accompanied by petit sauci, a dry sausage (similar to salami).
    M. Paire presented in English. A few years ago he went to school and learnt English. This, it seems, is a very rare happening in older french men. He was charming and witty.
    Back on board at 1.15 for lunch and to sail to Collonges. There, tonight we have an APT Signature Experience - dinner at the Abbaye de Collonges. This is the restaurant of Paul Bocuse. More on that next time.
    Meanwhile we'll sit in the lounge and relax looking at the little towns and villages along the way. The other nice spectacle is the swans, sometimes in groups but mostly in pairs, sometimes with one on a nest or with cygnets in the water.    Read more

  • Janette and JohnRomantic Rhone and Seine
    Day 10

    More of us

    May 28, 2019 in France ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    Can you believe it?
    We've had a complaint!
    Not enough photos with Janette and John in them.
    So, by popular(?) demand....

  • Janette and JohnRomantic Rhone and Seine
    Day 10

    Dinner at Paul Bocuse's ,The Abbaye'

    May 28, 2019 in France ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    Dinner tonight was at The Abbaye. Whatever I write can't convey the experience to someone else. On arrival - champagne and nibbles in a hall with some old faiground pieces. In the photo of Janette, there is a red velvet curtain. Behind that is the dining area. We all gathered and as the curtains were opened, the massive organ started playing. You've never heard such a gasp from a group of people.
    The food and the service were top class, of course.
    One of our group had his birthday today. The waiters brought in a cake to the sounds of the organ playing happy birthday.
    Dessert was served by the waiters carrying several plates each and RUNNING down the stairs in the photo, running to the tables and then running back upstairs for more, accompanied all the time by very fast music on the organ. At the end one waiter staggered down the stairs with one plate - very funny!
    When the organ played Auld Lang Syne, we linked arms and sang, then went 'home'.
    Is there an expression that is better than wow?
    Again, I know I keep suggesting this, but google Abbaye restaurant Lyon or use this link and get the story of how this organ was walled up to save it during the war.
    https://www.bocuse.fr/en/abbaye.html
    The night finished with a short sail up to Lyon and a lovely light show on approach.    Read more

  • Janette and JohnRomantic Rhone and Seine
    Day 11

    Lyon - our new favourite place.

    May 29, 2019 in France ⋅ 🌬 17 °C

    Lyon is at the confluence of two rivers, the Rhone and the Saone (pronounced sone). The Lyonnais call them the lovers. The Saone is the smaller, slower, gentle river therefore the female. The Rhone is bigger, faster flowing, stronger therefore the male. They are often depicted as male and female figures.
    The Old Town is on the west side of the Saone. It has narrow streets (mostly cobbled) lined with old buildings. Along these streets are doors that open onto passageways. They open into a courtyard in the middle of the block. On the other side of the courtyard is another passageway that leads out to the next street. If there is a plaque at one of these doors, it means the public are welcome to enter and have a look. They all have a stone spiral staircase, a balcony and a well. They were used by the French Underground in WWII to move and hide people.
    Lyon has a tram system, and, because this area was once the centre of the silk industry, the trams have been designed to resemble a silkworm.
    The newer areas are on the east of the Saone, to the Rhone and across. So, from the west to the east, the age of the town gets younger.
    We had a guide show us around the town and then took us on a culinary tour in a huge indoor market - an up market market in fact - the Paul Bocuse market. There are markets all around town but this one, our guide said, is where she shops when her mother-in-law is coming for dinner. At the end of the tour we had a tasting at one of the stalls - 5 different dry sausage (salami), cheese, pastries and wine. Then some free time so we had a coffee in one of the little shops.
    Back to the ship for lunch at 1.30. - not more food!!!
    After lunch we walked along the river back to the old town - about a one hour walk for us after all the food we're eating. We just love the feel (the vibes). We saw at least three 'genuine' Irish pubs and there are little cafes and restaurants everywhere.
    Our guide had told us, and we certainly saw for ourselves, the Lyonnais don't respond to your “bonjour” like people further south - they take a while to warm to people.
    Dinner tonight was a farewell dinner as we leave this ship tomorrow, Thursday. We will pack tonight as our cases have to be outside our cabin door by 6am. I think we leave at 7.30 to catch the very fast train to Paris    Read more

  • Janette and JohnRomantic Rhone and Seine
    1
    Day 12

    It just gets better..

