To catch our flight from Frankfurt to Seattle we had to leave Barcelona at 6:50AM, necessitating getting to the Barcelona airport by 5AM and thus leaving the hotel by 4:30AM. The good news is that traffic at that time would be minimal but European airports are always busy that time of the day. The transfer went smoothly and because we were in business class the trip through security and immigration went quickly and we were soon in the Lufthansa lounge to await our departure. The transfer in Frankfurt also went smoothly and we were soon ensconced in our cubicles headed non-stop to Seattle.We both managed to recapture some of the sleep we lost last night and passed the time reading or playing games as the movies being shown on the flight were a bit disappointing for some reason.
A new McDonalds sweet treat-McPops. They are mini stuffed donuts. We did not try them
The Barcelona lounge. These plastic surrounding panels were a good idea.
The new Avionic welcome drink.
Description of the new Lufthansa welcome aboard Apertif drink they offered us.
Today’s menu.
White wine on today’s flight. I drank the German Riesling.
And the reds.
Quite an appetizer selection.
Yvonne had the vegetarian pasta.
My chicken curry dish.
Tart dessert. Better than I thought it might be…or was I desperate?
Fresh fruit was tasty.
Our flight path from Frankfurt to Seattle. We cross Greenland and northern Canada.
Duck lunch entree.
Views of Canadian Rockies.
Northern British Columbia.
That is the Columbia River in British Columbia.
In the region of Ross Lake in Washington state.
Near Ruby Mountian in Washington state.
Near Granite Falls in Washington State
Mt. Rainier welcoming us home.
Looking west while over Federal Way, WA. We are landing toward the north.
Once we landed in Seattle and proceeded to customs we could not believe how the global entry process has become even more streamlined. You walk up to a kiosk which takes your picture and within a second or two you either get a green light or told you need to see someone. The kiosks used to print out a form that you had to give to an agent who further queried you. This time there was an agent standing near the kiosk who simply asked “ did you buy anything you need to declare”. When we said “no” he said “ welcome home” and we walked out of the international terminal with our lugggage. The whole process took less than 5 minutes! Amazing advancement to what was an archaic system. Kudos to the US Immigration Department.
The relatively new walkway linking the south terminal with the new arrival hall where customs and immigration reside. It had to be tall enough to allow planes to go under it. As a result they have the longest, steepest escalators we have ever seen!
The international arrival hall in Seattle. You collect your luggage before proceeding to immigration.
We claimed our parked car and only had to wait about 20 minutes for our ferry to leave Seattle and return us to Bainbridge Island, a 20 minute drive to our home. It was good to be home, safe and sound, once again! Time to plan the next trip!
Epilogue
1. I really liked AmaWaterways. The ship and staff were excellent. The way they handle excursions is marvelous, and the local tour guides they use were all outstanding. The food and service in the restaurant was excellent. My only (minor) complaint was I had hoped there would be more French inspired dishes offered at mealtime.
2. The Rhone River landscape is not as dramatic as the German rivers, which seemed to have castles on hillsides wherever you looked. On the other hand, the French towns we visited had awesome Roman ruins to see.
3. The four of us really liked the three day pre and post trip options that AmaWaterways offers as part of their river trips. I would not like to fly that distance simply for a seven day cruise.
4. I was somewhat shocked at how busy both France and Spain were, even though this was not high season, I would hate to be there in the height of summer. For you travelers I would certainly suggest you go early or late in the season to avoid the crowds.
“Travel opens your heart, broadens your mind, and fills your life with stories to tell.” – Paula Bendfelt
In my quest to collect countries since I retired Andorra was an elusive one! I was never near enough or had extra time to visit this very small, landlocked sovereign country that lies between Spain and France. I vowed that this time would be different; I would make time to allow for a visit.
Andorra is about a three hour drive from Barcelona. I did not want to drive and trains do not go directly there so I looked for a tour that might take us on a day trip. I did find several on Viator and selected one that appealed to me. It was labeled as a small group which was desirable. I booked it quite a few months before the river cruise trip. We almost had a major glitch when the tour guide (Antonio Falcon) texted me that he could not take us on the day we had agreed on. Luckily we were able to move it to today by shifting our food tour day.
Andorra is small (181 square miles) with a population of about 79,00o. It is the 6th smallest microstate in Europe. The others (smallest to largest) are Vatican City, Monaco, San Marino, Liechtenstein and Malta. We have visited all the others on previous trips, so this visit will complete the set! It has been a member of the United Nations since 1993. Surprisingly it is not a member of the EU although its currency is the euro. It was created by Charlemagne in the year 795 to act as a buffer state against Moorish invasion. It was jointly ruled by France and Spain until recent times. Andorra, nestled in the Pyrénées Mountains, is known for its ski resorts and as a tax haven. It consists of seven states (called “parishes”). Its capital, Andorra la Vella, is the highest elevation city in Europe, sitting at an elevation of 1,023 meters.
As it turned out we were the only people on his tour. Antonio picked us up at the hotel and we walked to the local underground garage where he had arranged for a rental car (as he commonly does when he leads this tour. For larger groups he simply gets a larger car).
Our small but adequate Kia vehicle. I rode in front seat with the driver.
Cloudy skies as we left Barcelona.
Time flew by as Antonio loves to talk and we learned a lot about the area. We stopped in a small town for a coffee and “technical stop” about 2 hours (traffic in Barcelona had slowed our departure) after leaving Barcelona.
The castle above Cardona, Spain where salt has been mined since Roman days.
Our coffee stop in Solsona, Spain. Its population is about 9000.
The Catalonian flag.
Fountain outside the cathedral.
The coffee shop was new and modern. We had hoped to find an “old world” shop in this small town.
Disappointing pastry. That is all that was available this morning.
No such thing as an americano here.
Cathedral of Santa Maria de Solsona, dating back to the 14th century.
It is obviously a very old church. I was surprised that it was a cathedral, given the small town it is in.
Inside the original early century chapel.
A really old door at the Solsona cathedral.
The original cistern in the church courtyard.
Courtyard of the cathedral.
A vending machine for candles!
10 AM and the town was quiet.
A door in Solsona.
Back on the road we arrived at the capital of Andorra, Andorra la Vella around 12:30.
The Pyrenees start to appear.
Fields of red poppies.
Near Oliana, Spain, an area noted for rock climbing.
Near to village of Coll de Nargo, Spain.
A ancient stone home below a big Stone Mountain!
Scenery near Organya, Spain.
Ribera d’Urgellet, Spain with a population of 923.
Ruins of a fortress above La Seu d’ Urgell. The bishop of this town is one of the co-princes of Andorra.
Crossing the border into Andorra. No one stopped us. We drove right by the security police stationed there.
Antonio proceeded to show us the major sights in the area, including a famous bridge and the oldest known church that dates back to the 8-9th century. Because parking was an issue he briefly dropped us off in the center of town to check out the souvenir shopping (surprisingly it was not good) before picking us up and taking us to a nearby town for a fabulous late lunch!
Sant Julia del Loria, the southern parish of Andorra. Popularion 9200, elevation of 908 meters making it the lowest elevation village in Andorra.
The gateway to the capital, Andorra La Vella.
Andorra is noted for its tax free shopping.
What an Andorra license plate looks like.
Pont de la Margineda, that dates back to the 14th century
We finally made it to Andorra!
