Our first morning docked at Caudebec-en-Caux was spent along the “Abbey Road” visiting two medieval abbeys. The first one, St Wandrille de Fontenelle, was still housing Benedictine monks.
Founded in the 7th century, it was one of the first Benedictine abbeys in Normandy. It was very successful at first, but began to decline around in the 8th and early 9th centuries until the monastery was burnt down by the Vikings in 852. The monks fled with the relics of Saint Wandrille.
After about a century in “temporary” accommodation, the monks returned in 966 and began to rebuild. Decline came again in the 16th century and the monastery was closed and sold during the French Revolution.
The monastic community had, over the centuries, attained a reputation for the learning of the monks. The library collection was celebrated and the school was renowned for the teaching of letters, fine arts, the sciences and calligraphy. The current monastic community has been, since 1894, carrying on this reputation through publishing, microfilming, and painting restoration.
In addition to the arts, Saint Wandrille has been famous for brewing beer. In the 8th century, it was one of the first ever to use hops in the brewing of beer. The monastery still brews beer and has it for sale in its shop.
Brother Lucien met us in the village square and escorted us into the abbey through its main gate, also known as the Pelican Gate. This area mostly dated to the 18th century and formed the space set aside for the monks. Brother Lucien did not speak English, so our local guide translated. After a basic history of the abbey, we were taken into the cloisters where we were shown the reconstruction projects that were being worked on.
The remains of the 14th century abbey church were right next to the cloisters. Back in 1969, a 13th century barn was moved onto the abbey property and converted into the current abbey church. Inside of the church is a reliquary containing the skull of Saint Wandrille.
A short distance from the abbey church was a cemetery, including many of the brotherhood who had died throughout the centuries. Recent to our visit in September 2021, were the graves of three victims of the COVID-19 pandemic.
When St Wandrille was constructing the abbey back in the 7th century, he built seven other churches both inside and outside of the monastery enclosure. Most of these were either destroyed, replaced by newer versions or simply fell into ruin over time. The exception was the chapel of St Saturnin. Although occasionally restored over the centuries, it has remained largely as it was originally built. It stands on a hillside overlooking the abbey and is considered to be a unique example of a 7th century chapel.
I found Brother Lucien to be absolutely fascinating. His love for the abbey was evident. He had taken note of my cane (he used one too) and often gave me his hand to help me up or down a steep grouping of steps. He just exuded kindness.
Next time – we continue along the “Abbey Road” to Jumieges Abbey.
Saint Wandrille Rancon MonasteryLooking across towards the breweryThe EntranceAnother view of the entranceThe Pelican GatePart of the old cathedralBrother LucienAn old door from within the cloistersAnother part of the cloisters interiorLooking at the cloisters from the lawnAnother view with part of the cathedralThe main part of the monastery from within the cloistersThe main part of the monastery from outside of the cloistersThe little chapel and part of the graveyardEntering the current abbey churchA sculpture in the churchThe interior of the abbey churchThe stairs up
At lunch, we could have our choice of some savory crepes or a regular lunch buffet. I went with a buckwheat crepe filled with ham, cheese, mushrooms, and onions. There was some crème fraiche on top. Another new experience for me as I had only had dessert crepes before.
As we were having lunch, the ship set sail for Les Andelys, our next port of call. In the meantime, we had some time to lounge around or, in my case, to get caught up going through my photos and writing in my trip journal as well as lounging around. We also had a cruise briefing at 2pm to learn about what was coming up over the rest of the trip on the Seine.
Then there was a pastry demonstration at 3pm. They had an award winning French pastry chef named Julien Viniel on board to demonstrate making and filling some little round puff pastries with some delicious filling. I was recruited to act as his assistant. My job was to slice open several of the little round puff pastries and then pipe some of the delicious filling into them.
The Chef handed me a pastry bag, showed me how to fill it and then how to squeeze the filling out of it with the proper control. This involved winding the top part of the bag around the thumb of the hand it was in, while using the other hand to squeeze. As the bag became less full, it was necessary to push down further with the hand with which I was holding it and to rewrap the top part of the bag around my thumb. Worked just great. My little pastries were served along with some macrons.
