My Mom keeps telling this story about me. She says when I was little and somebody asked me what I wanted to be when I grow up, I would answer – Test Vacationer! Now I am working on a river cruise ship and usually people say – But you are always on vacation! – Yeah, right!
Just the other day a man walked up to me saying – Can I ask you a personal question? Have you worked on ocean cruise ships before? – Yes of course I have, many years! – And are you not longing to go back? – Sorry Sir, I do not understand the question. Why should I be longing to go where? – Don’t you want to go back to ocean cruise ships? – Sir, I applied for my position here voluntarily! If I wanted to go on an ocean cruise ship I would not have asked to come here! – Oh! …… he said it and walked off …
One of the most favourite questions people ask is that one – How long are you cruising up and down this river before you have vacation? – Well, all season long from April to October! – But is it not boring doing every week the same cruise on the same river on the same ship? – Sir, may I ask you a question in return, without wanting to offend you? Did you not go to work in the same office for let’s say 20 years or so? Was that not boring? – Of course I did! But that is something totally different! – No sir, it is exactly the same! With the difference that I have every day a different view from my “office” window! – Well, if you look at it like this …..
And it is like that! The work is work and my daily trip to work is exactly 10 seconds! Out the cabin door, up the stairs – et violá! – I am at my desk. That is probably one of the best things on this job – and the worst. You are always right there, day and night, 24/7.
This season I am cruising the French rivers Rhone and Saone again. While working in France with German guests is more demanding than working the rivers Danube or Rhine, I, however, here have mastered the art of taking a break and switching off the bickering of the passengers sometimes. And do not get me wrong, I am not everyday going out drinking! This is a collection of stories and photos from 2 seasons on the French rivers!
Leaving Lyon after a stressful disembarkation-embarkation-day is the first highlight. The last of the disembarking guest leave usually by 11:30, but the first new ones arrive already by about 13:00. While the cabins are off limits for guest from 09:00 to 16:00 to be cleaned, the public areas are accessible. Personally, I would go for a walk or shopping while waiting for check-out or check-in, but not so the regular cruise guest. They occupy the lounge or the sundeck and complain about the waiting time.
But once all new arrivals are on board, checked-in, complained enough about the too long bus ride getting here or delayed flights, booked or confirmed their excursions, figured how to operate the safe, found the hairdryer and hopefully unpacked their suitcases, guests finally sit in the restaurant for dinner, the excursion bookings are counted and sent – then it is time for the first glass of wine with a view. From the quai we cruise a couple kilometers down the Rhone and then turn into the Saone. The Musée de Confluences sits directly at the confluence of the rivers. It looks like a crystal cloud floating over the rivers when the sunlight is reflected.
The lowest bridges of the cruise are all over the Saone in the city of Lyon. Pont Kitchener is the lowest and only a few centimeters separate the sundeck from the bridge.
The complete sundeck is closed and folded up. No guests allowed up and the wheelhouse is lowered to deck level, the Captain looking out his hatch or steers from the outside helm. The Saone is canalized and the walls are high, often there are underground car parks integrated there. Nevertheless, the view of Vieux Lyon, the Basilique Notre-Dame de Fourvière and the Tour Metallique, the small brother of the Tour Eiffel, is magnificent.
The northern most point of the cruise is usually our first stop in Chalon-sur-Saone. On a 10 day cruise we arrive at 19:00 and stay overnight. It is the hometown of Nicéphore Niépce, who is usually credited as the inventor of photography and a pioneer in that field. He developed heliography, a technique he used to create the world’s oldest surviving product of a photographic process: a print made from a photoengraved printing plate in 1825. Just the other day his statue, which had been restored, was driven through town in a procession and put on its new base. While it was dinner time on board, a friend from Chalon called me to come quickly and follow, before we would take an aperó and dinner. So, off I went! I quickly changed out of the uniform and ran into town. Good thing is always that the docking places on a river cruise are usually right in the center of town. I did find the procession quickly. Many local people followed the statue as if it was a deity. The mayor held a passionate speech while the statue was lifted onto its base and is now overlooking the river. Of course, we took our aperó there. It was offered by the mayor to toast the newly restored river promenade and statue of the most famous citizen of Chalon-sur-Saone.
We went later to the Place de l’Hôtel-de-Ville and found a Brasserie to take dinner. Of course I had to have Cuisse de Genouille au beurre de persil – Frog legs in parsley butter! Yummy! Something very French, I think.
On the 7 day cruise we dock for the afternoon in Chalon-sur-Saone. When the guests are on their excursions it is quiet on the ship. I usually take my bicycle and go for a short tour looking for secret boxes. Afterwards I stop either at Place de l’Hôtel-de-Ville or near the Cathedrale St. Vincent. Just sitting there in the sun, having a Pastis and enjoying the atmosphere is like meditation. That is very French as well – as soon as the sun is out a bit, everybody sits in street café outside even if it is just for a quick coffee or a glass of wine.