Another view of the bridge (and us).
Church of Santa Coloma. The oldest church in Andorra. The chapel dates to the 8th century. The tower is from the 12th century.
Unfortunately the church was not open to view its interior.
Original 12th century timbers in the church wall.
The main street of Andorra La Vella. I expected an older looking town.
The Gran Vilara River flows through Andorra La Vella.
Famous Andorra landmark.
Local take on Salvador Dali concept of a melted clock.
Our guide said perfumes are a bargain in Andorra.
The mountain village (population 853) of Anyos.
Entering the mountain village of La Massana, which reminded us of a mountain ski village.
Snow capped peaks in the Pyrenees mountains.
Our luncheon venue.
I believe it was a former barn or farming building.
A tasteful, relaxing atmosphere.
Menu of the restaurant. Antonio made some suggestions.
A marvelous rioja. Surprisingly you can get it in the USA.
Antonio showing us how to prepare bread smeared with garlic and tomatoes.
Andorran trinxat, a mixture of cabbage, potatoes, onions and sausage.Delicious!
Veal and mushrooms.
Sausage and bean cassoulet.
Meats are finished on this wood fired grill.
Happy, satisfied customers.
After a lovely, leisurely lunch Antonio drove to a couple more spectacular viewpoints overlooking the valley and a local shrine before heading back to Barcelona on an alternative route. We basically had covered all the “parishes” of Andorra during our brief visit.
The area around Canillo.
Scenery becomes even more spectacular. It reminded us of Switzerland.
Scenery near Canillo, a small town in Andorra.
The scenery is spectacular.
A sculpture on the grounds of Our Lady of Meritxell.
Our Laday of Meritxell, the patron saint of Andorra. This is a replica of the 12th century statue. The original was lost in a fire in 1972. The story behind the statue is that it appeared by a blooming rose in January. The locals put it in a chapel. The next day it was found back by the rose. This happened three times and the villagers took it as a sign they should build a church there, which they did in the 12th century.
Courtyard of the Church of Our Lady of Meritxell.
I have never seen a circular main altar.
One of several bookcases that house bibles in languages from around the world.
List of languages where bibles have been translated.
Even one in the American Indian language.
The 12th century chapel of Meritxell.
The original statue was lost in a 1972 fire.
The view leaving the shrine.
We arrived back around 7 PM just in time to face the only rain we saw the entire trip. In fact it became a downpour as we walked the short distance to our hotel. Although we had our raincoats Yvonne requested that we buy an umbrella to avoid getting entirely soaked!
The village of Torrefeta i Florejacs, Spain. Population of 590.
Lush yellow fields. I am not sure what was growing; nevertheless it provided for a dramatic landscape.
The rain dissuaded us from venturing out for a quick dinner; we opted to simply grab something in the hotel dining room which turned out to be a pleasant experience as they brought complementary champagne at the beginning of the meal-another nice touch!
Overlooking La Rambla where the rain is finally ending. The city needed it!
Complimentary champagne to start the meal.
Toasted Iberian ham & Brie sandwich.
Roasted vegetable and ham soup. All European soups seem to be puréed.
Thus ends our lovely trip. We must catch a 4:30 AM cab to the airport as our flight leaves at 6:50 AM and we do not to risk missing it.
April 21, 2024: A Barcelona Food Tour and Flamenco!
I wanted to stay a couple of days with an objective of visiting the country of Andorra, which is located about three hours from Barcelona. I had signed up for a tour that was supposed to be today but at the last minute the tour operator had to switch days until tomorrow so we had a “free “ day here. I had purposely switched hotels to a more quaint one (Hotel 1898) located on the famous “La Rambla” street, undoubtedly the most famous street in Barcelona. It is mostly a pedestrian only street that extends one mile to the Barcelona harbor. It is lined with shops, restaurants and bars and is considered the “happening” place in Barcelona. I recalled an earlier visit here with friends where we had marvelous huge goblets of sangria and tapas.
A lady from Australia who several people said could be Yvonne’s sister!
The lobby of Hotel 1898. It was originally the headquarters of the General Philippines Tobacco Company.
The building was originally built in 1891. It was made into a hotel in 2005. It got its name as 1898 was the year Cuba and the Philippines got their independence.
Not sure how comfortable these chairs would be.
Hallway leading to our room.
We commonly take walking food tours when we visit a new city/country and I found an interesting one here in Barcelona, so at 10:30 AM we walked to a nearby plaza where we met Brendan, our tour guide, who happened to be an Irishman and a “foodie” living in Barcelona. There were 8 other people from around the world who also joined this leisurely four hour food tour. Not surprisingly we were introduced to new Spanish food and drinks with great stories. Brendan is also a history buff so we learned new things about this area. It was a very interesting four hours! That is the main reason we enjoy these food tours.
The famous La Rambla pedestrian walkway.
A side street off LaRambla.
Even the steel shutters protecting businesses are fair game for graffiti.
A Wedding? Or simply a well dressed lady posing for a TikTok posting.
The 14th century Palau Reial Major, palace of the Kings of Aragon.
Plaça de Ramon Berenguer el Gran, where we met our food tour guide.
Meeting Brendan, an Irish man who is a foodie and lives in Barcelona.
Our first stop on the food tour-freshly made Spanish churros, a popular Spanish breakfast fare.
Because they use yeast in the mixture these churros are more like a doughnut. We liked it better than churros we find in the USA. You traditionally dip them in hot chocolate.
The hot chocolate dipping sauce has the consistency of a pudding. It was marvelous!
A famous bakery that was over 100 years old! Sadly we did not stop.
Businesses that have existed over 100 years get one of these plaques located by its door.
A quiet street that once housed merchants.
Because people could not read, symbols would identify the type of merchants who occupied a street. This was likely a street of brothels.
Entrance to an intriguing art gallery.
Entering a small residential square for our next tasting.
A very unassuming bar and snack shop.
A very small bodega where we tasted homemade vermouth and ham.
Flassaders, a traditional homemade vermouth , which was really tasty.
Tasty olives. I was surprised at some of the colors.
Fabulous Iberian ham, made from pigs who eat acorns!
Our group on the Barcelona Secret Food Tour, led by Brendan.
Our next stop in a different part of town.
Nice decor.
Local beer and mild fried peppers(Pimientos de Padrón).
Papas rellanas- potato stuffed with meat.
Inside of a papas rellanas. It was really tasty.
Fried seafood of various types.
The famous tortilla de sobrasada, the potato and onion omelet. Marvelous!
Pickled Spanish anchovies. I did not think I would like them, but they were good!
Callos, a stew made with tripe, sausage and other items. Not my favorite.
The “after” picture!
Sign identifying the men’s bathroom.
The correct way to pour sangria.
These are “calcots”, a mild onion only available in late winter. They are roasted on a fire and dipped in an almond sauce.
You need a bib to eat calcots.
Roasted calcots ready to eat.
You need to pull off the outer burnt layer (messy).
Dip and eat, as shown!
Butifarra sausage and beans. Made of pork, it is very mild and a favorite in Catalonia.
Drinking wine from a parron. Dangerous!
Somewhat like a crème brûlée.
A homemade lemoncello digestif to finish our tour.
