Review of AmaWaterways “Provence & Spain” Cruise, September 3-10, 2015

Introduction

This is a blog of the Jazzbeaux AmaDagio cruise on the Rhone from Lyon to Arles from September 3-10, 2015. We flew to Paris on August 25, rented a car and drove through Normandy, Brittany, the Loire Valley, and Dordogne to Lyon; embarked on AmaDagio for the cruise; rented another car to fill in some sights in Provence on our way to Marseille; took the TGV to Paris and spent four days there before flying home. The following posts cover the trip from our arrival in Lyon until our disembarkation and drive to Marseille, with a final review of the AmaDagio cruise.

A blog of the entire trip, with lots of photos, can be found at:

https://jazzbeauxfranceblog.wordpress.com

Note that the blog is 3 pages. When you get to the bottom, there's a button marked "Older Posts." That contains the newer posts [i tricked the blog software to let me post from start to finish, the way I like to read blogs. ;)]

During the trip, Jazzbelle kept detailed notes and I took lots of pictures. After returning home, I revised the notes to remove names [to protect the guilty, as they say…] and put it in my voice to avoid confusion. Jazzbelle became “DW” in internet parlance [“Dear Wife”], and her cousin became “DC.”

Wednesday September 2, 2015 – Sarlat to Lyon

We concluded our pre-cruise trip with today’s drive of over 400 km from Sarlat to Lyon. I did everything I could to have the right credit card for Europe, and finally thought I had succeeded with Barclay Arrival Plus. It is Chip and PIN, although it defaults to Chip and Signature at most places. It does work as PIN sometimes, but French toll booths absolutely refused to accept it. Thank God we always had enough cash! There were three toll stations (each on different days) that charged us almost 20 Euro, and many others that charged 3-4 Euro. Total outlay over 8 days of driving [2,000 km] was about 80 Euro.

We arrived in Lyon in the afternoon and saw the AmaDagio docked across the Rhone [with the APT banner affixed, as this week has been one of their cruises].

We checked in at the Globe et Cécil, tanked up the Peugeot [paying outrageous downtown prices] and got lost several times trying to find Hertz [luckily the gauge still read “full”]. Returning by Métro was no easy task till we actually bought our Carnet de dix [credit card didn’t work again] and found the correct platform for our train. Then it was a piece of cake.

We went walking around Vieux Lyon with the help of Rick Steves and explored the Cathédrale St-Jean [John the Baptist] – which was under renovation, so we had no idea what the sanctuary and transept look like. Nor could we really see the stained glass windows above. [Photos of Lyon in next blog post.]

We arrived early for our dinner reservation at Joseph Viola’s Daniel et Denise restaurant – and a good thing as several large groups kept trooping past us into the small dining room next door. I don’t know where they put all the customers. Must have been trap doors! We both got the local specialty Quenelles de brochet sauce Nantua, which is sieved-pike dumplings, served in a bowl of seafood bisque. The side dishes at this restaurant are always home fries and mac ‘n cheese (no matter what you order). DW got a green salad to start. I ordered the four-course menu, choosing foie gras en croute as my starter, and ending with white cheese with sugar and cream, and tarte tatin. The foie gras and the quenelles were great, but the white cheese was bland and the tarte tatin disappointing [it was the authentic French upside-down caramel concoction, not the American sliced-apples on top variety; call me a parvenu but I prefer our way…]

Thursday September 3, 2015 – onboard AmaDagio in Lyon

We checked out of the Globe et Cécil and took a taxi to Quai Claude Bernard where the AmaDagio was rafted next to a Tauck ship [very luxe]. AmaDagio is also very nice – in perfect condition design her age, and furnished throughout with high-quality reproductions of Van Gogh paintings. Even though we arrived quite early (before noon), we were greeted warmly, several crew members jumped up and went out to carry our bags onto the ship, and we were escorted into the lounge to enjoy a light lunch [sandwiches, soup, apple crumble and cookies – but some guests who ordered beer and wine were charged for it, because this wasn't an official “lunch”]. They accelerated cleaning our cabin and we were welcomed to it in about 20 minutes – and our luggage was already there.

We regrouped and headed out for sightseeing. There was a tram stop near the ship, with a free transfer to the Métro and then to the Funicular which brought us to the top of Fourvière hill. We visited the very gaudy Basilica of Notre-Dame, every inch decorated with gold and mosaics. Beneath it is the more tasteful church of St. Joseph with a marvelous mosaic of St. James of Compostela [bringing us back to our trip last September, walking the Camino de Santiago]. Next door is the original chapel, topped with a gold statue of our Lady. Outside was a wonderful vantage point for a panoramic view of Lyon. [They claim that on a clear day you can see Mont Blanc, the highest point in Europe]. We descended the hill a little and explored the remains of the Roman Theatre and visited the Gallo-Roman Museum. [There was major Roman presence in the Lyon area 2,000 years ago when it was known as Lugdunum.]

Taking a different funicular down, we hopped the Métro and headed for Presqu’ile to see the Opéra, Hotel de Ville, and Place des Terreaux with a huge Bartholdi sculpture showing Marianne [the symbol of France] riding a chariot with four horses. Nearby was the Atelier de la Soierie where they do silk screening. We were able to watch a couple of demos and even saw the artist screw up with 6 scarves printed off-center. [Guess they will make it to the clearance basket!]

[We knew that AMA would be taking us to these areas the next day, but weren’t sure if they would do more than skim the surface. And in fact we covered several things that were not on the tour.]