    May 30, 2019 in France ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    Up at 5am to have our bags out for collection by the crew at 6am. Down to the dining room for breakfast and on a bus to the railway station at 7.30. Phew!
    The very fast train (the TGV) left at 8.51 and we were in Paris before 11.00am - 391kms at up to 300kph and smooth as. Onto a bus and a siteseeing drive around Paris. As with our visit two years ago, it's a public holiday so the roads are fairly quiet. We passed a square which until today was called Alma Square. It's above the tunnel where Princess Diana died and it's become a shrine. From today it will be known as Princess Diana Square.
    We travelled up the Champs Elysees and around the giant roundabout that surrounds the Arch de Triumph. The Arch contains the body of the unknown soldier. Every night at six a flame is lit. This has happened since 1919, even managing to continue through WWII.
    At the end of the tour we boarded a river cruiser for lunch and a cruise on the Seine (pronounced senn) up to Notre Dame and back. We were all expecting nibbles or a buffet but APT did it again - a full sit down, three course meal, with wine of course, served to the table.
    There were so many 'wows' and people rushing out to take pictures. Some of the bridges are works of art and you get a great view of Notre Dame Cathedral. The cathedral has a lot of scaffolding due to the recent fire. Also, they have already taken out all the windows as they did in WWII.
    On to our new home fo the next week, the AmaLyra (previously on the AmaCello). We sat in the lounge to await our turn to register at reception. I just had to take a picture of Janette with the Eiffel Tower in the background - we are within walking distance.
    The new ship is pretty well identical to the last one and we're in the same cabin, so very easy.
    The Captain will welcome us all aboard at 6.30 with a cocktail and a rose fo each lady, then dinner - more food.    Read more

  • Janette and JohnRomantic Rhone and Seine
    Day 13

    You decide

    May 31, 2019 in France ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    Not too sure about this one.
    In each room there is a TV and the first channel is the bow camera. This is especially nice if 'one is in one's cabin' during sailing. The picture of it here shows how close we are 'parked' to the tower. The tower is lit in the evening and as it grew darker, the tower appeared brighter.
    We were given a heads up from our cruise director that there is a light show every hour, on the hour. A group of us went 'up top' just before 10pm to view this spectacular. Sure enough, right on time, it started.
    It seems there is a string of very bright white lights down each corner edge of the tower and these were flashing furiously. I took a video, but photos just come out very glary.
    In my mind I have an image of the Eiffel Tower. It really is nice that it is lit in the evening. BUT while watching the 'light show' couldn't help but think that this icon has been turned into a bloody big sparkler - very crass.
    As the show finished, a waitress from the bar arrived. The cruise director had ordered schnapps for us.
    A votre sante - Cheers!    Read more

  • Janette and JohnRomantic Rhone and Seine
    1
    Day 13

    Chateau de Versailles

    May 31, 2019 in France ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    9am bus again to go to the Palace of Versailles.
    There were people queueing and our guide said by the size of the queue, some of them would have to wait three hours to get in. Because it was a public holiday yesterday, Thursday, many people have taken the Friday off as well to make a long weekend - just like we would. They call it a bridge - meaning it's a bridge between the Thursday and the weekend.
    The beauty of being in a group is that you have a designated time - 10.15, in we went.
    What a crush? Thousands of people shuffling around trying to take pictures.
    We found the building opulent, ostentatious, obscene... room after room after room - it just became overload. The gardens are amazing but after shuffling through the Palace, we only had half an hour left to have a quick look.
    Tonight it's a girlie show - so bring on the dancing girls.    Read more

  • Janette and JohnRomantic Rhone and Seine
    Day 13

    The Lido, Paris

    May 31, 2019 in France ⋅ 🌙 17 °C

    11.30pm and we've just arrived back from the Lido having watched a 1.5 hour show featuring the Bluebell Girls. No photography inside means not many photos this time.
    We are absolutely beat. Just as well we sail at midnight and we'll sail until lunchtime tomorrow so an easy morning tomorrow.Read more

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