Lunch was out of the question after this tour so we lounged around a bit and I convinced Yvonne to take in the other major attraction of Barcelona and Spain- a flamenco show! There are quite a few small venue shows in the area and the hotel steered us to one located about an 8 minute walk from the hotel. Traditionally the shows feature a singer, guitarist and a male and female flamenco dancer. Shows typically are 45-60 minutes long and the theaters hold maybe 50 people as intimacy is an important feature of the show.
We returned to our room to find this welcome gift, mislabeled as we have never stayed there before. However, the thought was appreciated.
Streetlight on La Rambla.
One of several flower shops on La Rambla. Note the wavy sidewalk tile. There were also shops selling flower and vegetable seeds.
Lots of sidewalk cafes serving sangria and tapas.
A door on La Rambla.
Plaça Reial, where the flamenco venue was located.
Opening in 1963, Tarantos advertise they are the oldest showplace in Barcelona.
The show started with the guitar player and singer.
The lady dancing alone. The male also had his time in the spotlight.
They sometimes danced together. It was strenuous dancing.
The participants in tonight’s show.
Another Barcelona door.
One last gelato for the road!
Still not hungry after the show I simply sampled yet another Barcelona gelato store as we called it a day, as tomorrow we must be ready to leave for Andorra at 8 AM.
April 20, 2024: A visit to the Monastery at Montserrat.
This morning we will be visiting another Barcelona highlight that we have not seen on any of our previous visits. It is the Benedictine monastery at Montserrat, located in the mountains about 30 miles (1 hour) from Barcelona. Montserrat is the highest point in this part of Spain, rising to 4,055 ft.above the valley floor.
The Santa Maria de Montserrat Abbey (Order of St. Benedict) dates back to 1025 and has about 70-80 monks in residence. The basilica, Mare de Déu de Montserrat, is the major church there and it dates back to the 16th century. Its major relic is the “Black Madonna”, a statue of the Virgin Mary with child, but the faces are almost black in color, thus the name. Note: there are other Black Madonnas in the world, it is not truly unique. Also it is not truly black; it simply has darkened over time. Believed by some to have been carved in Jerusalem in the early days of the church, it is more likely a wooden Romanesque sculpture from the late 12th century. Its origin is one of speculation. By one account, the image of the Madonna was moved to Montserrat in 718, to avoid the danger posed by invading Saracans.
A bit of trivia: The opening chapter of Dan Brown’s 2017 novel Origin is set in Santa Maria de Montserrat. In the book, a crucial, secret meeting is held between an outspoken atheist and major Catholic, Jewish and Muslim clergymen.
We left earlier than normal (8AM) to beat the expected crowds as it was a Saturday. It turned out to be a wise idea. There are three ways to get to the actual monastery: drive, Rack Train, or Funicular. Because of our size we rode to the top on the modern rack railway, a trip that took about 10 minutes. Even though we arrived very early there were large crowds already at the sight. We immediately went into the basilica to view the Black Madonna, a process where time reservations are needed and because of the crowds it is a slow process (15-20 minutes) to actually get close to the statue, located behind the main altar of the church.
Yvonne’s Apple watch was impressed!
Barcelona has interesting street lamps.
Another street lamp from a bygone era.
On a major highway outside Barcelona as we travel the 30 miles to Montserrat.
That mountain is where we are headed this morning.
An abandoned “company” town from the 19th century. They are looking at repurposing it was a future lower cost living area for people.
Landscape on the way to Montserrat.
At the train station located below the monastery.
Views from the train as we climb the mountain.
The train is very modern.
Exiting the train at the monastery.
Looking out from the train station.
The small cable car is another way to reach the monastery.
There is a funicular to get to a higher location. It is a popular spot for climbers.
The statue of Abbott Oliba who founded the monastery of Santa María de Montserrat in 1025.
There are several very large buildings surrounding the monastery.
Another statue of St. George. Our tour guide says his eyes seem to follow you as you walk by.
The plaza outside the church.
Geraniums must love this climate and location.
Dormitories and hotels are available for pilgrims.
Entrance to the basilica courtyard.
Heavy steel doors protecting the gateway. At one time there would have been long spikes protruding from each circle.
The inner courtyard outside the church.
Entering the walkway to see the Black Madonna.
A stained glass window.
Carvings that have been rubbed smooth by people’s hands rubbing them as they pass by.
You pass several private chapels as you follow the line to see the statues.
Door to a sacristy.
Mosaics line the final few steps to the statue viewing area.
You are allowed to walk past the statue and say a quick prayer- no loitering.
The black Madonna of Montserrat. The wooden statue is only about 95 cm (37 inches) tall.
There is a special closed off chapel for pilgrims.
Looking toward the back of the church.
Dozens of ancient lamps are part of the church decor.
Looking at the main altar, behind which is the statue of the Black Madonna.
The church organ.
Our tour guide reminding us that the seraphim angels have six wings whereas the cherabim angels only have four.
Self service location to purchase candles.
There was ample locations to place your lighted candle.
The basilica of Montserrat, originally built in 16th century and rebuilt in 1811.
Girls working on their TikTok or Instagram postings next to the fabulous geranium garden.
Nuns, most likely from African countries. They were the only religious we saw while there.
From there we visited the museum where we could see exhibits about the monastery and the church, along with several informative videos about them. There is a famous children’s choir in residence at the church but there was no performance today. We were able, however, to view a video of them singing. They are quite good.
We were shown a video about Montserrat and the monastery.
The monastery is known for its marvelous book collection.
A day in the life of a monk at this monastery.
A not so good picture of the famous children’s choir located here. We did get to hear a video of one of their songs.
We were then given about one hour of free time to further explore the church, the museum, several souvenir shops, hike some short trails in the area or visit the cafeteria for food and drink. Our bus had driven to the top of the mountain and we convened at the proper time to return to Barcelona where we had the rest of the day to explore on our own.
A small farmers market in Montserrat, mostly selling cheeses and sweets.
Cheese soufflés.
We bought a cone of small nibbles of different cheeses.
Cafeteria In Montserrat overlooking the valley.
View from the cafeteria patio.
Cliffs behind the cafeteria and bus parking lot.
These cars are backed up waiting for a spot in the parking area to open. That is the reason we left early – to beat the expected crowds.
Monestir de Sant Benet de Montserrat.
Pretty spectacular mountains near Montserrat.
Winding road near Montserrat.
A small rural community on the road from Montserrat.
There are graffiti on every usable space on the highway.
A concrete factory outside of town. It is a big industry here.
Besides a superb underground transportation system Barcelona also has a surface tram.
We were hungry and although we had eaten at an Italian restaurant earlier we had not had pizza so that became the luncheon choice. Again the hotel staff was great and steered us to the best pizza establishment in the area.
We waited with some locals for the restaurant to open at 2PM for lunch. They said it was the best!
The Italian family owners picture.
The wood fired pizza oven.
Margarita pizza with burrata cheese on it.
A complimentary lemoncello after lunch.
Jane and John wanted to look for some souvenirs so we suggested to them that they walk to the popular and famous La Rambla area as our tour had not been there. Yvonne and I have been to La Rambla on past trips and we would be staying there the next two nights so we simply spent the afternoon relaxing (i.e. taking a nap).
It would be our last night together and John and Jane had not yet experienced the other major culinary treat of Barcelona- tapas! The hotel steered us to a famous local spot: Vinitus. They do not take reservations but being early eaters we arrived by 6:45 to find that we could get a table in about 10 minutes. The menus are huge but luckily our waitress provide friendly advice and we ended up with a lovely selection of excellent tapas. It was a fun experience! When we left at 8:15 the place was packed and 25-30 people were lingering around at the entrance waiting to get a table.