On one of those afternoons I went out with our HotMan. We both had to get away for a bit. Most of the guests were on excursions, the ship was almost empty. We told the receptionist – Call us, when something happens! We will be back in an hour.
We did not go far, just a couple hundred meters to the Place de l’Hôtel-de-Ville. We ordered a Panaché and a Pastis and chatted about everything and nothing at all. The first round led to a second, but the waiter forgot us and then we complained. When we got the second round of Pastis we ordered directly the third, telling the waiter we did not want to wait again that long, therefore we order directly. He did not think it was funny. So he brought us the third Pastis straight away and a fourth one on the house along with the bill.
All the time no messages from the ship. It seemed all was quiet. We were back on the ship well in time before the excursions would come back. As we arrived it kind of felt strange, though. The receptionist looked relieved to see us. Oh good, you are back! The toilet system is out of service for already 1 hour. – Hey, why did you not call us? Is the technichian on it? What does the Captain say? – Yes, technicians are on it, they found the source, but now they want to turn off the water system on the whole ship to repair it. – Oh Jeeez, check the galley how far they are with dinner preparations and if they can do without water for a while. – How many guests on board? We have to make an announcenment before we turn the water off! But we need to know how long it will take!
We sobered up very fast and got to work. The water had to be turned off for about an hour just before dinner time. The galley managed and we informed the guests via the PA system.
I really really need to pee now! – You can use the toilets, but please do not flush! As soon as the vacuum system is up again, the toilets will flush automatically. – But the toilet has been used my husband already. You want me to go on it as well? – Well, madame, that or hold it until the system is up again. – But can I not use the public toilet? – No, the water had to be turned off, so those are out of service as well. – Then is there a hotel near by where I can use the public toilet? – Madame, you want to swim ashore? We have already left the quai and are cruising south. – But I really really need to pee! – Then I suggest you use the toilet in your cabin, but please do not flush! As soon as the vacuum system is up again, the toilets will flush automatically…
Cruising down river again towards Macôn or Tournus in the evening is beautiful. The sunsets can be magnificent in Burgundy. That is my favourite time, when the guests are having dinner in the restaurant and I take my seafood platter and glass of wine up to the sun deck and enjoy the scenery.
In Tournus we stop usually on a Saturday morning – weekly market day in the small town. All along the small main alley ways there are market stalls with local produce and everything. We usually go late morning for shopping specialties to offer the guests on the ship.
And there is always time for a quick drink in one of the cafés before lunch.One day I was out with colleagues again. They had Pastis and I took a coffee and a Kir – which here in the Bourgogne is Crème de Cassis with dry white wine – a Kir Royal would be Crème de Cassis with Crémant de Bourgogne. As we return back to the ship a guest asked me – So, did the wine taste good? – Well, Sir, it was a Kir! – Oh, we thought you were having alcohol that early in the morning already! …..
In Roman times, Tournus was a small fortified town built alongside the River Saone. The first documented presence of Christianity is in the 2nd century, with the arrival of St. Valerian from Lyon. Valerian preached in Tournus and converted some of its inhabitants before being executed by the Romans around 179 AD. His tomb became a secret place of pilgrimage for early Christians. After Christianity became legal under Emperor Constantine in the 4th century, a small monastery dedicated to St. Valerian was founded on the site. In 875, King Charles the Bald offered the Abbey of St. Valerian in Tournus to homeless monks from Noirmoutier, whose monastery had been captured by the Normans. That monastery had been founded by St. Philibert (616-85), whose relics the monks carried with them. This led to an unusual situation in which the abbey was shared by two monastic communities, each dedicated to their own saint. Construction on a new pilgrimage church lasted from the late 10th century to the early 12th century, with frequent interruptions. The church is approached via a narrow passage between massive gate towers, through which a tantalizing glimpse of the west front can be seen. The facade is imposing and austere, with thick walls and arrow-slit windows indicating its double purpose as a fortress. The only decoration comes from tall recesses beneath Lombard bands (small blind arches). The north tower dates from the late 12th century. The portal is an incongruous 19th-century addition, as is the walkway between the west towers.
The river Saone is very contemplative almost meditative. The small river is slow, only small villages and town are scattered along the river. Mostly there is nature, swans and herons can be seen, green pastures, a lot of Charolais cattle right at the river banks. Charolais is a breed of taurine beef cattle from the Charolais area in Burgundy and is mainly raised for meat.