We returned to the ship to unpack. We were able to fit our huge amount of luggage into the well-designed closets, and the 5 bags all hid under the bed. [5 bags: the 10-day weather report before we left varied from mid-90s to mid-60s for highs, and from sun to rain – so we brought several outfits for every condition. My shoes: hiking shoes (2 pairs, one with Gore-tex), plus Sperrys and lace up [DW actually takes less than I do]. Lots of toiletries [France is a civilized country, but they don’t carry our favorite brands]. Computer, camera, tablet (for maps in car), GPS, Michelin atlas (very heavy), lots of travel planning papers. I read about packing light and just shake my head!]

We met up with DW’s cousin [“DC”] in the lounge at 6:30 for the Captain’s Welcome Cocktail and Cruise Manager Abel’s first info session, where we met a mother and daughter from Hong Kong who now live in Australia. We had dinner with DC and his wife. Unfortunately he was dissatisfied with his meal – but the maître d’ stepped in and we got special attention for the rest of the cruise. [They never did learn how to cook a steak to suit DC, but the next day they went out and bought him a bottle of EVOO which was served at our table throughout the cruise. I have never liked olive oil, but now I’m a convert!]. After dinner we walked around Lyon to see everything lit up spectacularly. We were out almost two hours and returned to the ship after midnight, experiencing some difficulty getting back on board as the outside gate was stuck [American ingenuity solved the problem, and the gate seemed ok the net day].

Friday September 4, 2015 – Lyon

Still docked in Lyon [as planned], we took a four-hour city tour with Camille. What a great guide! The bus took us to the top of Fourvière where Cami explained some of the mosaics inside the Basilica de Notre-Dame [shown in the previous blog post]. Outside we got a great view of Lyon [including the TV tower that looks like a mini-Eiffel Tower] before reboarding the bus for a panoramic tour of the peninsula called Presqu’ile, which includes the city center of Lyon and trompe-l'œil painted buildings featuring famous people past and present. Finally we went to the old town, Vieux Lyon, filled with charm and character and beautiful Gothic and Renaissance houses. We walked through the St-Jean district and were introduced to traboules [the city’s unique covered walkways], before returning to the ship for lunch.

Lunch was the French-themed Lyonnais Delight, featuring Quenelles, frogs legs and escargots.

After lunch we bought another carnet de dix and took the Métro to Les Halles de Lyon Paul Bocuse and wandered through the amazing markets which offered all kinds of cheese, meat, and confections. We then made our way up Croix-Rousse, the hill opposite Fourvière, and visited La Maison des Canuts where they still weave silk. [Lyon is where the Jacquard loom, which “automated” silk weaving, originated.]

We made it back to the ship shortly before it sailed at 4:45, up the Saône to Belleville. We went through our first lock [and only upstream one].

The four of us ate in the Chef’s Table specialty restaurant [by reservation, but no additional charge]. We had an amuse bouche of duck breast in brandied cherries with pistachios, then gravite salmon [sp?] on a slice of Calvados-marinated apple, before mains of beef tenderloin [perfectly cooked medium-rare, or “à point” in French]. Dessert was a sampler of lemon panicotta, grapefruit sorbet in a sesame seed basket, and pear mousse on kiwi fruit. DW and I headed to the lounge to hear French chanteuse Adèle Bracco. We really enjoyed it and sang along to Jacques Brel, etc.

Saturday September 5, 2015 – Oingt, Beaujolais & Vienne

Today was cloudy and chilly, only in the mid 50s as we took off on our 9 am bus tour from the dock in Belleville to the Beaujolais area. We saw the Pays d’Or (named for the “golden” limestone of its homes and castles), and Charolais (white cows raised for meat). Crops were covered in white netting to prevent hail damage.

We took an hour to reach the small, pretty town of Oingt (pronounced like a baby’s cry, “Wah”). We only had 40 minutes there and could have used more time exploring – even though most of the shops were closed. They were preparing for a town festival of musical organs in the afternoon. Once again we had Camille as our tour guide. She led us through the town to the plaza outside the hilltop church. We were on our own to climb the stairs to visit there. What a treat. Simple yet lovely with old touches like the Stations and new ones like the modern altar and font.

Back on the bus we headed to Anse to visit Domaine de la Logère, a vineyard/winery owned by Pascal Gayauf. We learned about the three areas of Beaujolais and the true Gamay grape [known as Gamay Noir à Jus Blanc to distinguish it from a host of red-fleshed grapes often called Gamay Teinturier]. We learned about responsible farming, government over-regulation re harvesting crew, etc. And we tasted three Beaujolais wines – a rose, and two reds of 2014 – along with saucisson, cheese, and bread. Pascal was a real character and interacted marvelously with Camille, and the rest of us.

We returned to the AmaDagio in time for lunch. The specialty was Bresse chicken [they of the blue feet]. Delicious – moist and flavorful! Of course, that’s not all we ate: cheese, salads (including egg/gherkin), bread, ice cream [there were different ship-made ice creams every day – yum!]. DC’s wife went to the onboard silk painting and printing presentation in the lounge and bought a scarf [she had resisted twice, but the third time’s a charm!]. DW and DC walked the Sun Deck till it had to be flattened for a low bridge, then descended to the bridge deck and watched as the wheel house was lowered and we passed under the bridge with only inches of clearance. Then we went back through the lock to sail down the Saône past Lyon and the confluence with the Rhône on our way South. Later the four of us listened to Abel’s presentation on Le Rhône [the river is so powerful it takes the masculine article, unlike most rivers which are feminine], followed by his talk on the next day’s activities.

Dinner was disappointing. Most things were served lukewarm, and the fish was dry. Once again DC had to return his beef; this time he replaced it with chicken, which he liked. Then we were all surprised when members of the staff and crew came out humming and parading with a special cake for DC and wife’s 50th anniversary. They did this dance for several other couples in the dining room. Because they gave us the special cake, they cancelled our dessert order, but DW asked for one strawberry rhubarb cobbler for us to share. It was hot and yummy. So dessert saved dinner!

