A Viking Rhône River Cruise

On our fourth Viking Cruise – this time on the Rhône River in southern France – we encountered a meteorological phenomenon… rising water!

One would have thought lots of water in a river would be a good thing – better than the lack of water that grounded river cruises in the Danube last year – but one would be wrong! The waters feeding the Rhône River come down from the Swiss Alps and eventually flow into the Mediterranean Sea. Seasonally, volumes of water engorge the Rhône, and this fall, the torrential waters made navigation extremely dangerous.

We had boarded the Viking Heimdal in the picturesque town of Avignon, and there we sat waiting for the water levels to drop. The ship’s cheerful staff led by Captain Richard Scheen quickly adapted to our stationary position.

The novelty of a cruise that was not a cruise gave us time to linger over delicious meals and bond with some of the other passengers.  We spent many fun-filled hours sharing stories of previous cruises, and with the notable exception of one honeymooning couple who were on their first cruise, all the other passengers we met were repeat Viking travelers with 3-6 cruises under their belt.

While it was disappointing having to miss some of the exciting excursions the cruise offered and not sailing past the vineyard-covered slopes of the Rhône Valley with its extensive lock system, we did see a few smaller towns that were not on our pre-planned itinerary.

We began with one UNESCO World Heritage Site that was pre-planned… Arles.

We had eagerly anticipated visiting this fabled town that artist Vincent van Gogh literally put on the map. Sadly, it was wishful thinking on my part that on display would be some of the 300 paintings Vincent created during his 15-month residence in Arles. (Maybe even some of Paul Gauguin’s work produced during his tempestuous stay with Vincent.) It seems that both artists’ works can be seen in museums around the world, but none were in Arles during our visit.

We did view The Café de Nuit, although it has, of course, been electrified since Vincent painted it. But his Yellow House residence had been destroyed during the war and a modern building now stands in its place.

Although Arles was the capital of Roman Gaul and boasts impressive Roman ruins such as Les Arènes, a 20,000-seat amphitheater used today for plays and bullfights, they didn’t make up for the disappointment of not seeing “Vincent” in the city associated with him.

Next day, we visited Avignon. This medieval walled city is a perfect example of the charming towns of southern France that are easily self-navigated with the walking maps Viking provides at each of its stops.

Avignon was acquired by the Catholic Church in the 14^th century and quickly became the “City of Popes” and a major religious and cultural center.  It was eventually home to seven pontiffs living in sybaritic luxury in the massive Palace of the Popes. While the Palace still stands, its opulent furnishings and works of art have long been removed, leaving the massive stone walls bereft of beauty or comfort. One of the Pope’s inner dressing rooms still attest to the sumptuous decorations once displayed throughout.

For me, the best part of the tour of Avignon was a visit to the large central market with its distinctive plant-wall exterior. I have been to local markets all over the world that have striven to display their wares attractively, but never have I seen anything to equal the market at Avignon. The center aisle had one wine tasting station after the other, all vying to attract the tourists to taste – and hopefully buy – their products.

Since I was not in the market for wine, I circled the aisles as if I was in a museum viewing the works of art on display. The meat, fowl, and fish stalls were artistically displayed, while the cheese, fruit, and vegetable stalls were a maze of color and design. The candy and pastry stalls had long lines of drooling clients waiting to order the tasty tidbits so beautifully presented.

When visiting Avignon do not pass up a stop at the market. It will give you a whole new understanding of what real food looks like, rather than the plastic-wrapped pre-packaged items available in U.S. markets.

Viviers is another of the well-preserved medieval towns of the Ardèche region of southern France. It is home to Cathedrale Saint-Vincent de Viviers, the smallest cathedral in France that has been in continuous use since its construction in the 12^th century. Located at the top of the hill overlooking the Rhone River, it’s reached by climbing high above the lower town on winding cobblestoned streets – an ascent not for the faint of heart!

We opted instead to visit the residence of Vietnamese-born Richard and Maryann Leon, who have made Viviers their home. They purchased a 4,000-square-meter building – half constructed in the 15^th century and half in the 18^th – and artistically preserved the most charming architectural details, while modernizing the necessary functions for 21^th century living. The result is an amazing warren of rooms, corridors, stairways, and indoor and outdoor platforms used as mini-gardens. Their hospitality to visitors included serving delicious homemade brioche, along with what Richard called “Casteneau,” a local home-brew of five parts rosé or white wine with one part chestnut purée.

Our group was assigned local guide, Pierre Brunel, an award-winning professional ballroom dancer and self-styled comic. That night Pierre and his lovely wife entertained us on board after dinner with dances popular in France. Pierre introduced each dance with wit and sparkling repartee, giving his wife time to change her outfit, with appropriate accessories, for each number.

The cruise continued with all passengers having to leave the ship early in the morning and catch up with it once it had safely docked upstream. River rules do not permit passengers on board when sailing in such turbulent waters. When the cruise finally ended in Leon, it was a bittersweet farewell to the crew and all the good friends we had met.

The author received a complimentary cruise, but as always, we are dedicated to giving you unbiased accounts of our experiences. See our Disclosures page for more information.