When we awoke in the morning, we found ourselves docked at Tournon-sur-Rhône, a lovely old town in the Rhône-Alps region of France.
One of the town’s main claims to fame has always been its wines. They have been popular since the days of Charlemagne (he was a fan). The hills above the town were full of terraced vineyards.
We were docked near a small square with a statue of Marc Seguin. He was the engineer and inventor who developed the first suspension bridge in Europe. Completed in 1825, it just happened to be in Tournon-sur- Rhône, connecting it to its sister town (and main rival), Tain l’Hermitage, just across the Rhône.
Entering the town from the quay, we only had a short walk before we found ourselves in front of the 14th century Church of Saint Julien. It had its original heavy, wooden door. Oddly enough some old houses had been built right into the walls of the church.
The nearby castle was begun in the 10th century (the oldest part including the round tower) and was expanded in both the 14th and 16th centuries. It now contained a museum of the history of the town, including several rooms of period furniture.
From the castle, we walked down to Monsieur Seguin’s suspension bridge. It was now for pedestrians and bicycles. No motor vehicles. There was a good view of the castle, that particular end of town (the tower up the hill in the photo shows where the town originally ended), and some of the terraced vineyards.
Tournon also has the oldest high school in France, the Lycee Gabriel Faure, founded in 1536. Here is what I found on the Internet:
“Anciennement nommé Collège de Tournon, il fut fondé en 1536 par le cardinal François II de Tournon. En 1548, le Collège de Tournon devient une université de Philosophie et des sept Arts Libéraux.”
The Translation:
“Formerly named Collège de Tournon, it was founded in 1536 by Cardinal François II de Tournon. In 1548, the Collège de Tournon became a University of Philosophy and the Seven Liberal Arts.”
In 1562, the cardinal introduced free education at the college and bequeathed his personal library to the establishment. By 1604, both Hebrew and Chaldean were taught. In 1776, the college began teaching history, geography and the Sciences. By 1820, the college passed under secular administration, becoming a high school in 1848. Its current name was acquired after 1870.
After we went by the high school, we continued on to a market. It was Saturday and market day in Tournon. We had some free time to inspect and perhaps buy. I bought deux pain au chocolates, quelques framboises, et une bouteille de jus de poire (two chocolate croissants, some raspberries, and a bottle of pear juice). At the end of the market where we were to meet up, there were some live turkeys, chickens, and ducks for sale.
After the market, we headed back to the ship to set sail for Vienne. We weren’t going to arrive in Vienne until about 5pm. Since the pain in my back had been fluctuating, instead of settling in to stay while at Tournon, I felt optimistic that it might be improving a little. Perhaps it was getting somewhat used to all that walking and standing. But I still chose to forego the walking tour of Vienne and give it a rest – just not push it.
After lunch, I hung out with Roberta & Jeff and Chris & Andy. We watched the world go by as we sailed up the Rhone. We managed to get photos of another castle as we went by. This one was showing up correctly on my phone as Ampuis.
Chateau d’Ampuis originated in the 12th century as a fortress and was later turned into a Renaissance Chateau. Surrounded by vineyards, the chateau is now the headquarters of the winery Maison Guigal.
At 4:00pm we had a tasting of local specialties, which included cheeses, wines, breads, and jams. One of the reasons why I wasn’t drinking wine with our lunches was that it tends to make me sleepy. Good thing that I had already decided not to go on the walking tour of Vienne. I ended up taking a nap while the others were gone. But I was up in time for Happy Hour and Dinner.
Next time – Lyon
Statue of Marc Seguin 
Heading to town from the quay 
Eglise Saint Julien 
Door of Eglise Saint Julien 
Interior of Eglise Saint Julien 
A narrow street 
The castle 
The Seguin bridge 
On the bridge 
Castle seen from the bridge 
The ancient high school 
The market 
The tower marking the other end of town 
As we pulled away 
Ampuis Castle