Barcelona is a walking city!
The specials of the day.
The regular menu.
Yet more items to choose from. It was somewhat daunting to pick what and how many dishes to order.
Desserts, of course.
People sitting at the “bar” and watching the chefs prepare the dishes.
The famous Spanish potato tapas.
A delightful shrmp and avocado tapas.
Their version of chicken tenders. They were much better than those you get in the USA.
Super tender cali calamari.
Cod with honey aioli.
A marvelous piece of tenderloin.
Shrimp skewer.
Got to have churros and a chocolate dipping sauce.
Crème brûlée.
The dessert the concierge at the hotel said we had to try-“Torrija cremada de Sta. Teresa”. It was awesome! Should have ordered two.
We were downstairs and had our own kitchen and chefs.
The upstairs kitchen area.
When we left the restaurant at 8:15 PM there were at least 25 -30 people waiting for a table! It is that popular.
That’s all, folks! John and Jane leave in the morning and we will be staying a couple more days here.
The formal AmaWaterways tour was officially over. John and Jane were leaving for home the first thing in the morning. We would be moving to another hotel in the La Rambla area and spending two extra days in the area, the prime reason is to venture to the nearby (3 hour drive) to the country of Andorra, a tiny, independent principality situated between France and Spain in the Pyrenees mountains. It is an official UN country that we have never visited. It will be country #104 for me! Being this close to it I simply had to take the time to visit it.
April 19, 2024: Touring Barcelona and Sagrada Familia!
This is our 4th visit to Barcelona and there are still things to see and do as it is one of those great European cities! We are still on the AmaWaterays tour which included a morning tour of Barcelona highlights. I pretty much knew what would be covered because of our previous visits, but you always learn something new. I knew that what was NOT on the tour was a visit to the inside of the famous Gaudi designed Sagrada Familia church. Tours only show you the outside of the church still under construction since 1882. We had toured the inside long ago when it was nowhere near ready to use. This time I vowed to finally see the finished inside product. To do so you need to purchase tickets way ahead of time, as there are a limited number sold it and it commonly is sold out. I purchased tour tickets for the four of us two months ahead of time. By the way, the construction of the church has been totally with donated funds and ticket sales. They had hoped to have the church completely finished by 2026, the 100th anniversary of Gaudi’s birth. Unfortunately COVID resulted in a significant loss of income and now the church is not expected to be totally complete until the early 2030s. They are hoping to finish the Jesus spire by the 2026 date.
An excellent breakfast buffet. Their bacon was phenomenal and crispy!
Bountiful fruit bar. The oranges and pineapple were especially good.
A muraled wall on a building near the hotel.
Another tree lined boulevard.
These ceramic seats/ light poles were scattered along the boulevard.
The 1905 Gaudí apartment called La Pedrera or Casa Mila always attracts a crowd. It has 20 rental apartments.
The elaborate metalwork on the balconies.
Quite a bay window on this building.
All the buildings were ornate and well taken care of.
Not all building are old.
The National Art Museum of Catalonia, noted for its Romanesque murals.
Outdoor art work in the park where the NMAC museum is located.
The viewpoint from in front of the MNAC museum.
It was a cool but sunny morning when we visited.
Looking out at Plaza d’Espanya that was built for the 1929 Barcelona International Exposition. Note the huge fountain with no water. They have been turned off because of a water shortage in Barcelona.
The bull ring, opened in 1900, had its last bull fight in 1977. It is now a shopping mall!
Sagrada Familia will dominate the skyline when completed.
The steel structure was the 1992 Olympic caldron.
If you recall the caldron was lite by a flaming arrow.
I could not believe how many bike rentals were available downtown on the waterfront.
There were SEVEN cruise ships in town today!
A lobster sculpture, by Javier Errando Mariscal, is located on the waterfront.
A few of the thousands of cruise ship tourists descending on Barcelona for the day.
American pop artist, Roy Lichtenstein, created this ceramic sculpture for the 1992 Olympics. It is called the “Face of Barcelona”.
Now that is a fashion statement!
The remains of the 17th century city is housed in the El Born district museum of culture.
I could not believe how many people in Barcelona have dogs; many have two!
A street in El Born, the old section of Barcelona, now a hip and trendy area.
A door in El Born.
An old light fixture, still in use today.
One of the many local stores in El Born.
Meat store selling beef. Our guides said Barcelona people do not eat much beef because it is too expensive.
A store selling handmade candles using ancient manufacturing techniques.
The entrance to what was the courtyard of a local mansion.
The gothic Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia, built in the 13-15th century.
A side door to the cathedral chapel.
Yvonne helping out by holding the “lollipop” for our tour guide.
Local sausage shop.
Santa Maria Del Mar (Saint Mary of the Sea), built between 1329-1383. It is located near the cathedral. A lot of churches were built those days; every neighborhood had one.
Lots of souvenir shops in this area of Barcelona.
There was a big wedding expo in town and here is a bride to be.
Looking for some 18th century antiques? This is the place to look.
There were several of these unique outdoor tables located outside a coffee shop.
The Font del Geni Catala is a fountain that was erected in memory of the Marquis of Campo Sagrado for his contribution to bringing water from the Sierra de Moncada to Barcelona.
Entrance to a major city park.
Castle of the Three Dragons, built in 1888 as a restaurant for the exposition.
A street near the church. We had to park several blocks away and walk to it.
Tempted to stop for a snack, but resisted the urge!
The magnificent Sagrada Familia church.
Another view. Our tour only walked us around the outside of the church.
There is still more too be built.
Gaudi had his image portrayed in this carving.
Had to laugh when I saw all three of these US “icons” located next to each other near the church.
We had several hours to kill before our scheduled 4PM tour of Sagrada and we decided to do the “Spanish Spain” thing-having paella for lunch. The hotel guided us to their favorite paella place in the neighborhood and we orded the popular seafood and chicken version for four! They are made from scratch so it took about 45 minutes before we saw a huge hot platter being delivered to our table. Did we overdo it? The pictures below will answer the question.
The modern Renaissance hotel lobby.
One of several flower beds outside our hotel.
La Paella de Su Pau Claris, a local small restaurant that specializes in paella.
The open, working kitchen where the magic is made.
Common way the restaurants display their Iberian ham. It is delicious.
Toast with garlic spread and tomato is a commonly served appetizer while you wait for the paella which takes 45-60 minutes to make.
Did we overbuy?
I guess not! It was delicious!
We were part of an English speaking group for the guided one hour tour of the inside of the famous Sagrada Famlila church. It was an OMG experience for me. Wow! I have never seen anything like it. And with the setting afternoon sun shining through the massive stained glass windows it provided a spellbinding experience! If you find yourself in Barcelona you absolutely MUST visit this church. It is unlike anything you have ever seen or experienced. It is not to be missed! One fascinating piece of information I learned was that Gaudi was not the original architect for the church. The original architect was Francisco de Paula del Villar, and the church design was of a conventional design church of the time. He was replaced by Gaudi because of “technical differences over material costs” one year after the project began. Gaudi completely changed the design to what we see today- a new wonder of the world! We also got to visit one of the completed towers as part of our tour. Luckily we were able to ride an elevator to the top but had to walk down the 340 steps to exit the tower.