Once the ship arrived at Les Andelys, there was a choice between a walking tour of the town or a hike up to the ruins of Chateau Gaillard. The chateau had once been the home of King Richard the Lionheart of England. He was also the Duke of Normandy and so had the castle constructed in 1196. The part of the village directly below the castle and next to the river was built at the same time and named Petit Andely.
The older part of town (Grand Andely) dates from the 6th century. No buildings from that time still exist.
Since I could see the town pretty well from the ship, I decided to take a third option which was to explore on my own. First, I took a few photos from where the ship was docked.
In the village, St Sauveur’s Church was begun in 1220 because the people in Petit Andely had grown tired of having to walk all the way to Grand Andely to attend church. The 17th century pipe organ was the oldest in France that was still in working order.
It was a very pretty little village that seemed like it could be a pleasant place to live.
Next time—St Wandrille de Fontenelle Abbey (the first of two we visited along the Abbey Road)
Crepe LunchPastry DemonstrationMy Pastry on LeftAssistant Pastry ChefChateau Gaillard from SeineLes AndelysLes AndelysLes AndelysLes Andelys with Chateau GaillardSt SauveurSt Sauveur InteriorSt Sauveur Pipe OrganSt Sauveur InteriorLes AndelysLes Andelys
The morning excursion choices from Vernon were either to Claude Monet’s home, studio and gardens in Giverny or to the town of Vernon and Bizy Castle. Since I had previously visited Giverny, I chose Vernon and the castle.
We were now in Normandy. While there were various ancestors in other parts of France, the largest number of all were from Normandy – 173. These were from all over Normandy, including such places as Bayeux (3), Caen (3), Falaise (6), Longueville (5), Montfort Sur Risle (10), and Rouen (8). They were all born roughly between the 8th and 12th centuries. Many of them would end up relocating to England, Scotland and Wales after 1066.
All total, with 14 born in Paris and several for whom the only info I have is that they were born in France, I end up with roughly 459 French ancestors. That is more than anyplace else other than the UK. They are all on my paternal grandmother’s side of the family.
Many civilizations had existed in what is now Normandy prior to the Viking invasions of the mid-9th century. But those invasions and the subsequent treaty between Viking leader, Hrólfr Ragnvaldsson, or Rollo (also known as Robert of Normandy) with King Charles the Simple of the West Franks in 911 forever changed that portion of France. The name “Normandy” reflects the Normans (or Norsemen) who conquered the area.
The Normans adopted the French language and Christianity. They also intermarried with the Franks, Celts and Romans who were already there.
William the Conqueror was a descendant of Rollo. He became King of England after defeating the Anglo Saxon King Harold Godwinson in battle in 1066. William’s invasion and conquering of England was the subject of the Bayeux Tapestry (which I will talk about more in the post on my visit to Bayeux during this river cruise).
Vernon was a tiny village that was founded by Rollo in the 10th century. Once we left the ship, we immediately encountered the site of a Gallo-Roman coffin, which had contained a wealthy woman, dating from the 2nd century. The sarcophagus was discovered in 1964.
It was a short walk to the Notre Dame Collegiate Church. Built between the 11th and 16th centuries, the altar and transept were Romanesque while the rest of the building included three different Gothic styles. I especially liked a very old statue of Mary & the Baby Jesus.
The oldest surviving houses in the village were in the streets surrounding the church and the village square. These half-timbered houses dated mainly from the 15th and 16th centuries.
The Archive Tower, which was the keep of Philip Augustus’ former castle, was built in 1123 by Henry Beauclerc (King Henry I of England), the youngest son of William the Conqueror. It was in 1196 when King Philip II (Philip Augustus) of France took over the castle at Vernon and rebuilt most of it. The tower was the only part that remains of either version of the castle. It has been used to house the municipal archives since the 18th century.
The current owner of Bizy Castle was descended from a brother of Napoleon Bonaparte, therefore the chateau has letters, paintings and sculptures related to the Bonaparte family on exhibit. The building was originally built in 1675 and then reconstructed in 1740. It fell on some hard times and ended up being entirely rebuilt in the mid-19th century. But the Versailles-inspired stables remained. I was able to have a really good look at the stables as the restrooms were located in a portion of them.
