Day 7: Avignon and Pont du Gard Aqueduct

Of course, the day started with breakfast:

Then a walking tour of the city of Avignon through this ancient walled border.  Theses walls surrounding the city were for protection from invaders AND protection from the flooding from the Rhone River.

Another bustling city with cafes and markets in plazas in front of ancient and medieval structures:

We toured the UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Palace of the Popes.  I hadn't known that the papacy was relocated here from Rome from 1309 - 1377.  And for a few decades following, there were two popes - one in Rome and one in Avignon.

Narrow streets with restaurants and shops:

We walked through an indoor food market called Les Halles.  I loved the sites and colors.  And I loved the air conditioning because the temperatures were already in the 90's!

We stayed in the city to do a little shopping.  And took a few wrong turns trying to find our way to the  river. (Hence the not so happy look on my face  - plus it was beastly hot, plus it was lunchtime!)

Then returned to our ship on a path that went past the Pont D'Avignon.  And we sang the little French song while we took a selfie ("Sur le Pont D'Avignon....")

As the temperatures climbed to about 96 degrees, we went on our last excursion - to the remains of the Pont du Gard, the Roman aqueducts that once moved water 31 miles from the springs of Uzes to the city of Nimes.  Gregg climbed around to get some better photos, but I sat in the shade with a woman from England and drank a fruit smoothie.

Then it was time to say Au Revoir to our new friends, to pack, and to sleep quickly before our early morning departure.

Day 6: Arles and Les Baux

On the edge of Provence, Arles is well known as the city where Vincent Van Gogh created some of his most famous paintings.

Here, the remains of the old wall of Arles are across from new buildings:

Our walking tour took us to the massive Les Arenes, a 20,000 seat amphitheater from Roman times that is still used today:

 

We moved on to a bustling square to see a 15th century church called the Church of St. Trophime. While most of the others went inside, I did some power shopping.  I found a great Provencal tablecloth (my mom would have been proud!)

We walked past other enticing shops.  This one had merengue cookies bigger than my fist!

Here are the remnants of a bridge.  All the bridges but one were destroyed by the Nazis as they retreated at the end of the war. 

After lunch, we took a bus to Les Baux, a restored hilltop village.

First we stopped at an unusual multimedia art installation in a former rock quarry - Carriers de Lumieres.  This show was devoted to Marc Chagall.  Pictures were projected onto the walls in multiple directions while music played.  Classical, Jazz, even Janis Joplin accompanied the projected images.  

The original opening to the quarry:

Some of the projections:

After the show, we walked the hilly cobblestone lanes of Les Baux, finding a lovely spot to enjoy the panoramic views.  (And find some shade to escape the 92 degree afternoon!)

Back onboard our ship, we quickly recovered from the heat of the day and joined our fellow travelers on the upper deck for music and dancing under the stars.  The young man who played in the piano bar was the DJ and many of the crew members joined in.  It was great fun!!

Day 5: Tournon and Viviers

My day began with more gluten free croissants, then a walking tour of Tournon.  Like the other cities we've visited along the Rhone River, there are remnants of Roman architecture within the bustle of the center of the city.

Next we took the Train de l'Ardeche into the Doux Valley.  This steam train is listed as a French historic monument.  And it is a conservation area inaccessible by road.  The vibration of this open air train made it very difficult to take photos, but we tried!

(Don't know the guy in the red shirt)

Another afternoon of relaxed cruising:

And some on-board activities - a cooking demonstration led by our Greek chef and Bulgarian maitre de:

Followed by a ridiculous number of desserts (but these macarons have been one of our favorites)

We reached port at Viviers in the evening and went on a walking tour of the city at night.  It was a strange excursion - lovely and refreshing to walk a city at night, but harder to walk because of the cobblestone, and difficult to take any photos.