Warning: My pictures do not do it justice. You must see it to fully apppreciate its splendor!
We were on a guided tour of the inside of Sagrada Familia led by a church guide.
Explanation of the towers of the church.
Entrance to the church.
It is more impressive when you are up close.
Details of the carvings are stunning.
The western side windows are shades of yellow and orange to represent the setting sun. We were there late in the afternoon and the reflections were stunning!
The eastern side has windows in blue and green to reflect morning.
There are 52 massive columns, representing the weeks of the year.
Four major columns represent the four gospels.
Statue of St. George, the patron saint of Catalonia.
All the languages of the world are depicted on this bronze structure.
And this is what they say.
The afternoon sun creates a magical atmosphere.
The main altar with modest organ behind it. I do not know what the lighted canopy is supposed to represent.
View upward toward the ceiling.
Note the carving with numbers. Add them up in any direction and what do you get? The age of Jesus when he died.
Embossed door to the chapel entrance to the nativity tower.
Entrance to a chapel?
Schematic of the nativity tower that we got to visit.
The 6 person elevator you take to the top of the tower.
Walkway in the tower.
The stone objects are much larger when you are up close and personal.
People look pretty small from this height.
View of the city from the top of the tower. You can imagine what they call this landmark. It is Torre Glòries, and houses a commercial company.
One way traffic coming down.
Looking down the 340 spiral steps we had to traverse to exit the tower.
There is always a large crowd outside the church. We were warned it is a fruitful area for pickpockets.
Amazon drop box next to the church.
After our massive lunch we simply opted for a gelato dinner in a nearby ice cream shop. It was quite a first day in Barcelona.
We were still full from our paella lunch so this was dinner!
Coconut and stracciatella gelato!
A small, cute restaurant at 7 PM which is almost empty. By 9PM it will be packed!
Tomorrow we will be visiting another new site for us- the mountain monastery at Montserrat, located about one hour outside Barcelona.
April 18, 2024: Leaving the Rhone River and Going to the Big City!
Today is our transfer day to Barcelona. Approximately 1/2 of the passengers will be going there while the rest head for home or on their own to other places. AmaWaterways did a nice job of arranging for cabs for those who needed them and handling the logistics of getting those of us bound for Barcelona. Because of our size (~ 60) we need to stay in two different hotels so we will be using two separate buses as we make our way to Barcelona. The first phase of the transfer requires us to go to Nimes where we will catch the train to Barcelona. Arles does not have a big enough train station for longer distance travel.
The agenda for the next three days as we head to Barcelona.
We were asked to have luggage out of our room by 7 AM and to vacate our rooms by 9 AM so the staff can prepare the rooms for the new guests who will be arriving by mid afternoon. I have always been impressed by the cruise industry and their ability to turn a ship around in such a short time frame. We were able to have a normal full service breakfast on the ship before our planned 9 AM departure. Travel to Nimes took about an hour where we were taken on a short walking tour of its major sight- their 24,000 seat Roman amphitheater, followed by a visit to their indoor food market, before going to the train station.
They had a good system to make sure our lugggage ended on the bus we were riding on.
A former mansion in Nimes.
A plaza in Nimes.
The modern art museum in Nîmes, across from the amphitheater.
View of the amphitheater from the roof of the modern art museum.
Looking in a different direction.
Another view of the amphitheater. We did not go inside this one.
One of the events held in the amphitheater.
Group picture in front of the Nimes 24,000 capacity amphitheater which is still used today.
One of the bulls that did not make the cut!
Of course there are loads of outdoor cafes in the city.
A clock tower near the amphitheater.
The ruins of the Roman maison carrée temple that dates to 4-7CE. It is considered to be one of the best preserved temples in existence.
You cannot beat the hot chocolate served in France.
The alligator is the symbol of Nimes. Supposedly if you rub its nose it brings good luck!
I was surprised at how many different varieties of potatoes were being sold.
Olives of all colors!
Cheese, cheese and more cheese. Supposedly France makes 1200 different kinds.
It’s spring so it is time for asparagus!
A door in Nimes.
Our train was about 15 minutes late in arrival but it posed no problem. We were all in one coach which was quiet, with comfortable seating. The time passed quickly as we passed through the countryside, eventually leaving France and entering Spain. By the time we reached Barcelona we were about 45 minutes late, but the transfer to the hotel went smoothly. The good news was our luggage had been trucked to Barcelona rather than being on the train with us and it was already in our rooms when we arrived-a nice touch!
Inside the Nimes rail station.
Here comes our train, which was 15 minutes late at this point.
Very comfortable, reserved seats in a very quiet coach.
Updated information presented on this screen.
Farm fields ready for spring planting.
Lunch was eating baguette sandwiches purchased on the street.
Yvonne bought some nougat in Les Baux.
Those are flamingos at the edge of the mediterranean Sea.
Arriving late but it posed no problems for us.
Yes, they have the same traffic problems we have. They do have dedicated lanes for only buses and taxis.
Riding to our hotel on the beautiful tree lined boulevards of Barcelona.
Some 19th century buildings we passed on the way to the hotel.
When you see a crowd looking at a building you can. Be certain it is a Gaudi designed apartment building!
The view from the room lacked any charm!
Our hotel room was big and spacious.
We were on our own for dinner and after some consultation with the hotel concierge our foursome voted for an Italian restaurant (Luigi’s) located a 5 minute walk from the hotel. It turned out to be a good choice. If case you did not know Spaniards tend to eat LATE- 10 PM is a common time for them to have dinner! Most restaurants do not even open until 7:30 PM so we never had a problem getting into a restaurant when we wanted to eat.
A bruschetta appetizer..
My seafood pasta. I forgot to take a picture of the two pizzas shared by everyone else!
A very good panna cotta completed our meal.
A very crowded Luigi’s Italian restaurant near our hotel.
Tomorrow we will have an escorted morning tour of Barcelona with the afternoon free.
April 17, 2024: The Roman City of Arles and Vincent Van Gogh!
We quickly learned that Arles is pronounced without the “s”. It is famous because Van Gogh moved to Arles in February 1888 where he lived for about 14 months and created some of his now famous paintings. He also lived in nearby St Remy de Provence when he was in an asylum. And we soon learned Arles also has several marvelous Roman ruins.
We again selected a two hour walking tour of Arles, leaving at the decent hour of 9AM. We soon found ourselves viewing a 1st century CE Roman amphitheater that is still in use today. What is held in it is called a “Camargue bullfight (known as la course Camarguaise)” . The goal of the Camargue matador, or raseteur, is to pluck a ribbon from between the bull’s horns. The bull always survives and hopefully so does the matador! We also walked to several locations that had been immortalized by Van Gogh in some of his famous paintings.
Our local guide in Arles. They all carried these colored signs which we called “lollipops”. The color identified the tour you were on.
The remnants of the 1868 railroad bridge, Pont aux Lions’, destroyed in WWII.
Remnants of the 1868 railroad bridge destroyed during WWII.
This is the area where Van Gogh painted one of his famous paintings, Starry Night Over the Rhone.
Picture of the painting: Starry Night Over the Rhone, painted by Van Gogh in 1888.
Some of our fellow travelers taking the bike tour.
The old protective walls of Arles.
A decorative building in Arles.
I love these old buildings.