We entered from the orangery which is usually used as a greenhouse or conservatory for plants that needed protection from the winter weather. The one at Bizy was a very large room decorated with the heads of boar and various other wildlife killed on the castle grounds when it was being used as a hunting lodge.
In the courtyard was a lovely pool. Turned out that it was created for the use of the horses to cool themselves off. Of all of the castles around Europe and the UK that I have visited, I have never seen one before that actually had a swimming pool for horses.
The Grand Salon was a very elegant room with an exquisitely painted and lacquered piano. Only a few rooms were open to the public with a guided tour as the current owner still lived in the chateau. The rooms that were open were quite beautiful.
On the opposite side of the Seine was an old, half-timbered mill, straddling two of the remaining piers of an ancient bridge. The original bridge was built in the 12th century. By 1947, the mill was crumbling when the village of Vernon took on its restoration. It was considered to be a symbol of Vernon.
Next time – Crepes, Pastries & Les Andelys
Gallo-Roman SarcophagusHouse in VernonVernon Town SquareVernon CathedralCathedral InteriorAnother view of Cathedral InteriorMy favorite partA house in scaffoldingArchive TowerBizy CastleHorse poolGrand SalonAnother view of the Grand SalonThe pianoAnother roomA hallwayA staircaseDining RoomCarriagesThe stablesOld Mill on Broken Bridge
In Dijon, we were taken straight to the train station. That was a shame. Dijon had been the main home of the Dukes of Burgundy from the early 11th to the late 15th centuries although not much from the earlier dukes remained. The oldest parts of the ducal palace were from the 14th & 15th centuries and the main portions from the 17th & 18th centuries, but it still would have been nice to have had some of that pointed out as we zipped on by.
A lot of the non-ducal architecture in the town, from the 12th to 15th centuries, remained and was undamaged by wars. The crypt of Dijon Cathedral was over 1,000 years old. Its roof was decorated much as the hospital in Beaune with tiles glazed in terracotta, green, yellow and black and arranged in geometric patterns.
The original home of Dijon mustard, Dijon has several sister cities in other countries. I was especially intrigued by Dallas, Texas as that was the city in which I grew up. Prague in the Czech Republic and York in England were two others that caught my attention as they are a couple of my favorite cities.
Dijon is an important railway junction for many cities and towns in France, Switzerland, and Italy, with its high speed TGV train. From Dijon to Paris-Gare de Lyon, the journey takes just one hour and 40 minutes to cover 190 miles (300 km).
When we arrived at the train station, we needed to wait a bit for the gate to be announced for our departing train and for our intrepid cruise director, Jean Loup, to get our tickets. We all met downstairs near the gate. We weren’t allowed onto the platform without our tickets, so we just hung out leaning against the walls and waving others, who thought we were in line, past us.
Once on the platform, it wasn’t long before the train arrived. Our seats were upstairs. So we climbed up the steps, found our seats and settled in for the ride. Nobody was in the seat next to me so I was able to pop my camera bag in the window seat and get comfortable.
Everybody pulled out the food they had purchased in Beaune and had lunch about a half hour into the ride. I had a filled pastry and a small orange. Knowing that we would be having a large dinner that evening, I had gone for a light lunch.
The journey through the French country-side was a pleasant one and we soon entered the Paris city limits, heading for the Gare de Lyon. Upon arrival, the five of us going to the Tapestry II were loaded onto one coach and the other six, plus Jean Loup, onto another coach. Then our journey through central Paris began.
The amount of lanes for motorized vehicles had been reduced by the current mayor, so moving through Paris took much longer than usual. The mayor felt that it would be better to have parts of every street made into lanes for bicycling and walking. She also wanted more people to use public transportation. So motorized vehicles had half as many lanes for their use as before.
To get from the Gare de Lyon to where our ship was docked near the Eiffel Tower took over an hour. Along the way, we passed by Notre Dame. It was the first time I had seen it in person since the fire (I had seen it on previous trips and had always visited). I took some photos as we drove past the cathedral. I also managed to take some of the Louvre, the Place de la Concorde, and the Grand Palais.
When we arrived at the ship, we were met by our new cruise director, Gayle. I had something for her from Jean Loup that I passed on before heading to my cabin. Our cabin numbers were the same on the new ship as they had been on the Poetry II. That helped. The colors on the ship were different, although the layout was exactly the same.