The four of us were stuffed, so we donned our walking shoes and headed into Vienne for a walk around the town. At the foot of the steps of Cathédrale Saint-Maurice, we encountered a Frenchman who knew little English but decided he was going to test it out on us. It took awhile to shake him. Upon returning to the AmaDagio, the two of us caught the tail end of the Music Quiz. We got all of the answers correct but we had missed more than half the questions so we didn’t win. It was fun anyway. DW then walked the sundeck for awhile.

Sunday September 6, 2015 – Vienne & Tournon

Much sunnier day! High of 70. After breakfast, DW talked to and photographed a big swan outside our cabin window. Little did she know that her lengthy monologue was being heard by our next door neighbors, who also had their heads out the window! There are plenty of swans on the river and the occasional blue heron.

There was very little rafting on this cruise, except at the beginning and end ports [Lyon and Arles]. Even there we noted that the major brands were rafted to each other [Viking to Viking, and one other – Scenic or Avalon, can’t remember which] while we were rafted for only part of the time to another brand [AMA only has one ship on the Rhône]. So we were able to use our French balcony almost all the time. We didn’t open the sliding door very often, but we did enjoy the wall-to-wall view. I think the French balcony cabins on the middle deck are the sweet spot on river cruise ships. BTW, the port side was the best choice for this cruise since most docks were on the left bank of the river [and ships always dock pointing upstream].

I was also struck by how silent the ship was while underway. I think this was because the Rhône has a very strong current and we were essentially drifting with it [the engines did get noisy when the Captain slammed into reverse approaching a lock or powered out the other end]. So I would recommend going North to South on the Rhône – and you should also get more time in ports in that direction.

We chose the hiking tour up Vienne’s Mont Pipet over the walking tour. Our guide, Frederick, introduced us to the town of Vienne which is steeped in Roman history and still has in its center the Temple of xh. “Rome wasn’t built in a day” but what they built was made to last! At the top of Mont Pipet was the chapel of Notre-Dame-de-la-Salette and a great view of Vienne and the Roman theatre below. When we reached the Cathédrale Saint-Maurice below, we ditched the tour and headed in for the end of Mass. Afterwards we sat for awhile to pray and it was gratifying to see this was an active, worshiping community – white and black together, and many young families.

After lunch on the AmaDagio, DW headed for the sun deck where she dozed on and off. Our ship was heading down river through locks and passing through wine country. Wind turbines appeared on the horizon. [The main source of electric power in France is nuclear, which is supplemented by wind and hydro]. Locals would wave from the shore as they sat on benches or skated/biked along trails. Mid-afternoon I headed to the lounge for “The 12 Labours of Bacchus” – a wine quiz and tasting with sommelier Gael.

Tonight was the special Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Dinner [AMA is the only river cruise line invited to join this prestigious culinary organization] and it was great: lamb! DC also got a helping of John Dory and pasta with porcini cream sauce. Extras on peach melba and the trifecta of raspberry sorbet, crème caramel and tarte tatin. After dinner DW and I enjoyed classical music with the trio La Strada, while our cousins went for a walk in Tournon.

Monday September 7, 2015 – Tournon, Tain-l’Hermitage & Viviers

Sunny! But cool in the morning, as Le Mistral blew [53 when we left, and the wind cut through you – thankfully this was only the mild Mistral, not the full-force 90 km/h version].

This morning we had a choice between the Steam Train up the Gorge du Doux; Red Wine and Chocolate Pairing; and Limited Edition [but no extra charge] Hermitage Wine Tasting. We did the latter and enjoyed it very much – our guide Barbara took us across the Seguin Bridge over the Rhône to Tain-l'Hermitage and the vineyards of M. Chapoutier and then to their tasting room where we had three high-end wines [older vintages no longer even for sale] – as we left I noticed that the general public was getting current vintages of their lesser wines, so AMA really did us proud. [DC bought a bottle of a port-like dessert wine, which I hope he plans to share with yours truly!]. Then we had free time, and were given directions to the Valrhona chocolate museum and tasting room – we passed on the museum but indulged ourselves greatly in the tasting room where dozens of varieties were available without limit. Chocolate heaven!

We returned to the ship to leave some things in the cabin and then headed out into Tournon to walk the main street and get a feel for the town. Having already passed the château and the Collégiale Saint Julien church we turned in the opposite direction but there wasn’t really anything to see, as all the shops were closed [on Monday – one of our guides mentioned that “le weekend” increasingly includes also Friday and Monday!]. After lunch we sailed and DW headed up to the sun deck where she walked 2+ miles. Then at 4:00 we went to the Past Passengers’ Reception and chatted with a man from Vancouver.

For dinner we both enjoyed mushroom-stuffed chicken breast for our main after I had an antipasto plate and DW a mixed salad to start. We all had some Brillat-Savarin cheese. [When DW and I left the Chef’s Table to catch the chanteuse, DC stayed for the cheese trolley. He brought us some wonderful cheese to taste, and we had great difficulty figuring out what it was – even after the cheese monger brought us a sample the next evening; it turned out his guess was right, but the sample direct from the fridge tasted nothing like the room temperature piece at the Chef’s Table. It was Brillat-Savarin, a triple-crème – don’t tell my doctor!]. I didn’t like the lemon meringue tart, which wasn’t “like Mom used to make”...