A door in Arles.
A very old vine growing outside this home.
The Roman amphitheater in Arles.
The neighborhood outside the amphitheater.
Inside the amphitheater.
This amphitheater was used for gladiator battles.
Inside the amphitheater walkway.
The Arles amphitheater seated over 20,000 people. It was completed in 90CE and is still used today.
Explaining the “Bull Games” that are played here.
Our local tour guide explains how people often built homes in abandoned amphitheaters after the Romans left.
The Van Gogh painting showing people in the Arles amphitheater.
An interesting Arles home.
Another door in Arles.
Interesting gargoyle over the shuttered window.
The remains of a Roman theater.
A quiet small square in Arles.
More ancient shutters.
The Obélisque d’Arles (“Arles Obelisk”) is a 4th-century Roman obelisk, erected in the center of the Place de la République, in front of the Arles town hall.
Inside the city hall.
The Church of St. Trophime, formerly the Arles cathedral.
Inside the Church of St. Trophime. It seems larger than when viewed from the outside.
Many women of Provence favor bright red hair!
This is the garden in the hospital Dieu in Arles, where Van Gogh stayed.
The Van Gogh painting called “Garden of the hospital in Arles”.
How to carry more than one child when using a bicycle.
Unique door knocker.
Another famous Van Gogh painting, called “Cafe Terrace at Night”.
Van Gogh 188 painting entitled “Cafe Terrace at Night”.
Cafe La Nuit, which Van Gogh frequented and painted.
Sadly the cafe is currently closed for lack of payment by the owner.
I liked the rounded tower of this building.
Statue of Frederic Mistral, the winner of 1904 Nobel Prize for Literature.
It was chilly but coffee drinkers were enjoying the sun outside of this cafe.
That vine has been here a very long time!
Another old door.
Many street corners have religious statues.
I could not resist buying (3 euros) some fresh strawberries at the local market while walking back to the boat.
After lunch we took an optional four hour tour to visit two small towns: Les Baux and St. Remy de Provence. As we approached the entrance of Les Baux, Yvonne said “we have been here before” to which I initially said “no way”, but as we walked further into the mountain top town I had to quickly admit we, indeed, had been there. Thinking back we visited this area as part of a Regent cruise in 2022 and obviously this delightful town was on the tour from the ship. It is a beautiful mountain village with spectacular views and delightful shops so a “revisit” was certainly welcome.
Olive trees along the roadside.
Scenery near the mountain village of Les Baux.
An abandoned fortress on a nearby hill.
The area near Les Baux.
Walking to the entrance of the town. Les Baux has a population of 289 and is considered one the the prettiest towns in southern France.
Rockery at the entrance to Les Baux.
There was originally a fortress on the top of the mountain here.
The cobblestone streets of Les Baux. It is uphill most of the way.
Another street in Les Baux.
One of many shops selling food and snacks in Les Baux.
The 12th century Romanesque chapel of St. Blaise.
The fortress ruins here.
The view overlooking the valley below.
This was a great place for a fortress as you had a commanding view of what lied below.
Another view of the valley.
The overlook in Les Baux.
The village is loaded with shops and restaurants.
A view of the volley from the other side of the village.
12th century of St. Vincent in Les Baux.
Inside St. Vincent church.
1960 era stain glass windows by Max Ingrand and paid for by Prince Rainier of Monaco.
A local popular dessert called calisson, served at the holidays. It is made of a paste of candied fruit and ground almonds.
1974 murals by Yves Brayer inside the 17th century chapel of St. Blaise.
Ow there is a good idea on how to get fresh popcorn.
The visit to St. Remy was not as much fun as it was a larger city lacking the charm of Les Baux. It is famous because Van Gogh painted over 150 canvases while living one year at the St. Paul asylum, including the famous “Starry Night”. We all agreed we would have liked more time in Les Baux and less time in St. Remy.
More olive trees along to road to St. Remy de Provence.
Ancient Roman built in 10 BCE is all that remains of an original Greek town located here, called Glanum.
A very old Citroen. I am surprised it still runs!
A street in St. Remy.
Tempting but would not fit our decor!
Another tree lined plaza.
Views in the city.
Colorful building wall.
City square and landmark in St. Remy.
St. Remy is where the 16th century Nostradamus was born.
The birthplace of Nostradamus in St. Remy.
A mural of Nostradamus, the favored son of St. Remy.
The 1814 fountain built to honor Nostradamus.
A shuttered window that caught my eye.
Tempting treats at a local patisserie.
These are popular, fairly expensive collectible figurines popular with people here.
Inside the St. Remy cathedral.
Treating ourselves to a crepe!
Had I seen this ahead of time I would have been tempted to have it rather than the crepe!
One last cocktail hour with Roberto entertaining us with his singing and piano playing, followed by our “last supper” on the ship, then by repacking our suitcases as we will be leaving the ship in the morning. The Rhône River cruise is about to end!
The evening dinner menu.
The small portion of pork tenderloin, pretty but would have liked more.
“Gâteau aux Noisettes”
Hazelnut and Caramel Cake, Chocolate Sauce. Tasty!
April 16, 2024: The Famous Papal Palace in Avignon and Pont Du Gard!
Last night we were told that around 3 AM we would be going through the biggest lock (Bollene) of the cruise with a 75 foot drop, so if you wanted to experience it you should set your clock! Needless to say we did not!
Each day we received a list of today’s activities.
We awoke at our regular time to yet another bright and sunny day. We have been very lucky so far as the weather has been marvelous except for wind the last few days. It is called a “mistral” wind which occurs this time of the year in this region of France. It has been quite breezy! A bit about Avignon. The current population is 90,330 with about 13,000 living within the old walls of the city. It is most remembered as being the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church (rather than Rome) from 1309-1376
We all chose the walking tour of of Avignon which included the main attraction in this area- the Papal Palace! We could see it from the ship as it was only a short walking distance away.
Thanks to Google I learned this is a gum rockrose, common in this area of the Mediterranean.
The medieval walls of Avignon.
Another view of the walls which extended 4.3 km to protect the city.
One of the towers of the Avignon walls.
Walking on the cobblestone streets of Avignon on my way to the Papal Palace.
Early morning in the walled city of Avignon.
A tree lined pedestrian street, lined with shops and outdoor restaurants.
The menu of the day.
The seal of Avignon.
The city hall of Avignon.
The 1847 opera house in old town Avignon.
Time out for a bit of religious history about the Papal Palace. It all started with King Phillip IV of France (1285-1314) who got into a fight with Pope Boniface VIII over wanting to tax and exert control over the Catholic Church. He even captured and held hostage the Pope in Rome. This action ultimately led to the selection of a French Pope, Clement V, and movement of the papacy from Rome to Avignon in 1309 until 1377. Six different popes ruled the church from here during that period. In fact, even after the papacy moved back to Rome there was a period of time, known as the “Great Schism of the West, 1378-1417” when there were competing popes in both locations.
There are actually two palaces here-the old palace (the Palais Vieux ), built by Benedict XII from 1335-1342, and Palais Neuf (New Palace) which was added under the rule of Clement VI from 1342-1352. In total the palace occupies 11,000 sq. meters (118,000 sq ft)! It is immense! After seeing it one can easily say “It was good to be a Pope”!
Entering the square where the Papal Palace is located.
The Papal Palace in Avignon.
The Papal Palace.