My cases were waiting for me in my cabin. I just needed to unpack enough to dress up a little for dinner.
This time we had 37 people on the trip. Two were Canadian and the rest Americans. There were several more women traveling on their own. I spent some time with a few of them while on excursions or having lunch or breakfast.
We had escargot again at dinner. This time I managed to free all of mine from their shells (although it did mean that I had to totally crush one of the shells).
Dinner was served a little earlier than usual, so there was plenty of time for me to fully unpack and settle in after dinner.
We discovered that trials were beginning the following day in Paris at the Palais de Justice on the Ile de Cite for some of the men who were accused of involvement in the terrorist attacks all over Paris on the 13th of November in 2015. Most of the men directly involved had been killed as they were mainly suicide bombers. The attacks took place at such venues as a concert hall and a soccer stadium, as well as at several cafes, leaving 130 people dead and 460 injured.
Once everyone was on the ship, we had turned around and headed down the Seine in the direction of the Normandy coast shortly after everyone was on board. We would spend several days in Normandy before returning to Paris at the end of the cruise.
Next time – Vernon & Bizy Castle
Dijon Train StationTGV TrainFirst glimpse of Notre DameNotre Dame as we went byNotre DameLouvrePlace de la ConcordeGrand PalaisTapestry II Cabin 322Purchases from Beaune ChocolatierView from ship at dockView of Eiffel Tower from ship at dock
I had thought that we would need to take our cases to the coach, and then to the train in Dijon, and then from the train in Paris onto the coach to the ship. Nope. I just needed to leave them, with their tags indicating that they were going to the new ship in Paris, plus the cabin number, outside of my cabin door by 7:00am. They were picked up and driven in a truck directly to the ship in Paris.
I just put what I would need for the day inside of my camera bag, which I wore across my body along with my travel purse. So, once we disembarked from the Poetry II in St Jean de Losne, we didn’t need to deal with our baggage at all. Our cases would be waiting for us when we arrived at the Tapestry II in Paris. Easy.
That morning at breakfast a family of swans stopped by to say “au revoir”. We thought that was friendly of them. I took a few photos.
There were a total of eleven of us going to Paris – six to hotels, and five of us to the other ship. The others were either flying out of Lyon or taking a train from there to someplace else.
Those of us going to Paris were driven to Beaune, one of the key wine centers of Burgundy. Since the Roman times, the region was known for producing some of the finest wines in France.
Our main reason for visiting Beaune was to see the Hospices de Beaune, which was a medieval hospital that had been in service from 1443 to 1971. It was originally founded by Duke Philip the Good’s chancellor, Nicholas Rolin, as a charitable hospital for the poor. They welcomed the elderly, disabled and sick people, orphans, women about to give birth, and the destitute.
Within the hospital’s courtyard, the buildings had very colorful, tiled roofs. The pattern had been created when the hospital had been founded and then kept up over the centuries. It was very intricate, mainly using red, green and black on a yellow background.
One of the hospital’s main sources of income was wine. They still own the vineyards and still produce wines that continue to provide for the maintenance of the hospital. While we were there, COVID-19 vaccinations were being given in an area of the building. I felt that was quite appropriate.
The original part of the building, which held the hall for the poor patients, including a chapel, was pretty much a large rectangular room. Beds lined both sides, with two patients to a bed. Tables and benches were in the middle of the room for meals. At the far end was the chapel, the ceiling of which was painted and had slender, painted beams.
Later on, another room was created for patients “with means”. It was smaller, but much more elegant (with paintings) and “cozy”. In this room, it was one patient to a bed with more voluminous bedcovers.
We also visited the kitchens and the pharmacy. In another area was a multi-panel painting considered to be a masterpiece – the ‘Polyptych of the Last Judgement’ (also known as the Beaune Altarpiece) by Flemish painter Rogier van der Weyden.
After buying some earrings and a fridge magnet at the gift shop, I ventured out into the town. We had some free time before we left for Dijon. We could get some food for the train ride, peruse antiques shops, and (in my case at least) pick up a few things at a chocolatier.