Our ship arrived in Viviers and at 9 pm we took our second Limited Edition tour to a local boulangerie for a bread baking demo. About 20 of us [everyone who signed up was accommodated] walked with our guide Francine from the ship to a local bread bakery where a select group [including DC] kneaded and rolled out lumps of dough into the long thick baguette shape. These were then put in rising racks, to be baked later that morning [and sold at a discount as “apprentice loaves”]. We didn't have to go back for them as the baker had other loaves already prepared for baking, which we each scored with a razor and stuck on a number label [i got 007 – so I will have to order some Bollinger to accompany my James Bond baguette!]. While they cooked, the baker showed us how he makes Nougat candy and we had samples. Then the loaves were ready and we each took home our personally made [well, scored] baguette. It was delicious! There is nothing like fresh bread!

DC’s wife took the regular evening excursion – the Viviers “Ghost Walk” – and enjoyed it too.

Tuesday September 8, 2015 – Truffles, Grignan & Avignon

Clear, sunny day. It started out cool but reached high 70s in the afternoon. The ship had repositioned in early morning to Saint-Étienne-des-Sorts. We left early this morning (8:30) for our bus tour to Grignan with guide Paris, passed the Tricastin nuclear power plant, and in 90 minutes arrived at our first stop: Serge and Corinne’s truffle farm. We enjoyed Serge’s presentation about the family history of the farm, how truffles are encouraged to cultivate subterraneously in the roots of oak trees, how they find them, etc. We were introduced to one of his truffle hunters, his Italian-bred dog Aimee. Then we went into his fields to witness Aimee’s expertise in sniffing out and digging up truffles. Aimee is supposed to turn the truffles over to Serge and be rewarded with a dog treat. This happened half the time, but Aimee also has a fondness for the truffles so 50% did not make it into Serge’s hand.

We proceeded a short way to the village of Grignan, where it was market day. Paris led us up the steep hill to the summit and the Renaissance chateau where we were rewarded with views from the ramparts of lavender fields, olive farms, and the surrounding area all the way to Mont Ventoux [the “Beast of Provence” which often features as one of the difficult climbing stages in the Tour de France cycling race]. We walked through the local market before boarding the bus for the 75 minute ride back to the AmaDagio, which was now docked in Avignon.

After lunch we hurried to get ready for our afternoon bus tour to Pont du Gard [so we thought]. Our CM Abel had been spot on all week with announcements even though this was an unusually complicated cruise what with gentle walkers, regular, fast walkers, bikers, and Road Scholars all having separate groups – and often two or three choices of excursion at a time. But we were keyed up for Pont du Gard and made sure to be in the lobby about 10 minutes before the announced time. There was quite a bit of confusion, and Abel was running between the lobby and the quay – but we never heard the announcement that our tour was ready to board. When we finally asked him [5 minutes past time], it had already departed! It was not just the four of us: two other unrelated individuals were in the same boat [so to speak]. But the bus had left so nothing could be done.

Some background: I had really, really wanted to visit Avignon four years ago on a Med cruise that called at Marseille. I researched on the web how to take the local train and thought there would be just enough time. But we had so much trouble finding the Marseille train station [the port was completed disrupted with a major construction project at that time], and then the kiosks wouldn't take our American credit cards – so we missed the train. Instead we spent the day in Marseille, and ended up having a very good time. So as I was steamed about this snafu on the Pont du Gard visit, DW reminded me of the above and I realized that this was God's way of giving me the Avignon visit I had missed.

We joined the fast-walkers group and set out for Avignon, the “City of the Popes,” with our guide St-Germain. We passed through Avignon’s medieval city walls, sycamore-lined allées, past the Opéra/Theater, Place de l’Horlage and into and through the Gothic Papal Palace. The walking tour included a detailed visit inside the Pope's Palace, which was much more interesting than I had expected. Then we had free time to do the rest of the Rick Steves walking tours of Avignon, ending at the famous bridge. We saw the old convent, Rue des teinturiers (“dyers’ street”), one of the medieval water wheels, and eventually made our way to the Pont d’Avignon. We climbed up on the bridge and walked to the (abrupt) end, and DW even danced a few steps in keeping with the children’s song “Sur le Pont D’Avignon, on y danse…” Only four of the original 22 arches remain after a disastrous, icy flood in 1668. [it costs 4 Euro – Senior rate – to cross the stub of a bridge. Imagine how much they would charge if all 22 arches remained!]

We had a great day in Avignon. [And we did get to Pont du Gard, on our own after the cruise ended – see below]. So it all worked out for the best.

We returned to the AmaDagio barely in time for the Captain’s Farewell Reception and parade of the crew. For dinner, DW had Caesar salad and I had lobster bisque [which contained neither lobster nor bisque, but was an interesting soup nonetheless], and we both had tenderloin of beef which was very good [since we like our meat medium rare, we never had trouble getting it cooked correctly in France]. I had the trifecta sampler for dessert and DW had chocolate chip ice cream.

The Captains [Captain and Second Captain were husband and wife, an unusual situation but it seems to work for them!] took us on a short sail around 9 so we could see the Pont d’Avignon and the Papal Palace all lit up. Then he backed up and rafted us to the Scenic Emerald. What a parking job! The evening’s entertainment was a pianist named Paolo who donned wigs and hats to fit the lyrics as he sang, and encouraged the passengers to dance.

Wednesday September 9, 2015 – Olives, Les Baux & Arles

We woke up in Arles as the ship had sailed (silently) at 5:45 am. Another tough choice this morning: either an olive farm and Les Baux, or the Carrières de Lumières near Les Baux and Van Gogh’s asylum in Saint-Rémy. “I’d like half of each, Sir, if you please.” Nope, must choose one or the other – so we chose the olive farm and Les Baux.