The Avignon Cathedral next to the Papal Palace.
A lovely building on the same square as the papal palace, likely destined to be a 5 star hotel.
Inside the courtyard of the palace. It is now used for concerts.
The window of the popes’ main chambers.
An ancient door.
The very tall vaulted ceilings. The ceiling height was enormous.
Another courtyard showing the guest wing of the palace.
The uniform of the Swiss Guards who protect the popes.
17th century paintings.
Restored ceilings in the room where cardinals met with the pope.
Picture of what the room looked like where the pope met with cardinals.
More paintings.
The popes who first came to Avignon.
An area that has not been restored. You get an appreciation for how big a job restoration really is.
The money and valuables were hidden under thick blocks of stone in the palace.
Dice from that era.
The grand “tinsel” where banquets were held. It is an immense room!
The fireplace area of the grand tinsel was used to keep the food warm during dinner
Where the cardinals and others ate in the main dining hall on special occasions.
The way the kitchen looked back in medieval times.
Another ancient door in the palace.
The primary residence of the popes with painted walls depicting birds and wildlife.
A fireplace in the pope’s chambers.
Painting in the pope’s study.
The Great Clementine Chapel, built in 1352
The north sacristy that links the pope’s apartment to the chapel.
The Great Audience Chamber where the Court of Audience was housed, a judicial body that ruled on ecclesiastical cases. What amazed me the most was the immense size of the rooms in the Papal Palace.
Of course there is a gift shop in the papal palace.
View of the entry courtyard from the second level.
Another accordion player, a dying breed!
Ancient Roman walls.
The 14th century clock tower in Avignon.
We were back to the ship in time for a quick lunch and then on to the the afternoon tour to visit the highest and most well-preserved remaining Roman aqueduct in the world- Pont du Gard. (We chose it over another tour option to visit a local truffle farm). For me it turned out to be an OMG sight! It was built by the Romans sometime between 40-60 CE to carry water some 50 km from the mountains to the now modern city of Nimes. What shocked me was its size and the fact that is built with a gradient of 1 inch per square 1,200 feet. It was an unbelievable engineering challenge! It likely remained in use for 4-6 centuries. At its highest point the arch stands 49 meter (160 ft) high. It is marvelous! I simply stood in awe at its beauty.
Today’s luncheon appetizers-minus a few wings that were rapidly consumed!
Croque monsieur sandwich was the featured luncheon sandwich.
Vineyards on the route to the the Pont du Gard.
A museum at the Pont du Gard shows how the Romans managed to build such a structure.
How the arches were fabricated, using wooden forms.
A Roman location to collect water delivered by the aqueduct.
Not much privacy in Roman bathrooms!
Nothing is new in the world! The Roman women wore bikinis as shown in the mosaic.
Our first glimpse of the Pont du Gard.
The mammoth size of the aqueduct can be appreciated when you see the size of people walking beneath it.
Each block was especially constructed and had a special location in the aqueduct.
Proof we were there.
There were a lot of bicyclers in the area.
Look at the size of the arche compared to people. A recent flood almost covered the entire lower arch!
What an engineering masterpiece!
Look at the intricate blending of stones in the aqueduct.
My Kodak moment.
Looking up the Garron River, where people canoe.
Looking down river from the aqueduct. People often swim from the beach there.
An ancient inscription on a rock at the Pont du Gard.
A grove of manicured trees at the Pont du Gard visitor center.
Our bus driver, complete with high heels!
We returned in time for our mandatory disembarkation lecture and evening farewell champagne cocktail hour where the Captain and Senior Staff introduced the rest of the support team who made our journey as pleasant as it was and wished us “A Bientot (See you soon)” before our gala farewell dinner.
The Pont d’Avignon bridge, dating back to the 13th century. It kept being destroyed by the river and was finally abandoned in the 17th century. It is a tourist attraction today.
Post cruise briefing reminder for those going to Barcelona.
It’s cocktail hour again!
Hot appetizers offered at the evening cocktail hour.
Our ship staff thanking us for sailing with them.
The captain and cruise manager offering us a toast.
Our young French captain interacting with some passengers.
Lowering all the equipment on the sun deck because of an upcoming low bridge clearance.
Our dinner menu for the evening.
Artistic presentation of the tenderloin.
A fairly decent crème brûlée.
Our evening entertainment provided by Paolo Nassi.
Watching the delicate operation as our ship docked next to another ship.
The ship set sail for our last stop, Arles, promptly at 5:45 PM with an expected arrival time of 9PM. Distances here are not very long.
April 15, 2024: A Train Ride in the Countryside and a Ghost Walk at Night!
We stayed in Tournon overnight and this morning’s tour that attracted all four of us was a 9:30-12:00 steam train ride along the Doux River. The train is known as “Train de l’Ardèche” or Le Mastrou. The train line, which uses Mallet articulated locomotives, ran from 1891 until 1968 when it was later made into a private tourist attraction. The 1.5 hour trip runs along the Doux River and through the canyons surrounding it. The cars and engines are from a by-gone era. It turned out to be a delightful way to spend the morning.
Crossing the river to get to the train station.
The train excursion we are taking this morning.
The departing train station.
Blooming tree at the train station.
Our train.
Our 19th century rail car.
There was a bathroom at one time in this coach.
A mural near the train station.
One of several old bridges we crossed.
Watching the world go by.
A small power plant on the River.
We are on a narrow gauge rail.
A station used when the train was in use. Abandoned these days.
Someone’s hideaway.
Following the Doux River.
Another power plant.
A small waterfall near the tracks.
One of three bridges we crossed.
German prisoners during WWII were used to build an aqueduct(seen on the right) to carry water to the villages.
The small station (Colombier le Vieux), where we turned around. To go all the way on this track would have taken two hours .
Our 1920’s steam engine with a VERY loud whistle!
Getting ready to turn the engine around.
Man power to turn the turntable.
Rotating the engine on the hand powered turntable!
The engine backing up to link to our carriage for the return trip.
Looks pretty secure to me!
Note the coal used to fuel the boiler.
Ready for the return trip.
Watching the rails ahead as we return to the starting point.
The area around the canyon is pristine.
Old fruit orchard
A terraced vineyard.
Part of the collection of memorabilia on display in their museum.
A very old train car on display.
The lounging area in the vintage rail car.
The commode in the upscale train car.
One of their old engines.
I had a “castagnou”, a local popular drink made with wine and chestnut liqueur.
The afternoon was spent “eating” – first with an ice cream buffet followed by a cooking lesson on making crepes. And, as expected, both were heavily attended!
Today’s lunch menu.
A different appetizer selection each day. The ham was awesome.
I opted for the mussels for lunch-very French!
The ice cream buffet held after lunch.
The recipe for crepes. What was surprising is that it calls for sparkling water!
Our pastry chef explaining how to make fabulous crepes.
Jane volunteered to make one.
Folding it properly turned out to be harder than it looks.
Jane’s creation.
I chose a berry sauce, Jane and Yvonne split a caramel/chocolate mixture.
The ship set sail at 1:30 as we finished lunch. Later that afternoon there was a presentation for those of us who would be taking the post cruise extension to Barcelona. John and Jane had never been to Barcelona and although we have been there three times there were still several things we have not seen so I was eager to go there again. It turns out about 60 people are going. We will travel by train from Nimes, France to Barcelona where we will spend three nights, with tours scheduled for two days.