Next time –the high speed train from Dijon to Paris
Swans coming to visitHaving said goodbyeHospices de BeauneThe poor wardAnother viewChapel ceilingChapelBack in the courtyardFor patients with meansAnother viewThe well and clock towerKitchenPharmacyBeaune AltarpieceThe town
Very few castles retain their original period throughout their lives. Most of the time, they evolve throughout the centuries as owners and tastes change. So a mostly intact 17th century chateau was something to look forward to seeing.
Chateau Cormatin had originally been built as a fortress in 1280. In 1606 a chateau was built on the original foundations, retaining the moat and the drawbridge.
By the time of the French Revolution, the Marquise was widowed, so she turned the Marquis’ Antechamber into a kitchen for her and her six children. Our local guide said that she was trying to show that she could be practical and frugal. Fortunately for her, she was also well loved by the people in the area. So she kept her head and her chateau.
The present day owners had been very fortunate to find that many of the rooms simply needed to be cleaned or to have some later paneling or dropped ceiling removed in order to reveal the original decoration.
So much of the time, over the centuries, a chateau has been redecorated so many times that someone trying to restore the place has quite a challenge regarding what was there originally and whether or not they want to ruin what was done later to try to go back to the original.
I had seen some partial 17th century decoration in castles and homes in Scotland before, but not too many other places. I was very excited to have the opportunity to see Chateau Cormatin.
Our choices for that morning included an excursion to a Chardonnay wine cellar or an excursion to Chateau Cormatin. I didn’t even need to think about it. I was going to Cormatin.
Bumping along on a winding road out in the countryside of Burgundy (Bourgogne) I was keeping my eyes moving as this was another area where I have some ancestors – roughly 33 Burgundians ranging from around 605 to 1306.
There were some ruins of a castle up on a hill coming into view when our local guide said that they were the remains of an early castle that had belonged to the Dukes of Burgundy in roughly the 11th to 13th centuries before their capitol was moved to Dijon. This was another “shoot quick or miss it” situation with my phone. My phone met the challenge. Good thing because I have not been able to find out anything more about that particular castle.
The next village was called Ozenay according to my phone, which sometimes shows the location of where I am taking a photo and sometimes doesn’t. The only info I could find on it was that it was in Burgundy. It was quaint and of the correct age for the time when my ancestors would have been in that area, so I have a photo included here. There was a 12th century castle in that village which is now used as a Bed & Breakfast.
Le Chapelle-sous-Brancion was another village with a castle. This one was the privately owned Chateau of the Nobles and dated to 1370 (after my people had left the area). I managed to get a good photo on the fly of it too.
We made a stop at the village of Chapaize to visit its church. This was an 11th century Romanesque church. Several of the houses in the village were stone with covered galleries. This was typical to the area and reminded me somewhat of the houses in Charleston, South Carolina with their galleries.
The church featured some steps on the outside leading up to the bell tower. I don’t recall ever seeing that before. I also felt that I wouldn’t want to be the one climbing those steps in the rain, snow, or cold.
Finally we arrived at Chateau Cormatin, which we entered through the main entrance in the center of the North Façade. We climbed the Grand Staircase to the Library which was one of a couple of 19th century rooms on that level of the north wing.
The Grand Staircase was the largest surviving example of a square staircase built around a central well. It had been built in 1623.
I shot a photo of the garden out of the window of one of the 19th century rooms before we headed back downstairs to see the magnificent 17th century rooms. The apartment of the Marquise was first. This consisted of an Antechamber, the formal Bedchamber, a Cabinet, a dressing/bathing room, and a small, private Chapel.
In her bedchamber were some candelabras that looked like arms coming out of the wall to hold a candle. I definitely got a kick out of those.
There were two rooms connecting the Marquise’s rooms to that of her husband. The first was a Hall of Mirrors, which was really a ‘room of marvels’ or a ‘cabinet of curiosities’. These kinds of rooms were very common in Europe in the early 17th century. They were designed to stimulate symbolic reflection using strange and exotic objects, stuffed animals, minerals, shells, bronzes, and anything else that would essentially show off the wealth and intellect of the owners.
Considered to be the most luxurious and best preserved early 17th century room in France, the Cabinet of the Marquis (also called the ‘Cabinet of Saint Cecilia’) was breathtaking. The only people who would see these rooms were the owners and their family and any very close friends or associates.