Mâcon is another stop along the Saone. It is the most southerly town in Burgundy, and perhaps the first town that you come to when heading south that feels “Mediterranean”, with canal tile rooves and pastel painted buildings. With a history dating back more than 2000 years, Mâcon prospered thanks to its historical position as an important border town to the east of France, and on an important trading route. The town and region, like many in Burgundy, are now very well known for the local wines produced nearby. Mâcon is a pleasant place to pass some time: the section of the town along the banks of the Saone River is the most interesting and attractive for visitors – in particular the view across the river to the town from the opposite bank with the cathedral towers dominating the skyline.
The old centre of the town, just back from the river and the esplanade Lamertine, has some interesting houses – see especially the carpentry work and carvings on the 15th century Maison de Bois. The new Cathedral of Saint Vincent was built in the 19th century to replace the earlier cathedral of the same name. It is in the neoclassical style with the facade dominated by an entrance with four large stone columns.
Sundays there is everything closed in town …. except the flower shop! Sometimes however we are also there on weekdays. And there is a fruit & vegetable market hall close to the quai. They have the best seasonal fruits there is. One day I went to buy my fix of strawberries and the first cherries of the season. On the way back to the ship I got distracted and stopped in the Corner Café for a glass of wine. The sun was shining, most guests on excursion, the view on the river nice.
I put my bag with my fruit shopping next to me under the table….Back on the ship I was busy with announcements and counting guests, preparing the afternoon excursion. We cruised downriver towards Trévoux, where the afternoon excursion would start, it would return later in Collonges. Sometime during lunch time I started thinking about my fruits, because the receptionist was telling me about all the fruit she had bought. Maybe I could have my fruits for lunch …. Heck, where were they? …. Haaaa, still standing under the table in the Corner Café in Mâcon! Great place for my fruits! But I would not be me, if I did not have an idea, letting my contacts play! I called a guide friend who would be joining the afternoon excursion later. She was not passing by Macôn, but she knew the other guide who would. So, he went by the Café and picked up my fruits! They were still there! The guides however would be joining the excursion only en route. Therefore they eventually gave my bag of fruits to the bus driver and he brought them to me in the evening, when he dropped off the guests. I love it, when plans work out!
There is also a nice excursion to Burgundy for a wine tasting the Château du Moulin-à-Vent, which has been a leading light of wine exploitation in the Moulin-à-Vent appellation since 1732 (at least!). Located 10km south from Mâcon, in the southernmost tip of the Burgundy region, it owes its name to the old windmill that stands on the top of the hill of “les Thorins”. Before 1936 and the creation of the AOC Moulin-à-Vent, the estate was called Château des Thorins. The estate now stretches over 37 ha of vines belonging to the greatest terroirs of the appellation. We visit the vineyards and also the cellars and then there is a wine tasting.
But this is not really a wine tasting,eh? This is just a timble full, nothing that is! – Well, sir, please do not compare whine tastings in Germany at the river Moselle, where you usually get almost a glass full per tasted wine, with France. Here it is just a dégustation. You taste the wine and if you like it you buy it or remember it. – But I do not get a taste of it from that little! – You should try it like the presenter says … smell the bouquet, take a sip, keep it in your mouth, swallow, enjoy! – When you said we would taste 3 wines, I expected 3 glasses of wine, not just enough to wet my tongue! – Well, sir, as I said, it is a wine tating, not a booze-up!
On that evening we pass the city of Lyon again. Depending on if it is a 7 or 10 day cruise we pass it either at dinnertime or just before midnight.
Because of the very low bridges the sundeck is closed again. But you always get the odd guest who knows everything better and wants to know exactly why it is like that. And why can we not sit on the sundeck while passing the city? – Sir, because even the Captain hast to squat when passing those bridges and no insurance would cover when you are up there and hit your head on a bridge! – But I can squat as well and I booked this cruise only to see the passage of Lyon! – Sorry, sir, it is really not possible and spare heads to replace broken ones we do not have on board! – I will complain personally to your boss! – Of course, that is your right, but still safety goes first and you will have to respect the closed of staircase now and stay below. Even my boss – who by the way sits in Germany – cannot raise the bridges in this moment either! He would tell you exactly the same: Please stay below for your own safety! Thank you, sir!
In Lyon we reach the river Rhone. In the evening we also pass the small town of Vienne, on the left bank of the Rhone, south of Lyon, it is a city overflowing with Roman history. That’s not an overstatement either, as even the parks in Vienne are scattered with thrilling little fragments from the ancient city of “Vienna”, be it Roman paving, walls, milestones or columns. Southbound we just pass it, which is also a beautiful sight.
The next stop south is just for the excursion to the Gorges de l’Ardèche. We only stop short in the morning to disembark the excursion participants in La Voulte.