We boarded the bus at 9 with guide Nadine and made our way to the Moulin du Calanquet olive farm. In the family for several generations (first as a fruit orchard), the youngest entrepreneurs (siblings Gil and Ann) decided 15 years ago to go in another direction – olives! They now have a business selling the olives they grow, the extra-virgin olive oil they make from them, and fruit jams they make from the remaining orchards. We tasted three different varieties of single-barrel olive oil plus a blend – and bought a can from the barrel we liked best [we thought the can would be safer than a bottle for transport].

The next stop was Les Baux via twisty roads, which the driver handled like the pro he was. This hilltop town crowns the rugged Alpilles and its medieval community survived much because of their top-notch fortifications. We climbed to the top to enjoy the surrounding views but also to admire the remains of the castle and fort [and displays of medieval-style weapons of mass destruction] We descended to the lower town and visited Église Saint-Vincent, a short and wide Romanesque structure, and walked across the square to see the Chapelle des Pénitents Blancs, filled with frescoes by Yves Brayer illustrating the legend that Christ was born in Les Baux. There just wasn’t enough time to see everything here.

A bus ride back to the ship, a quick lunch and we were ready for a walking tour of Arles – and a tour guide who made our hackles stand at attention. [A Boston flower child of the ‘60s who tainted her talk with extreme feminist and anti-clerical views – we deliberately didn’t get her name…]. We ditched her as soon as we could and spent the time searching out all the Vincent Van Gogh easels that mark the spots where he painted. [Our cousins took the bike tour – this was the second of the week offered as part of the excursion options – and got to see the Ancient History Museum that shows the workaday life and culture of Roman Arles.]

Back to the AmaDagio and time to settle accounts, leave tips, answer questionnaires and pack. We had a lovely dinner of Pork Wellington after DW enjoyed an endive salad and I had broccoli soufflé. DC’s wife was surprised when the singing crew presented her with a chocolate whipped cream cake for her birthday. Delicious!

But what about the road less taken [the one to the Carrières de Lumières]? We got to do that too, the day after the cruise when we rented a car [see below]. Carrières de Lumières is mind-blowing, and I don't understand why the river cruises don't include it with the visit to Les Baux – you're already there, so they could save bus travel and parking costs as opposed to our combo visit of Les Baux and the olive farm. But the olive farm was good too – I guess the problem is that there are so many worthwhile things to see in Provence!

Thursday September 10, 2015 – Pont du Gard, Carrières de Lumières & Marseille

We all disembarked AmaDagio at 9 am but left our luggage securely onboard while we walked to the Europcar rental agency to pick up two cars for the day’s drive. We drove back to the ship to get our bags and DW noticed that our rear tire was soft. So we returned to Europcar and had to go to Speedy’s where 3 nails were discovered and tire was plugged. As both cars had manual transmissions, the fellows drove with us in the lead of the mini-caravan and DW as navigator – a first! We went astray a few times and circled rotaries more than once, but our cousins were in awe of how we made our way and in such a timely fashion.

Our first stop was Pont du Gard [which we had missed as noted above – it turned out for the best, as we spent 3 hours there and enjoyed it in more depth than the excursion would have provided]. Pont du Gard is a perfectly preserved Roman aqueduct built 19 BC, and well worth the detour. Roman engineering in general is pretty astounding, but the scale of this aqueduct spanning the Gard valley is just mind-blowing. We didn't get to walk across the aqueduct itself – those tours are only given in the afternoon – but I don't think it would have been all that great. There is a bridge just in front of the aqueduct that you can walk across, and that let us get to both the high viewpoint and the riverside viewpoint, as well as the museum. We spent more time there than I had expected, because we enjoyed it so much. [The Terraces restaurant is a great place for lunch.]

Now the challenge was to head back to Les Baux and find Carrières de Lumières, which is a sound-and-slide show in an abandoned limestone quarry. Each year the presentation is completely new and different; this year was “Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael: The Giants of the Renaissance” [or, as I put it, the Ninja Turtle Old Masters, although Donatello seems to have missed the cut]. The show was mesmerizing, and again worth the detour. The only parking we could find was in another abandoned quarry [but the parking was free] – our cars were coated in white dust when we returned to them, so we were glad they were rentals and about to be returned!

Because of the detour to Pont du Gard, we decided to skip our planned visit to Aix-en-Provence. Rereading Rick Steves, I concluded that it is a great place to spend a quiet day but not a place to squeeze into a hectic itinerary. On a future Med cruise, it might be a good shore excursion [especially by rental car, at our own pace].

We headed for Marseilles and decided to top off our gas [actually diesel, confusing called “gazole” in France] tanks while still several miles away because in Lyon we had waited until we got downtown and paid downtown prices! We got caught in a traffic detour, and TomTom was confused. A Good Samaritan tried to give us directions, but realized that they were so complicated we could never follow them – so he got in his car and led us to the gas station. Upon returning to the highway, we found a huge traffic snarl heading into Marseille. We eventually found our way to our cousins’ accommodations, Le Pension Edelweiss [quaint – and not in a good way…]. Then we headed for ours, Hotel ibis Marseille Centre Gare Saint Charles [the cheapest, but also the only disappointing, hotel on our trip – not recommended except that you are right at the car rental places and the train station]. We had spent a day in Marseille a few years ago on an ocean cruise, and felt that we had pretty well seen all that Marseille has to offer, so the ability to roll out of bed straight onto the TGV was all this hotel needed.

We had a good hike down to the Vieux Port [and back up] and had dinner at La Daurade. I had the Marseille specialty Bouillabaisse and DW had a mixed salad and the eponymous Daurade [she’s getting to be a real pro at filleting fish]. I was really suffering from a nasty head cold, but managed to eat [what a trooper…]. We walked back uphill to our hotel and I collapsed in bed.