There were a few more rooms on the ground floor that were in varying stages of being restored. We had free time to explore and photograph these rooms and go out and explore the gardens before we needed to head back to the tour coach to rejoin the ship in its new location.
On my way up the drive to the gates, I met the owner riding down the drive on his bicycle. We greeted each other, and then I gestured towards the chateau and said, “Absolument magnifique.” He smiled with pleasure and thanked me. That really pleased me to have been able to tell him what I thought with what little command of French I still have. He spent a lot of time and money on making that place so amazing. It had become one of my favorites of any castle I have ever seen anywhere.
We had a free afternoon on the ship as we immediately set sail for St Jean de Losne once everyone was back on board. After lunch, I finished up with my packing as we would be disembarking the following morning. We also had a tasting of regional cheeses, breads, and mustards, along with wines of course.
Next time – Beaune and its medieval hospital for the poor (as well as some amazing chocolate)
We had docked in Lyon during the night. When we awoke, we found ourselves not only in the third largest city in France (after Paris and Marseilles) but docked on the Saône instead of the Rhône. Lyon straddles both rivers.
Founded as the Roman city of Lugdunum on Fourviére Hill in 43 BC, Lyon became the capital of the Gauls. The Archbishop of Lyon is still referred to as the “Primat des Gaules”. Interestingly, Lyon was not under French control until the 14th century.
The silk trade was one of the main drivers of the city’s development during the Renaissance. During that time the system of secret passages known as traboules were created in the part of the city now known as Vieux Lyon. These came in handy during World War II. Klaus Barbie, the Nazi “Butcher of Lyon” had his headquarters at the Hotel Terminus. The French Resistance was very strong in Lyon and used the traboules as a means of escaping the Gestapo raids.
During the morning while the bicycle race was taking place and the streets of Lyon were mainly closed to any other vehicles, I got the tags for my cases and packed everything that I wouldn’t need until we got to Paris. I also wandered around the top deck and took some photos of the city from up there. Back in my cabin, I got some nice photos of swans, boats, kayaks, and even the tail end of a group of cyclists who shot by on the other side of the Saône.
We had a grilled lunch up on the open top deck of the ship with steak, salmon or burgers as our choices. Several sides were also served. A couple flavors of ice cream were provided for dessert.
Our tour of Lyon began as a coach tour. The part where we first departed from the tour coach, took place at the same place as the city began — Fourviére Hill. We went by the Roman remains of the Theatre of Fourviére and the Odeon of Lyon on the side of the hill (photo included) and parked up on the top of the hill.
There was quite a view of the city from up there (photo included) plus a truly gorgeous basilica. Occupying the site of the Roman forum of Trajan at the top of Fourviére Hill, the basilica was actually quite new, having been built between 1872 and 1896. Next door was a lovely bell tower and Shrine of Notre-Dame de Fourvière. It had a golden statue of Mary at the top.
We were given some free time to visit the basilica before we needed to return to the tour coach. But first I needed to visit a smaller facility near the wall overlooking the city.
When I entered the little building, I discovered a turnstile to get in and a machine attached to the wall from which a ticket needed to be purchased. Although I could get by with what I remembered from high school French fairly often (like when making purchases at the market at Tournon), there were plenty of times when I was completely lost. I looked at the machine and realized that I understood enough French to purchase the ticket. Whew!
Most ticket-operated turnstiles I had encountered before were the type where you slid a ticket into a slot and the turnstile let you through. Instead, this one read the code on the ticket when you placed the ticket against a little screen. Fortunately I figured that out too and found myself headed down the stairs to the rest rooms.
In France, sometimes rest rooms are separated between “Hommes” and “Dames” and sometimes it is everyone together. These were separated and very clean. Perhaps not everyone wanted to spend 0.70€ and waited until they could find one for free. I was the only person down there.
My time inside the basilica was limited to just a few quick photos instead of being able to tour the entire building. But my half hour had dwindled to fifteen minutes, so I did what I could after taking several photos outside. It was a beautiful building.