The valley of the Ardèche is very scenic, in particular this 30 km section known as the Ardèche Gorges. The walls of the river here are limestone cliffs up to 300 m high. A panoramic road skirts the top of the valley and offers spectacular views. The most famous feature is a natural 60 m stone arch spanning the river known as the Pont d’Arc. We stop here for a short walk and a quick photo.
A stunning view is also from the Belvédère du Serre de Tourre. It is another beautiful viewpoint from the panorama road.
Why can we not go kayaking on the Ardeche? – Madame, it is unfortunately not in our program! This is only a panoramic tour by bus. – But I only booked this cruise and in particular this excursion to go kayaking here! – Madame, we do not have the time, really. It is not part of the excursions and it would take like at least half a day for the shortest kayak trip which is offered here. – But we really want to do it! – Well, I suggest, you come back here for a longer vacation and then you do the entire day or more on a kayak, you could even camp along the river while doing it. – On no! We prefer cruising in style on a ship!
We do also a “technical” stop at the Musée de la Lavande Saint-Remèze. “Technical” stops during the excursions are extremely important! Even though the busses we use have toilets. For some guests knowing how many toilet stops and in which interval they are, is more important than knowing what they might see. At one point somebody actually officially complained that the excursion descriptions should contain detailed information regarding toilets! Here at the Lavender Museum there is not only a public toilet, but also a shop with everything imaginable made of Lavender, a Bistro where you can taste Lavender ice crème and Lavendou – Lavender syrup filled up with dry white wine.
The Lavender started blooming this year in early June and the fields behind the museum are already purple.
Will I be seeing the blooming Lavender fields on this cruise? – Yes, you are lucky, the Lavender started blooming early this year and during the excursion to the valleys of the Ardèche you will see already some blooming Lavender. – What do you mean, it started early? I only booked this cruise to see the Lavender! – Well, we cannot guarantee blooming Lavender fields considering the changing climate and weather conditions, but if you had booked a cruise a couple of weeks later, then you could have done a special Lavender Tour where we definitely find you the perfect Lavender field postcard view. – But nobody told me that before!
Hello Madame, who was your tour? How did you like the blooming Lavender? – What do you mean? There were only a few blooms there. I wanted to see the purple fields all the way to the horizon! Like on the photos on the postcards! – Well, did you walk around the museum building to the other side and field to have a classic Provence Lavender view? Next to the bus park there is only a small field with a few plants that are blooming now. – No, it was too far for me. – But it was less than a 100 meters around the house and it started blooming lst week and should be almost in full bloom now. – No, the path was not paved and very uneven. – Yeah, it is a path through the Lavender fields …. Did you at least see the fields from the bus when driving back to the ship? There are many Lavender fields along the road. – No, on the bus I had to catch up on my sleep, because I cannot sleep on the ship. – But why is that so? Your cabin is right amidships, one of the most quiet cabins on the ship. – My husband is snoring so loud, I cannot sleep. At home we have separate bedrooms, but we did not want to pay for 2 cabins on this cruise.
That excursion returns to the ship in Viviers. Viviers is a small walled city situated on the right bank of the Rhone. It has a very medieval feel. There is a lower and an upper town. Small alleyways and stairs lead up to the apparently smallest cathedral of France.
The view from the upper town over the river valley is fantastic. The roofs of the houses in the lower town are all covered in the same coloured terracotta shingles.
Strolling through the alleyways is very nice. On weekdays the town is literally deserted. On weekends in summer there are a few people around and some of the restaurants are open, however. There are only a handful of shops in town anyway, in the historic center almost none. Some of the houses are beautifully restored, others seem to be abandoned and many are still under restoration. There are, however, always a few resident cats around and one bar/café is always open, were the few locals come together for the coffee, Pastis and chat.
Hello hello, tell me where are the shops here, we want to go shopping! – Madame, today it is all about enjoying the atmosphere and the peacefulness! Shopping you go tomorrow in Avignon! – Why do we stop here then? I want to go shopping now! – Well, tomorrow in Avignon you will have plenty of shops to choose from! Just enjoy the quiet here, because Avignon will be crowded! – Yeah, that is what I wanted to ask you as well, why is this town so deserted? Nobody here! Why do we stop here? – We stop here, because it is wonderfully peaceful and beautiful. The next days there will many people in the cities. The quiet before the tourist storm of the next days, so to say. – But I really want to go shopping now!
We used to do an excursion to Grignan and the truffle region from there as well. Grignan has a magnificent Renaissance castle and is mentioned in the letters that Madame de Sévigné wrote to her daughter, Madame de Grignan, in the 17th century.
Grignan is in the heart of south-eastern France’s truffle “golden triangle”, where more than 60 % of the French truffles are unearthed. It is home to tuber melanosporum, France’s most refined truffle variety, commonly called the black Périgord truffle.