The next day we took the TGV to Paris and spent four wonderful days there before flying home. A detailed blog that describes these days, along with the entire trip and lots of photos, can be found at:

https://jazzbeauxfranceblog.wordpress.com

AmaWaterways “Provence & Spain” Cruise Review

We truly enjoyed our time in Provence and on AmaDagio! AMA delivers a great cruise, starting with the design of their ships [which proved itself in the 2013 flooding and again in this year’s low-water on the Danube] and carrying through with the food and drink, entertainment and shore excursions, and the staff and crew. Almost everything is top notch, and if it isn’t they will bend over backward to make it right. And as noted below the level of inclusiveness fits our needs just fine.

Food: AMA is known for their food [the Berlitz guide to River Cruising in Europe says they spend more per passenger on food than any other river cruise line] and it showed on this cruise.

The daily line-up of food offerings went like this:

• Early Risers’ Pastries in the Lounge

• Breakfast (buffet, omelet station plus menu for Eggs Benedict, waffles, etc.)

• Late Risers’ Pastries in the Lounge

• Lunch (buffet plus menu with different items each day)

• Light Lunch in the Lounge

• Afternoon Tea in the Lounge

• Dinner (served, many menu choices)

• Late night snacks in the Lounge

• 24-hour self-service coffee/tea in the Lounge

There were also four special theme-meals:

• Welcome Dinner

• Lyonnais Delight Lunch

• Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Dinner

• Farewell Dinner

Plus each passenger had one opportunity [at no extra cost] to dine at the Chef’s Table restaurant.

Drink: AMA is not all-inclusive, but I was never tempted to spend my own money for drinks outside the complementary fare so the bartender got no work from me. Here’s what’s included:

Daily:

• bottled water in cabin (replenished faster than you could drink it)

• breakfast: sparkling wine

• lunch: wine (same red and white all cruise), beer, soft drinks

• dinner: wine (different red and white each night, or they will serve any night’s selection that you like better), beer, soft drinks

Special:

• Welcome Cocktail on first evening before dinner

• Past Passengers’ Reception

• Chef’s Table pre-dinner reception

• Farewell Cocktail

Laundry: Some cruise lines offer laundry machines [who wants to take time for that on a cruise?], but AMA has a laundry service that is very fast and reasonably priced.

Gratuities: This is a bone of contention for some Cruise Critic posters, but with our history of mass-market cruises we are used to it and follow the cruise line’s guidelines. And this time it didn’t feel like it cost us anything, because our TA had given us enough OBC to cover the gratuities with some left over to cover our laundry bills. We left the ship with an onboard charge of 0 [zero, nada, nil, zilch] – can’t ask for better than that.

Entertainment: two afternoons [a silk painting and printing presentation; and a wine tasting], and five evenings [a French chanteuse; a music quiz; a classical trio; choice of Viviers Ghost Walk or Limited Edition Boulangerie Experience; sail-by the lights of Avignon followed by a pianist/singer with dancing. No hairy legs or wet t-shirt contests, but no adult should complain about a lack of activity on this cruise!

Shore Excursions: We enjoyed this cruise tremendously in all aspects, but I have to give AMA extra top marks for the shore excursions because every option on this cruise was complementary and many are the same excursions that I have read about on other cruise lines as extra cost. Also everyone was accommodated for every one of their choices: gentle walkers [every day], bicycle tours [two, plus free use of bicycles any other time you want], hike [one – we took this], wine tastings [in Beaujolais, onboard while we sailed to Tournon, and the two options in Tournon], Pont du Gard [as an alternative to Avignon, after the general morning tour to a truffle farm and the village of Grignan], Carrières de Lumières [along with the Van Gogh asylum in Saint-Rémy, as an alternative to Les Baux and an olive oil farm, before the general walking tour of Arles].

I think the brochure overstates the amount of bus time, although the return trips were always "nap time" so maybe I undercounted? Anyway, they seem to mention two hours of bus rides on many days, but it never felt that long. For one thing almost all the tours included two stops, so the ride was split into three sections. Also AMA never fills the coaches, so there's plenty of room to spread out. Each guide had 15-20 people [this will vary because AMA lets you sign up based on gentle walkers, regular, fast-paced, and the occasional bike or late risers tour]. This cruise also involved more daytime sailing than our Rhine cruise: often we would wake up somewhere, do a tour and return to the ship for lunch during which it would sail somewhere else where we would have an afternoon tour. The overall experience was one fully-packed day after another. [i was very glad for the opportunity to nap while driving to Marseille after the cruise!]

Staff & Crew: Working on a river ship is no easier than ocean cruises, so I take my hat off to all the hard-working staff and crew of AmaDagio. Every seven days they have to say goodbye to one group of passengers, quickly clean and refit the ship, and welcome the next group – and there don’t seem to be any days off. We had very little to complain about over the entire week, and any complaints that we did make were quickly attended to. [i’m still amazed at the immediate acquisition of EVOO that enhanced our table’s dining experience.]

Dress: River cruises are by nature informal, and the world seems to be getting more informal with each passing year. I brought a sport coat and never took it out of the closet. The dining room was cool, but dress was informal enough that I used a chamois shirt instead. DW says she wore black slacks and a fancy blouse for the Captain's dinner. The only skirt she packed was a print peasant skirt which she wore twice. We like to freshen up and change into nicer clothes for dinner, but she thought that dining attire on this cruise was more casual than on our 2013 AMA Rhine cruise [e.g. men wearing shorts to dinner, even though it wasn't really hot] and many people seemed to wear their sightseeing clothes to dinner.