After driving around the modern parts of the city and some of the 18th and 19th century parts, we stopped just outside of the old Renaissance portion of the city known as Vieux Lyon (Old Lyon). There we got off of the tour coach again and took a walking tour. All of the streets were narrow and cobbled, so were pedestrian only. Our local guide led us through a couple of the traboules into the courtyards from which the buildings could be entered. The courtyards were quite lovely and definitely a “back in time” experience.
Vieux Lyon is the largest, intact, Renaissance neighborhood in Europe and is a protected district. It has three distinct sections:
The Saint Jean Quarter, which is the oldest, dating to the Middle Ages. It was mainly a center of religious and political power.
The Saint Paul Quarter, dating from the 15th and 16th centuries. This section was dominated by Italian bankers and merchants and contained several mansions.
The Saint Georges Quarter also dated mostly from the Middle Ages. The silk weavers moved in during the 16th century. The traboules were built here.
Traboules were created as a means to pass through buildings and their courtyards, connecting streets directly with one another. At the time, there weren’t a lot of streets that ran parallel between the hill and the Saône. So these passages (which were closed off by doors) were quicker routes to get where one needed to go. But you had to know they were there.
Even now, with only a handful of traboules open to the public, the majority are still secret passages. The first one we entered had a long, dark, narrow corridor with heavy wooden doors at each end. The second one had a shorter, wider passage with the doors open on each end. This one had some elegant shops in the courtyard. It also had a famous tower called the Tour Rose (Pink Tower).
In that same courtyard was an old, wooden door with loads of nails that was labeled “Institut des Sciences Clavologiques”. It means “Institute of Nail Sciences” and is a joke. There is a private society that meets there and nobody knows what they do. I am certain it has something to do with drinking.
Next time – Bourgogne-Franche-Comté and Chateau Cromatin
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.
On the way back down from the Viviers Cathdral, we picked up the local guide for the “Black Diamond” Truffle Experience (Jane) and another person from our group who had apparently done enough walking for the day. It was also raining. Cobblestones can be quite treacherous in the rain.
Since I was the only person who had signed up for the “Black Diamond” Truffle Experience, I was given enough time to take a short break before we headed out. It was just me, Jean Loup, Jane, and the driver.
We had quite a drive around in the countryside of Grignan before reaching the truffle farm. At one point we went by a castle. Jane said that she usually stops at the castle but, as it was raining, we would not be doing so. She had no clue as to how much that hurt my heart as a castle lover. Since it was raining and we were too close to the castle, it wasn’t practical for me to even get a photo of it at that point.
At the truffle farm, the house was large and made of stone (small pieces rather than large blocks). The owner (Gilles) was tall, slender, with unruly, longish, grey hair and the beginnings of a scraggly beard. He was dressed in pink shorts, pink slip-on shoes, and a blue shirt. He also had a fairly thick French accent and was concerned about his command of the English language, but I assured him that I could understand him just fine. He was rather quiet and unassuming. Essentially he was just exactly what I would have pictured.
His great grandfather had begun the truffle business (Aymes Truffe) back in 1850 when a large part of the vineyard was destroyed by an invasion of insects. Gilles explained all about truffles. They are essentially a type of mushroom. They need three conditions in order to develop: 1) a special tree that serves as a host; 2) a particular kind of soil; 3) and a special climate. At his farm, they were constantly planting new trees. The main varieties were oaks and hazelnuts.
Two female yellow labs came out with Gilles’ wife to demonstrate how they find the truffles. Back in the day, pigs were used to find truffles. The problem was that the pigs also loved to eat the truffles. So they had to have the truffles wrestled away from them.
Dogs can be trained to sniff out the truffles without having to fight them for them. These dogs sniffed around and then pawed at the ground when they found something. Giles then dug up what they found and the dogs were rewarded with their favorite treats. The first photo included here shows a couple of truffles fresh out of the ground.
The dogs didn’t pay much attention to the visitors until they were done with the job they were supposed to do. Once they were rewarded and released, they came up to us, wagging their tails and looking for some petting.
Back at the house, Gilles brought out some truffles that had previously been cleaned and were ready to be eaten. He used a mandolin slicer to shave them down to thin slivers which he piled onto baguette slices and topped with olive oil and sea salt. He prepared a whole plate full and offered red, white or rose wine.