The truffle need 3 conditions to grow and develop correctly – a special tree that serves as a host, a particular ground and a special climate. The truffle likes cold winters without much frost, humid and mild springs, hot and dry summers. Precipitation, temperature and sun are basic elements the truffle grows. Generally, the truffle needs a Mediterranean climate without much frost but with rain from time to time in the hot summer months.
“Man created immunisation antibiotics and the computer, he travels in space and plants flags on the moon …. but he has not yet discovered how to make truffles.” M. Burnet 1988
The mycelia of truffles form symbiotic, mycorrhizal relationships with the roots of several tree species including Beech, Birch, Hazel, Hornbeam, Oak, Pine and Poplar. The most common being here the Chênes Verts – Quercus Ilex – the Evergreen Oak, Holly oak or Holm Oak – is a large evergreen Oak native to the Mediterranean region.
The truffle harvest is very difficult because it exist no mechanical means to find the truffle, because nothing shows where a truffle is. In this region it is common for dogs – known as “Truffle hounds” – to be used in the gathering of truffles because truffle hogs – often used in Italy – have been known to eat too many truffles in the field.
On this excursion we visited a truffle farm and took a walk through some of the tree plantation. Because it was not really harvest time for truffles and of course they would not take groups of tourists into the real plantation, truffles had been hidden especially and the faithful dog went and found them for the guests. It is always a lot of fun.
Later we also had a tasting of truffles and truffle products. My favourite are the fresh truffle with olive oil – we usually tasted the white summer truffle – and also bread with truffle oil. Yummy!
The truffle sniffing dog likes the fresh truffles as much. They have to get treats in exchange for spitting out the found truffle. When we had the tasting they always eyed the fresh truffles cheekily.
Unfortunately this year this excursion is not anymore in the program, because it did not sell well. I guess, truffle is not for the average German ….
Leaving Viviers we keep cruising south passing the deepest of the locks on the river Rhone on our cruise. The Écluse de Bollène. The Donzère-Mondragon dam – or André-Blondel dam – is a hydroelectric dam and lock built between 1947 and 1952 at the southern end of the Donzère-Mondragon canal. The canal branches off the river Rhone just below Viviers near Donzère and reaches the river again after 29 km near Mondragon. It straightens this section of the river Rhone and bridges over an altitude difference of 23 m, which is overcome by only one lock.
The Tricastin Nuclear Power Plant is situated next to the canal and is a nuclear power plant consisting of 4 pressurized water reactors . The power plant is part of the widespread Tricastin Nuclear Site, which was named after the historic Tricastin region. Three out of the four reactors on the site had been used until 2012 to power the Eurodif Uranium enrichment plant, which had been located on the site.
This is irresponsible that we pass by so many nuclear plants on this cruise! – It is only 3, madame, and they are all very save. – But why do we have to pass by them? – Because they are all located on the river banks using the water of the river for cooling. – I am against nuclear power and I think they should close them all down! Or better, we should take another route, so we do not have to see them on our river cruise…..
Avignon is one of the favourite stops along the river Rhone. When the Captain is happy, the timing is good – means no traffic on the river and no traffic jam at the locks – and if the weather is favourable, then we do a photo tour with the ship to the famous Pont d’ Avignon on arrival. We pass by the actual docking place and do a scenic tour. Usually, that is a highlight for the guests, especially if it coincides with sunset. And of course, we play the song “Sur le pont d’Avignon” on full volume all over the ship.
Why are we doing this extra tour? I want to go ashore! – Sir, don’t you enjoy this special photo tour? Seeing the famous bridge of Avignon from this perspective is special! – That is supposed to be the famous bridge? But it looks rather nondescript! – The view of the panorama of the city is beautiful, though! – Naja … is that over soon? I really want to go ashore! – So, you are going to skip dinner on board tonight? The restaurant opens in a few minutes after the photo tour. – Oh ….. yeah, I go ashore after dinner then!
During June and July there is a huge ferries wheel right next to the quai. It offers the best view over the city. I always send the guests there. They are always sceptic and think € 6 is too much for a tour. But in the end many of them go and are thrilled. It is something you have to do when in Avignon. Same as having a drink on the Place de Horologe.
My favourite place in Avignon is Les Halles, the market hall of Avignon. It is only open in the mornings and I always take the time to go after the excursions have left. There are stalls for all kinds of local produce. It is like a gourmet temple.
My favourite are the sea food sellers. In the very corner is La Cabane d’Oléron where they sell fresh sea food at reasonable prices. The guys there recognized me already from last season and now when I come there I have to say nothing anymore – Bon jour, madame! Comme d’habitude? – Mais oui, s’il vous plaît! – Installez-vous! – There are like 6 small wooden tables and rickety chairs already set up with plastic plates and frames for the seafood platters. On a regular day there are only few guests, because I am usually very early at around 10:00. But on a Sunday it is always full already. Taking an Apèro des huîtres is something French people do on a Sunday morning. I think it is one of the best things the French invented! I can do it every day of the week!
