After a very short flight to Lyon, I transferred to the Viking Lofn for the start of Lyon to Avignon River Cruise. I then checked in to my French Balcony Stateroom with stunning panoramic views. Then, it was time for lunch, which consisted of 3 courses every day. Of course, you don't have to have 3 courses, but it would be rude not to.
I had a look around the beautiful Viking Lofn, the lounge area, the sundeck & the sitting area, all very lovely settings to relax with a drink. Just before dinner, we gathered in the lounge to meet the team who will be looking after us onboard throughout our stay, then time for another 3-course meal!
Day 2
The second day I did an excursion to the Beaujolais wine country, which included a visit to the very quaint, quiet village of Villie-Morgon and then on to Chateau de Varennes, where the wine is made, as we are met by the owner who shows us the process of how the wine is made. Of course, the best part to come is the wine tasting in a wonderful traditional wine cellar. Following this, we head back onboard the ship for lunch.
Day 3
Had breakfast, then we did the panoramic Lyon excursion, which includes seeing the Basilica of Notre Dame on Fourviere Hill. The inside is absolutely breathtaking, the stunning ceiling and stained-glass windows, and the attention to detail is incredible. I wish I could have taken photos, but this is not allowed. I was also lucky enough to have a glimpse of a service, as there was a special mass on whilst we were there.
Then we continued the guided walk into Vieux Lyon, which is the old town with its cobbled streets and little cafés and shops along the riverbank. So, we decided to go to a local café and have heated cookies and hot chocolates, which were delicious. Then back onboard for our first sail of the cruise to Vienne through the first of 13 locks we would do over the journey.
In the afternoon, they had a silk screen printing demonstration at a family-owned silk workshop. It was really interesting to see how they made the silk patterns, as they were still using ancient techniques hand painting on the famous velvet pan, which is a unique fabric to Lyon. They were beautiful but a bit on the pricey side.
Dinner tonight is Taste of Provence, which was a buffet full of classic recipes made in the traditional way, which was mouth-watering. Cheese, bread, cured meats, cooked meats, chicken Provençal, codfish or roast duck to all choose from.
Day 4
Today we visited Vienne, which has an included excursion walking tour, which has 3 options available: Active tour, leisurely tour & easy tour. I opted for an active tour. We then walked to the Roman amphitheatre, which is still used today for plays and music.
We walked up to the Chapelle Notre Dame de la Salette with panoramic views over Vienne, with the River Rhone and the amphitheatre also visible. We also saw the Gothic Cathedral of St Maurice & the Temple of Augustus & Livia whilst on our guided walking tour.
Then back on board for lunch as we then sail on to Tournon-sur-Rhone. This afternoon, we had a live demonstration on how to make chocolate fondant from Executive Chef Mihai, and the evening entertainment was a music quiz, which was hilarious as we had to include dancing for extra points as well as answering some questions, I'm afraid our team didn't win.
Day 5
Today was the Tournon steam train excursion I was most looking forward to. We boarded the historic train with wooden seats in the carriages. The journey was 30 minutes each way, passing through some great viaduct bridges and river gorges. Theer the first part of the journey, the steam engine is then turned round and goes to the back carriages and starts the return journey in the same direction. This is when you need to swap sides so that everyone gets to see the scenic side. This is on the right-hand side out and left-hand side on the return journey, and I was lucky to have this on the first part of the journey.
Back on board to sail to Viviers, where after dinner we have a gentle stroll tour. We saw the old town square, and some of the streets were lined with fabulous-looking trees. We also saw France’s smallest cathedral, St Vincent, which was lit up at night. We then set sail for Arles for the next day.
Day 6
I again opted for the active tour for the Arles walking tour. Our first stop was walking through the town, where they have the Amedee Pichot Fountain, which is beautifully decorated, along with the cobbled streets which fork left & right. We then walked to the Arles amphitheatre, where the gladiators used to fight in Roman times. This is now used for entertainment, including very tame bullfighting at certain times of the year.
As we wound through the streets, we saw the iconic building of Luma, which appears to look like the whole building has been made of metal with large windows. There is nothing like it I have seen before.
Then we headed to the Place de la Republique, where the town hall is located. We also visited the Espace Van Gogh, which previously was a hospital. The building has now been restored to how it looked when Van Gogh was there. Also on our walk, there were stops where Van Gogh would have placed his easel and painted some of his famous paintings, including Starry Night.
Day 7
Again, I opted for an active tour. We walked along the riverbank to the famous unfinished bridge in Avignon and then on to the Palace of the Popes, which was home to 7 popes. The palace was stunning inside and outside, and the golden statue of the Virgin Mary sits on top of one of the towers. The inside of the palace was once beautifully painted from top to bottom, but unfortunately this was destroyed, and there are only a few areas that remain so you can see how amazing it would have looked.
We walked up to the top of the tower for great views of Avignon and the Palace of the Popes due to the sheer size of the building. After walking 168 steps in the palace, we walked down the cobbled streets to a fantastic food market hall. It was so big, and the variety of food to buy was out of this world; this is why the majority of locals cook fresh, as it is readily available to buy.
This evening, before we all gather in the lounge for a farewell toast to the team and the captain, as this is our last night.
I can thoroughly recommend Viking River Cruises. The food was incredible, and the choices were very good, with lots of options to choose from. The staff could not do enough for you and were so friendly, really making you feel comfortable. I also enjoyed the daily port talks with the programme manager, which were always informative, and there was also something to do in the afternoon whilst sailing.
I can't wait for my next river cruise with Viking.
Interested in Viking River Cruises? Contact Laura at Miles Morgan Travel Cirencester on 01285 343 054 or email [email protected]