A lounging area on the sun deck. Never did sit there!
Bridge clearance required lowering the ship’s bridge.
We are sailing past the area where the famous Hermitage wine is made. Unfortunately we did not get to taste any of this very expensive wine!
More terraced vineyards.
Vineyards behind Tournon-sur-Rhone.
Approaching another lock with a large power plant at Printegarde.
A castle near Printegarde.
There was a presentation for those of us (about 60) who were taking the post-cruise trip to Barcelona.
Our river route and distance from Barcelona where we will go by train.
This region of Spain is known at Catalonia, where there are discussions of a desire to secede from Spain.
Timing for our transfer to Barcelona.
Our scheduled sightseeing in Barcelona the first day.
Visiting Montserrat, which we have never seen.
There was the usual cocktail hour followed by dinner.
Drink of the day: Blue River: gin, tonic, curaçao.
Dinner menu for tonight.
A description of the wine offerings for dinner.
Truffle stuffed, corn fed chicken breast!
“Ile Flottante”
With Crème Anglaise, French Meringue, Fruits, Caramel Sauce
After dinner this evening there was an optional Ghost Walk in the small (population of 3700) 18th century village of Viviers, where we had arrived about 8:30PM. Of course we were intrigued and had to go! It turned out to be a fun experience, made somewhat spooky by the darkness of the village we walked through. The ghost story was loosely based on the history of some of the early occupants of the village.
Our local tour guide for the evening ghost walk.
Another of the local guides. We were broken up into several groups for the tour.
The third costumed guide.
An eerie start to the tour, as it would soon be dark.
The streets were lite but there was no one walking around.
Our first encounter with a ghost from an earlier century..
She was looking for her “lover”. Unfortunately this gentleman resembled him.
Streets were deserted, giving the location a spooky look.
A town square.
The home where her former lover lived.
We learned a bit of history about homes in that era.
Never saw another human during the two hour walk, only a couple of fighting cats!
What’s this-a light! Who is there?
Some local entertainment of music from that era.
The church steeple.
The door to the local church.
Our ghost returns!
Using a ship’s guest to complete the storyline.
After we re-boarded the ship around 10:30PM we immediately left for our next destination, the famous city of Avignon.
April 14, 2024: Touring Vienne; Then On to Tournon.
Vienne is 35 km south of Lyon and its claim to fame is that it was a major center during Roman times after being captured by Caesar’s armies in 47 BCE. It was important because of its presence on the Rhone River. As a result it had a Roman Temple dedicated to Augustus and Livia, a large Roman Theater and several important medieval churches, which remain to this day.
Vienne is also famous for the 1311 Council of Vienne when the Catholic Church withdrew papal support for the Knights of the Templars, which led to their demise. In 1800 the population of Vienne was 10,362; today it is 30,059.
Morning in Vienne. There is commercial traffic on the river, not just river cruises.
AmaWaterways wisely has created three types of tours that cover the same activity: Regular, Active ( who want to do walk more) and gentle ( who walk less). Our tour today was entitled: Footsteps of Ancient Romans. There were two others: a 3km hike up to Mont Pipet for views and a 17km bike ride along the Rhone River. We chose the 2.5 hour “regular” walking tour of Vienne which left at the reasonable hour of 9AM, our kind of time. It turned out to be a bit of a “wow” tour when we saw the Roman ruins.
We get to ride the “train “ to the top of Mount Pipet. The active group was going to walk.
Description of the mountain we are on.
The Roman theater was built in 40-50CE and could hold 13,000 people, making it one of the largest in the empire. It is still used today. There is a famous jazz festival held here in the summer.
Looking down at Vienne and the Rhone River.
The ruins of an old fort overlooking the river.
Looking the the other direction.
The center of town as seen from Mt. Pipet.
That is our boat anchored in the heart of downtown.
Still have not mastered taking selfies.
The chapel dedicated to Notre-Dame de-la-Salette.
The doors on the chapel on Mt. Piper.
Inside the church.
City hall of Vienne.
A door in Vienne.
A mosaic from the days of the Romans.
A very old door in Vienne.
The Roman temple dedicated to Augustus and his wife, Livia. It was built in the 1st century CE. After the fall of the empire it became a church, a jail, a library, a court and a museum before being restored in 1852 to its original form.
After the Romans left a church was made out of the temple.
What Vienne looked like during the Roman times.
Modern art next to the Roman temple. I think it is a cow.
Thomas Jefferson was here! He liked French wines.
A very old door in Vienne.
We were back on board by lunch. By 12:15 PM the ship weighed anchor and continued it trip down the Rhone River.
Gifts we received from AmaWaterways left in our cabin while we were gone.
Today’s lunch menu.
The appetizers for the day. Each day was different.
Each day at lunch there was a tray of three new cheeses available.
During lunch we started passing these vineyards on very steep hillsides. I had never seen such steepness. There is no way you can use machinery to tend to them; it had to be hand labor.
More steep hillsides.
I cannot imagine the effort need to make these terraces with brick walls.
One of many bridges we sailed under. We had to lower the awnings on the sun deck and even the radar mast and the wheel house to have enough clearance. There had been a lot of rain before we came which caused the river to be higher than normal, requiring these actions to be taken.
Typically we dropped 30-35 feet in each lock we passed.
Seagulls were building nests on the walls of the locks.
Later in the afternoon we had the option of participating in a on-board lecture by a local wine sommelier about the wines from the Cotes-du-Rhone region near here.
The local sommelier explaining wines and challenging us with wine tidbits.
Preparing for the wine tasting.
The wines we tasted. All were priced below 25 Euros.
As former passengers on a AmaWaterways cruise we were invited to a “pre” normal cocktail hour where champagne or other libations were offered as we were thanked for our business. About 30 people were in attendance. Then there was the usual 6PM cocktail hour with Roberto entertaining us with song, followed at 6:45 by a short presentation by Helene about tomorrow’s activities, followed by dinner at 7 PM. A big surprise before we left the cocktail hour was when Roberto indicated he was a trained baritone opera singer and he treated us to a famous aria in Italian before we left. I am not an opera fan but I sure enjoyed his song.
Appetizers served at the reunion party for previous AMA travelers.
Helene, our cruise manager with Yvonne and Jane.
Roberto singing an opera aria.
Today’s dinner menu.
A good salad with a poached egg.
Salmon entree.
The beef brisket with a great sauce.
At 7PM we were already docked in Tournon where we will stay for two nights. We had sailed all of 60 km today! It was still light after dinner so we briefly went ashore because we saw a carnival that had been operating earlier in the day. It turns out Jane has a fondness for cotton candy and we thought that certainly a carnival would offer it. Sadly we saw that the rides were now shut down and the carnival was obviously getting ready to leave. We were about to return to the ship when we saw a food booth that was still open and we wandered over. Well, the rest of the story can be seen in the pictures below!
Docked in Tournon.
Sunset in Vienne.
We ordered a large one. As we watched her making it we got concerned that we may over ordered!
That is one humongous cotton candy!
Two minutes later it looked like this!
Eight minutes after it was made it was all gone!
The chefs busy at work in the kitchen. At least they have a view while working.
The after dinner entertainment tonight was by the La Dulce France trio playing semi-classical French music. We stayed a bit before retiring for the night.
The La Dulce France Trio providing the evening entertainment.