Planning: My planning bible for this trip, as usual, was Rick Steves. I think the France book is a high point even for his always-excellent series. Every hotel and restaurant recommendation proved worthy, the sightseeing selections are high on everyone’s list but Rick gives more depth to his inclusions including guided tours of the major churches and museums and walking tours of many towns and cities, and the planning sections [e.g. “Whirlwind Three-Week Tour of France by Car”] are an invaluable starting point. My only complaint about Rick’s coverage of France is that you need to buy at least three books to get everything [the Paris book is more comprehensive than the Paris chapter in the France book, and the Provence book is much more comprehensive than the France book for that area].

The French: We had no problem at all with the famous French “attitude” – we always started with a Bonjour and tried our creaky French, sometimes the conversation could conclude that way and other times they would steer us into English, but almost everyone was very helpful. In Paris we got the brushoff a few times when asking for directions in the street, but that just felt like being home in NYC and it was probably either that the person didn't really know the neighborhood or was in a hurry – we can relate to that, so we weren't offended. In Marseille [also not known for its friendliness] a young man realized that his directions to the nearest gas station were quite complicated, so he jumped in his car and led us there!

Our guides were all properly ambivalent about the famous 28-hour work week and long vacations and holidays that sap French productivity [they after all are independent contractors who have to work hard for their income], but we never felt that anyone gave us less than good service and attention.

Perhaps the biggest surprise to me was how totally the Académie française has failed in its effort to keep the French language pure: le weekend, le parking, le camping. And at every intersection you see a red octagon-shaped sign with the letters “STOP,” not “arrêt” [although that is apparently not a recent trend: our guide said that her grandmother remembers such signs from her youth].

DW’s Observations: The French (all ages) smoke like chimneys. Is it cultural? Are they just trying to stay skinny? I think they could exist on tobacco, wine and bread. I can understand the bread part! [Judging by the gaunt look of so many of the young women, smoking is an eating disorder as well as a health hazard – such good food at every turn, and you weigh 80 pounds??? --Jazzbeau]. 60% of the French claim to be Catholic, but only 4% of them practice. Their plumbing sometimes leaves a lot to be desired, especially the public toilets along the highway. Gross! (Needed my SheWee). It was only on the ship and in Giverny that we had a fully-enclosed shower and washcloths. (We always bring our own washcloths to Europe). If there is a toiletry or health-related product you really might need, bring it with you. (We couldn’t find Zicam or any zinc cold remedy in the many pharmacies; Vicks cough drops, yes.) Safes for personal belongings were rare to come by in lodgings. French women have small feet. The men are not particularly masculine. Neither are as stylish as their reputation. Traveling with Jazzbeau is like one of Caesar’s forced marches in the Gallic War or the Death March to Bataan – this is what I told him in the beginning of the trip – however, he did ease up as we progressed on our way through Brittany and actually eliminated sights from our punch list – Jazzbeau is flexible (who knew!)

Conclusion: we loved every minute of this trip, and renewed our appreciation of France [after those tense moments of “freedom fries” and President Sarcastic]. Every province has its charms, and even with three weeks we could only scratch the surface. Paris especially demands a return visit(s).

And AMA will definitely be getting a return visit. We plan to book the Port Wine & Flamenco trip as soon as the 2017 schedules come out. The loyalty benefits are great: 5% discount for buying a Future Cruise Benefit, 5% early-booking discount, $100 per person discount starting with the second cruise [plus free airport transfers and 50% discount one-category upgrade starting with the third cruise – increasing to free one-category upgrade starting with the fourth]. But that would mean nothing to me if the product wasn’t also great. Thankfully it is.

We had a great time, loved France – and mirabile dictu – neither us of gained a pound, despite eating [and in my case, drinking] very well!

Don't forget that you can find a detailed blog that describes the entire trip and has lots of photos at:

https://jazzbeauxfranceblog.wordpress.com

Note that the blog is 3 pages. When you get to the bottom, there's a button marked "Older Posts." That contains the newer posts [i tricked the blog software to let me post from start to finish, the way I like to read blogs. ;)]

Marvelous!, thank you for posting. I'm exhausting trying to keep up with you! LOL! We will be on this cruise starting in Lyon next Aug/Sept. Our 2nd with AMA. Actually our first was on AmaDagio June 2007. She was less than a year old. A couple questions?? Gentle walkers vs regular..will we be missing a lot doing the gentle walkers? Laundry..how did that work? Turn over time? Massage..cost? We are in room 206 I believe port side..good cabin or should I switch? I'm sure I'll have more questions but don't want to overload you! Thank you.

Marvelous!, thank you for posting. I'm exhausting trying to keep up with you! LOL! We will be on this cruise starting in Lyon next Aug/Sept. Our 2nd with AMA. Actually our first was on AmaDagio June 2007. She was less than a year old. A couple questions?? Gentle walkers vs regular..will we be missing a lot doing the gentle walkers? Laundry..how did that work? Turn over time? Massage..cost? We are in room 206 I believe port side..good cabin or should I switch? I'm sure I'll have more questions but don't want to overload you! Thank you.

The "fast" walkers weren't supposed to see more, just get it done faster for more free time. They did mention that the "gentle" walkers wouldn't go inside the Pope's Palace in Avignon -- but that seemed unusual and was blamed on the many steps and the impossibility of doing a truncated tour inside. So I'm guessing that most of the "gentle" walkers tours had the same coverage at a slower pace.

Laundry was amazingly fast. You left it on the bed when we went to dinner, and it came back the next day in the afternoon. The first day I sent out a pair of slacks just for ironing and they came back in a few hours. Prices were very reasonable, and nothing we sent out was ruined. :)

We didn't use the massage or hair styling services, or the exercise room.

