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All blog posts are based on our personal travels around Europe, penned by J. Christina.
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Travel dates: July 26- August 8, 2022
L’Hermitage. Tournon
Luxury river cruising offers the best of what seasoned travelers want; stress-free, all-inclusive travel, dining, and daily guided excursions, all onboard a 5-star boutique river ship, while slowly plying Europe’s beautiful waterways.
On a very hot day in August, embarking on a European river cruise ship for an 8-day cruise on the Rhône River in Provence is a real pleasure. It is a distinct way of traveling to see Europe’s postcard-perfect destinations. From visiting Van Gogh’s sun-drenched Provençal town of Arles to Avignon and its UNESCO World Heritage sites, and onto the culinary capital of the world, Lyon, France.
Van Gogh Lounge - S.S. Catherine
What is European River
cruising? The correct term for this river vessel is Boutique River
Cruise Ship. The S.S. Catherine is an elegantly designed
boutique river ship offering luxury hotel-style accommodations, amenities,
food, and wine from the region. The interior greets you with a stunning two-story
lobby with a Murano glass chandelier and a life-size glass horse. River
cruising allows travelers to embark on a one-of-a-kind itinerary, designed to
see historic towns and landmarks just steps from the ship. And you arrive in
the heart of great European cities and towns with ease and anticipation.
Our ship
sails slowly north leaving charming Viviers behind as we glide past beautiful
riverscapes while the river cruisers enjoy an evening of entertainment, food,
and wine from Provence. Captain Pascal
deftly navigates the lock and dams at; Châteauneuf de Rhône,
Logis-Neuf, Beauchastel, and Bourg-les-Valence, and gently slips into our
mooring in Tain L’Hermitage late in the evening. It is European
River cruising at its finest with vineyard-laced hillsides, and chateaux in the
distance.
L’Hermitage
and Tournon are twin towns on the banks of the Rhône River in the
Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes region. Tournon in the Ardéche department on the right
bank and opposite Tain-l’Hermitage in the Drome department. This is
where the landscape showcases famous vineyards on the steep terraced hillsides.
L’Hermitage is best known for Côtes du Rhône wine produced from Syrah grapes, and the
world-famous Valrhona chocolates.
The twin towns are connected by a pedestrian bridge across the Rhône River built by Marc
Seguin, inventor of wire-suspension bridges. The flower laden pedestrian
bridge was reconstructed with removable wooden slats to prevent destruction
during WWII.
The river cruisers have
an easy walk to Eglise Notre-dame de Assumption de Tain L'Hermitage for a
one-hour organ concert by Alexis Platz. Later we stroll over to Tournon
crossing the footbridge between the twin towns, trekking uphill to the Chateau
des Seigneurs de Tournon. Our travelers attend the Confrerie of the Jolie
Treille of St. Joseph and Hermitage i.e., Brotherhood of the Beautiful Trellis
ceremony. Where a gentleman is inducted into the wine society by glugging two
glasses of wine and is awarded a medal and certificate.
The historic Castle of
Tournon is built into the granite wall overlooking the town and river with a
breathtaking view over the Rhône Valley and its famous vineyards.
While there, we enjoyed a wine-tasting reception on the stone balcony while enjoying the
panoramic view.
Panoramic overlooking the Rhône
By afternoon, the Catherine continues sailing north 77km, passing
through the last few locks on our route; Gervans, Sablons, Vaugris, and
Pierre-Benite. Our destination is Lyon, France, located at the confluence of
two rivers, the mighty Rhône River, and the serene Saône, where we will dock for the night. At
Lyon, the two rivers become one, the Rhône, the only
major river in Europe that flows into the Mediterranean Sea.
Have your creative passport stamped and subscribe to www.scribblesandsmiles.net as we have our
finale in Lyon, France!
Travel Information - Know Before You Go via Uniworld (everything you need to know tips, ports, transfers etc.)
Masterpiece Collection Optional: +Premium wine tasting on Hermitage
Hill 199€ (price 2022)
After
many years of intrepid travel, we thoughtfully unwrapped our treasure-trove of
European travelogues, artfully sharing with a worldwide audience. Intentionally
sharing the joie de vivre through our words and images, so others can travel
vicariously.
J. Christina is the author and owner of Scribbles and Smiles. Through
our blog, we share stories of the wonderful discoveries we have made on our
European travels. Christina (Christie) is married to John, a.k.a. Mr.
Christie. Where Mr. Christie is right on board with their travel jaunts around
the world sharing in their blogging endeavor - hence, their bespoke pen name,
J. Christina. Christie is traveling solo on this adventure, 2022.
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