Before I even found a seat a small carafe of white house wine is at my table and the guy is busy opening my oysters. A dozen of Fine de Claire #3 Huîtres Marennes Oléron is my regular. I could live of those! And for me it has become a tradition to have oysters in Avignon! Traditions have to be kept! Most of the time I go there alone, but sometimes a colleague goes with me. Most cannot understand my love of slurping oysters … Often guests walk by the little bistro when they visit the market and when they see me, they curiously come to check it out. Very few I have met that actually thought it were a good idea and found a seat for themselves to have oysters. If the cruise director sits there it must be a good place! And trust me! I know the best places to have oysters along the river!
Avignon has a lot of cool street art and murals as well. I have found quit a few of the pieces while looking for secret boxes. In July when the theatre festival is on in Avignon the city is too crowded and hot for me. But in spring it is still quiet and beautiful. Going on my bicycle exploring is another kind of meditation.
In the summer on Sundays there are sometimes oldtimer meetings on the Place de l’Oulle next to the quai. A lot of cool old cars show up to show off.
In August and September the Les Luminessences d’Avignon @ Palais des Papes is taking place. I actually managed to go there once last year. It is a fantastic 360° spectacle. Apparently it is the only monumental Sound & Light Show in Provence. Fifteen large-format video projectors project breathtaking images onto all four walls of the Honour Courtyard in the Palace of the Popes. It was fantastic, as if standing in the midst of it all. Well, quite literally you are in the midst of it. The sound and light show is all around the courtyard. It is fantastic!
There is a show in French at 22:15! You should go! – But it is only in French, do they not offer it in German? – No, at this time only in French. There is an English show, but we will not reach Avignon in time on this cruise. – I do not want it in French, I do not understand French. – But it is not really necessary to understand, there is mostly music and a fantastic lightshow which explains itself!
From the old Pope’s Residence of Avignon the cruise continues to the old Roman Capital of Arles. It has a totally different feel to it. The alley ways seem to have a more provincial flair to them. Walking along Van Gogh’s tracks is beautiful. He painted 200-odd works around town. One special photo you have to take is the one of Café la Nuit Van Gogh. They did keep it from outside in the same yellow colour like on his famous painting. With my affection for special cocktails in special places, of course I had to have the signature “Le Van Gogh” Cocktail for a hefty € 13,50 there. Quite frankly, it is better to take your photo and then take you drink and food in one of the other palaces around. The service is lousy here. The prices in no relation of what you get. While I have learnt and know by now, that in a regular French restaurant it is easy to get the feeling that not the guest is king, but the waiter, in this particular place they seem to rely on the name only. Just the location and the painting will lure tourists in. No local will go there. And tourists should not either. It is a trap.
Arles has Roman treasures, shady squares and plenty of Camarguais culture which makes it a seductive stepping stone into the Camargue. It is the largest town in France by territory – it has 758 km² because half of the Camargue Nature Park is actually within the town limits.
The Camargue is an island of approx. 85 000 ha situated between the embanked arms of the Rhône, formed by the deposit of sand, stones and alluvium by torrents. This strange fusion of land, river and sea shelters huge wild plains with marshes, tufts of thistle and fields of sea lavender surrounding the Étang de Vaccarès and making this region an exceptional land.
With a perfect balance between environment and human activities, this land of passion has become a privileged destination. Far from the beaten track, it is of an untamed beauty, a discreet soul and an incomparable poetic charm that gave birth to the genius of Frédéric Mistral and inspired numerous artists and writers. A melancholy landscape in a torn vastness, where everything is born and everything dies unceasingly in the deafening sound of waves which wash its sunny coast.
We take excursions to the Camargue on every cruise. There is always a bus tour through the Parc Naturel Régional de Camargue. I love it there. In the bus you sit always higher than in a car, so you can see over the reed belt and bushes and spot animals more easily. While neither the Camargue horses nor the Camargue Taureaux – the bulls – are entirely wild anymore, but all belong to somebody, they do live an almost wild life. They are outside year round and have huge pastures to roam in.
The flamingos are here almost year round as well. And often we are lucky enough and spot many of them along the route. This is usually more likely in spring and maybe in autumn. In high summer season, when it is very hot and most of the wetlands have dried up, the flamingos also move to their breeding colony.