Cabin: on our first AMA cruise (AmaCello) we were in 203 (starboard side). The only thing we didn't like was that the bed faced aft, so having a rest and watching the scenery was backwards. This time on AmaDagio (sister ship) we chose 206 (port side, bed facing forward) -- no complaints.

Keep the questions coming!

The "fast" walkers weren't supposed to see more, just get it done faster for more free time. They did mention that the "gentle" walkers wouldn't go inside the Pope's Palace in Avignon -- but that seemed unusual and was blamed on the many steps and the impossibility of doing a truncated tour inside. So I'm guessing that most of the "gentle" walkers tours had the same coverage at a slower pace.

 

Wonderful review, Jazz! I guess I should get started on mine, huh? Maybe tomorrow....

 

RE: gentle walkers: Vantage did this for the first time on our Switzerland: Rhine & Moselle tour. Each of us filled out a very short questionaire about our preferred walking pace and activities, then in the morning we got color coded cards that changed each day so we were spared the "turtle group" comments. Yes, I'm sorry to say, I have heard that term used to describe us. Anyway, we did cover the same tour only in more time....the trade off was the gentle walkers had less free time than the rapid ones....but for the most part I was ok with that.

Great! We have 206 also! I did print out your review so I can reference back. My TA just got back to me about upgrading to first class on TGV. AMA wants full price to upgrade, no credit on our "included in the price coach" tix. Will try pricing next year with AMA. Just doesn't seem fair.

Really enjoyed your review! Brought back some great memories of our trip this spring. Looking forward to a return to the area to see Les Baux and a few other places we missed.

Loved hearing that you enjoyed the visit to the truffle farm, and you also visited Serge's farm. Serge was such fun; we enjoyed talking to him. Aimée was his dog's name... I misspelled it in my review as Emée. Guess my French still needs work!

I see you had the same onboard evening entertainment in Avignon as we did - Paolo was pretty funny.

Hope I have a chance to read the rest of your blog soon.

Thanks, Jazzbeau. Very much enjoyed your excellent review, as someone who enjoyed this route with Uniworld in May. If I'm ever fortunate enough to sail that route again, AMA would be my choice. While we were very happy with our excursions, you definitely had more choices, and more variety with the evening entertainment. Due to the rapid flow and high water on the Rhone, we had to be bussed to each port, with excursions along the way as the ship sailed to meet us. Therefore, we were given some excursions that would have cost more, such as the visit to Serge and Aimee, excursions that AMA includes for all. All of us took the steam train, which I would not recommend to anyone with back problems; while the scenery was pretty, the wooden seats on the train were very uncomfortable. I stood in the outside platform almost all the way, and DH needed a massage afterward!

Again, thanks for taking the time to post this review.

Jazz...just read your blog. It seemed like you covered a lot of ground! Thanks for posting. Appreciate it.

Thanks for such a detailed report on this cruise. AMA is one of the lines we are considering for this route in 2017, and it sounds as though they do a wonderful job. One of the things that appeals to us for both AMA and Uniworld is the option for bike tours. Did you hear any detailed feedback on the ones offered on this tour by people who took that option?

I'm also really enjoying your blog that you linked to in your first post, those are some wonderful photos. Were you going to be adding more pics of the actual cruise, or did I somehow just miss those?

Thanks again for such a comprehensive (and tempting!) report.

Thanks for such a detailed report on this cruise. AMA is one of the lines we are considering for this route in 2017, and it sounds as though they do a wonderful job. One of the things that appeals to us for both AMA and Uniworld is the option for bike tours. Did you hear any detailed feedback on the ones offered on this tour by people who took that option?

 

I'm also really enjoying your blog that you linked to in your first post, those are some wonderful photos. Were you going to be adding more pics of the actual cruise, or did I somehow just miss those?

 

Thanks again for such a comprehensive (and tempting!) report.

The blog is 3 pages. When you get to the bottom, there's a button marked "Older Posts." That contains the newer posts [i tricked the blog software to let me post from start to finish, the way I like to read blogs. ;)]

The blog is 3 pages. When you get to the bottom, there's a button marked "Older Posts." That contains the newer posts [i tricked the blog software to let me post from start to finish, the way I like to read blogs. ;)]

That was very clever of you! Thanks for explaining; I went back and thoroughly enjoyed both your posts and the photos. It looks as though both you and your DW had a marvelous time, and this cruise will definitely be on our short list for 2017. It sounds as though for the most part AMA definitely lived up to its reputation for providing a great experience.

That was very clever of you! Thanks for explaining; I went back and thoroughly enjoyed both your posts and the photos. It looks as though both you and your DW had a marvelous time, and this cruise will definitely be on our short list for 2017. It sounds as though for the most part AMA definitely lived up to its reputation for providing a great experience.

Yes, I was really worried on the first night when DW and I had a great dinner onboard but her cousin was upset with the olive oil and his steak. But at the end of the cruise he said he had a great time and thinks AMA is a quality operation. So it was all good.

If I'm ever fortunate enough to sail that route again, AMA would be my choice. While we were very happy with our excursions, you definitely had more choices, and more variety with the evening entertainment. .

Having done this route with both lines, I completely agree. AMA offered more included excursions as well as more entertainment in the evenings. And we spent less time cruising back and forth and more in port, which we enjoyed as we like to go out in the evenings.

Yes, I was really worried on the first night when DW and I had a great dinner onboard but her cousin was upset with the olive oil and his steak. But at the end of the cruise he said he had a great time and thinks AMA is a quality operation. So it was all good.

Would you have menus for the cruise?

Carole

Would you have menus for the cruise?

Carole

No, but the menu items we chose are mentioned in the blog (see below). There were 3 different entree choices each night, plus the 3 "always available"choices.