The only truffles I had ever had were tiny slivers inside pate and other things. I had never actually tasted any truffles of a decent size. What if I didn’t like them? Either way I really enjoyed the tour. But I didn’t want to be making a face or trying to choke down a mouthful of something that tasted horrible. No problem. They were delicious. Good thing since we had a whole plateful for just me, Jean Loup and Jane to share. I had a rose wine with mine.
I never thought I would ever be able to say that I was full of truffles. But I was full of truffles by the time we left. Gilles had some for sale that were packed in a jar. He also had some truffle oil for sale. I bought some of each. They had a website from which I can order more.
We took a shorter route back to the ship, but stopped briefly so I could take a photo of the castle we had passed earlier from a distance. The ship was supposed to have set sail at 6:00pm, but we didn’t arrive until 6:10pm. Fortunately I was with Jean Loup. They wouldn’t leave without him. They did have to put the gangway back in place so we could get onboard.
At dinner that night, I met the other couple that would be on the entire trip with me in addition to Roberta & Jeff. This new couple was Vicki & Tony.
That night, we had escargot as appetizers. I love escargot and order it whenever possible and feasible. So I know how to handle it – normally. For some reason these snails had burrowed themselves as far into their shells as possible. In order to get them out, it was necessary to wrestle with them. There were a couple people at our table who shot one of theirs across the room, shell and all. I managed to eat five of my six. That last one just wasn’t coming out for anything.
We had sailed from Avignon at 4:45am and arrived at a lock at Bollene at 9:45am. It was a deep one. Judging by the entries I saw on the Internet when I “googled” it, it is also considered to be quite a tourist site on its own. We gathered on the top deck at the bow to watch, photograph and video what was happening.
At seven stories tall, it is by far the deepest lock on the Rhone. Built in 1952 as part of the Donzère-Mondragon Dam, the lock also produces renewable hydroelectric power. In fact, together with the nearby nuclear power station and adjacent wind farms, this region produces one-third of France’s electrical power.
The captain used a small control panel, located at the starboard side of the ship to navigate his way through without scraping the sides of the ship against the wall of this very long and narrow lock. This was because he was eyeballing it –judging exactly how much room he had.
Once inside, the guillotine gate at the stern closed and the lock began to fill with water. As the ship rose, we found ourselves elevating from the dark, dank depths of the lock towards the sunlight. The first photo I have included with this post was taken from inside the lock. The second is from when we reached the top and were officially on the Canal de Donzere Mondragon.
Later in the morning, we had a cruise briefing on the plans for the day plus some changes that were coming up during the rest of the southern portion of the cruise. The biggest change was in Lyon. We had planned to tour the city in the morning and then have some optional tours in the afternoon. Instead, there would be a bicycle race in the morning, closing down the entire city (it would be a Sunday). So no city tour until the afternoon. Two of the optionals — “Delights of Beaujolais with Wine Discovery” and “Lyon Culinary Journey: Les Halles de Paul Bocuse” (an indoor food market) – were moved to the morning. But the one for which I had signed up – “Medieval Perouges” (a walled medieval town high on a hill) – was canceled. That meant that I would have another morning off on that day.
Our Cruise Director, Jean Loup, also announced that he had arranged for a mini-van that could carry six passengers up to the top of Viviers to the Cathedral. It was a very steep, cobble-stoned hike up from the river. Dennis and one of the Danish couples (we had two couples from Denmark in the midst of 17 Americans) and I rode up with Jean Loup and the driver.
At a couple points on the way up the narrow roads in Viviers, it seemed we were going pretty much straight up vertically. It made me very glad that I had chosen to ride in the mini-van. We left the ship an hour after the main group and beat them to the cathedral. We pulled into a parking area next to the building and had time to explore before the others arrived.
An operatic lyric soprano with a gorgeous voice sang for us. The acoustics were amazing. The tower was built in the 11th century with the rest of the Cathedral of St Vincent following in the 12th century. The village itself dates back to the 5th century although most of the current buildings date from between the 11th century to the 18th century. The population at its height was about 30,000. Currently it is below 4,000.
The photos of the village give an idea of how narrow the streets were as well as how steep some were. I thought it was a cool village that still had so much of its authentic medieval atmosphere.
Next – Grignan & Truffles (not the chocolate kind)