Guests not always understand, of course, that animal sightings depend on the mood of the animal, the weather, the day, the wind, whatever. If you visit the Palace of the Popes in Avignon you can almost certainly be sure that it is there in the same spot like centuries already. If horse, bull or flamingo decide to hide the day you are in the Camargue, because it is too hot or they think there are too many people around or there is not enough food, well, they are not there. They hide in the bushes or further afield.
How was the excursion? – Hmm, not so good, we saw only 2 Flamingos …. from afar…. – But well, at least you saw 2! – We only booked this tour to see the animals, but the horses and Camargue Taureaux were also only in the far distance! We think, you should at least invite us for a cocktail as reparation. – But if you wanted to get close to horses and bulls you should have booked our other Camargue excursion which does the tour through the park and then visits the traditional manade. On the Mas de Layalle you would have gotten right in touch with them! – Yeah, you said so, but we were not sure, that is true. – It is also very detailed in your excursion descriptions. – We did not read those…. we only looked at the cheapest excursions and booked those.
Anyway, the Camargue Manade excursion is great. The boss there is a typical Manadier Camarguaise. Not that my French is very good. Most of the time I do understand maybe half of what is said, if I concentrate maybe three-quarters. But Camarguaise French sounds like a totally different language to me. Nevertheless, it is each and every time a blast visiting there. The boss talks like constantly, our guide is trying desperately to catch up with translation and in between him demonstrating and explaining the triage of separating bulls from the heard, he has still time to charm our guide and offer her a taureaux to take home. All the time he has his cigarette in his mouth – I can smoke on my own land, can I? Even when I am working, can I? – and a huge grin on his face.
He is so proud of his price winning taureaux as well. Look over there, he says, on that pasture, there in the herd are 4 price winning taureaux, but they unfortunately only run in second league at the Course Camarguaise. Only very rarely, he says, you get lucky to get a first league bull.
From spring through to autumn, on the golden sand of the arenas in each Camargue village, an impassioned and knowledgeable crowd is gathered. Razeteurs – Camargue bullfighters – come head-to-head with Camargue bulls in this chivalrous game that requires such values as loyalty and valour from both Man and beast. Skill and agility, along with a mutual respect, are key to the Camargue bullfight. Unlike with corridas – Spanish bullfights – which show the matador’s name in big letters, post-ers publicising the course Camarguaise puts the bull’s name before that of the razeteur. The name of the manade from which the bull comes is also given. The true star of the show is really the taureaux – the bull! From fight to fight, his qualities bring him glory and make him a sought-after animal, guaranteeing visitors some very action-packed afternoons! As for the razeteurs, they are just support acts, their fame being based on the reputation of the bull that they are facing. No blood is spilled in the Camargue bullfight. The Camargue bull does not come to kill, unlike his Spanish cousin! The bulls run 15 min in the arena and the razateurs win price money for picking the so-called attributes from their horns. The money for the attributes which are left goes to the bull – his owner respectively. A champion bull is like a super star and his fans travel from arena to arena to follow his courses. After his running career the bull gets to spend his retirement years on the vast pastures of the Camargue. And his fans still travel to visit him. Unfortunately for me, I have never had the chance to watch a course Camarguaise. I really would like to see it. I guess, I have to keep trying to find the time, or better be at the right time at the right place. That is not so easy considering the ship has a schedule to keep …
Alternatively to the Manade excursion we have also the bus tour going to Les-Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, which is the capital of the Camargue and it covers the second-largest area of all communes in Metropolitan France, smaller only than that of neighbouring Arles. Les-Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer is an ancient town named for two Marys — in French, Ste. Marie Jacobé and Ste. Marie Salomé — who are closely linked to Jesus in the gospels.The designation “de-la-mer” – of the sea – derives from a medieval tradition that after Jesus’ death the two Marys traveled across the sea by boat and lived in the Camargue the rest of their lives, helping to bring Christianity to France. Today, aside from being a working class summer beach destination with a picturesque Romanesque fortress-church, from which rooftop the view over the surroundings is fantastic, Les-Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer is known in France for the celebrations it holds for each Mary’s feast, in May and October. The town is a pilgrimage destination for Roma (Gypsies), who gather yearly for a religious festival in honor of Saint Sarah. Dark-skinned Saint Sara is said to have possibly been the Egyptian servant of the Marys. In another version, Sara was a local woman who welcomed the Marys on their arrival. A statue of Ste. Sarah is in the crypt of the church, which also encloses a 4th-century BC taurobolic altar once dedicated to the cult of the Indo-Iranian god Mithra, although a likely Celtic origin is claimed. For a € 3 entrance fee you can climb the stairs to the roof of the church and enjoy the fantastic view over town, sea and Camargue.
The town has approx. 2500 inhabitants, but in summer there can be 10 times as many. There are entire quarters of the town comprised of holiday apartments. The beaches close to town are crowed in summer. But early in the season the town is literally deserted. At least once a season I have to put my feet in the Mediterranean Sea there.
You know, you should cancel the stop in this horrible town of the Marys! It is so ugly and crowded! – Sir, it is high summer season and a lot of French people take their summer vacation usually in their own country by the sea. Les-Saintes-Maries is one of the favourite spots, because there are beaches and many other recreational activities possible around there. – But why are we not going to Aigues Mortes instead? – It is beautiful, but not by the sea and in your program is Les-Saintes-Maries clearly detailed. And quite frankly, Aigues Mortes is eaqually crowded this time of summer. In Les-Saintes at least you can take a walk away from the crowds to the marina or the inland wetlands just behind the last row of houses. You have, after all, a whole hour of spare time. – Yeah, but why do we have to go to a town at all, could we not stay in the Camargues nature parc? – You could have booked one of the other excursions – the Jeep Safari goes a bit further of the bus routes and the excursions with the manade stays basically in the nature all the time. – The jeep is way too uncomfortable for us and the manade was not interesting for us.
On one of these cruises I had a full charter, which means my work is done by somebody else – actually 2 other people who come twice a season and think they know everything better than me. I just have to be there in case. On the day in the Camargue I took off in the morning with my bicycle by public bus for € 1 to the nature park. Last year I had done that going all the way to Les-Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer and then by bicycle along the Étang de Vaccarès and the Grand Rhone back to Arles for 49 km. This year I did it the other way around. I got off the bus north of the Étang de Vaccarès and rode my bicycle southeast around the Étang, which is a shallow lake or rather a salt water lagoon. The lake has an area of 65 km², and the depth is less than 2 m. It is the northernmost, and also the largest of the lakes of the Camargue.
Between the lake and the Mediterranean there is the Digue de la Mer, the sea dike. It is a bicycle and hikers path and it is beautiful there. The mosquitoes are huge and plentiful, though. Whenever I stopped to take photos or find a secret box, they would attack from all sides.
I rode 39 km all the way to Les-Saintes. Being a whole day away from the ship was like a mini vacation! And I found 111 secret boxes and actually managed to not think about work for a few hours. In Les-Saintes I met up with the busses from the charterer. The friendly bus drivers had offered to give me a lift back to Arles. Last year they had repaired my bicycle for me after I did the long tour and had a flat tire. They think I am crazy going with my funny little folding bike on tours like this.
When in Les-Saintes I always go to the small bistro Pica Pica opposite the arena, near the beach. None of our guests usually ends up in this corner of the small town. They offer the local tellinas there. Those are tiny shells cooked in herbs and butter, one order including a glass of wine. Very yummy! In oyster season they also offer an apèro des huîtres, 6 oysters and a glass of wine. Here also they have plastic cutlery and plates and cups. But what the heck, it is a nice location – a bit away from the alleys our guests usually wander – and it is cheap.
If you walk by a French café, you will not see people’s heads buried in their laptop or smartphones. Instead, you will see them sipping on café crème, savoring a croissant, reading the paper or a good book. Or they may just sit and watch the world pass by.
In the morning the French ease into their day. They do not skyrocket from their bed in a hurried frenzy like most of us. I learnt that the hard way by dealing with our French Captains. Me being German, if I need an answer, I need an answer now. But I had to learn to slow down. My day starts early with the German guests up and about even before the restaurant opens for breakfast at 07:00. I usually come up around 07:00 or 07:30, depending on the start of the first excursion, which is usually 08:30 or such.
Oh, there you finally are! I have been waiting for you already 15 min! – Sir, it is 07:05! Why are you not having breakfast first? – No! I need to know now, if I can book another excursion for tomorrow! – Sir, I have to turn the computer on first to check the bookings before I can tell you. That might take a few minutes. Why do you not come back after breakfast? – NO! I will wait!
I have learnt to slow down in the mornings. When our Captains emerge at some point – usually they have to drive all night and sleep after – I say my friendly “Bonjour, mon Commandant!” and leave them to having their coffee first before eventually attacking them with questions about our schedule.
The French have a very different mindset around life, which makes it easier for them to relax and slow down. I try to find at least one or 2 quiet moments every day. It is right, often they involve a drink, I admit. I have not yet mastered the French way of eating slow and really savor food all the time, though. My regular meals I still devour. But when I go out and splurge on oysters or such, then I really try to do it the French way. The French celebrate food. We Germans, we eat dinner early and fast, then take the bottle of wine and sit on the couch or on the porch and drink and chat. The French, they eat and drink and chat and eat and drink and chat all day if they have a get-together.
Every now and then I will go out for a Café Gourmand. It is like dessert and coffee in one order. It has usually 3 or 4 mini desserts on it and an espresso.
Maybe to be continued ….
