A Week in Provence

I’m just back from a week in Provence.  And I must say, in spite of the France labour strikes, we had a marvelous time.

We sailed from Lyon to Arles, with a pre-cruise night in Lyon at the superb International hotel. And we boarded the AMA Kristina in Lyon to sail southbound. We had a wonderful time visiting Lyon, Vienne, Tournon, Avignon, and Arles – and then back for a night in Paris, where we did some touring..

And while it was a bit to leave the 20+ celsius temperatures in Arles to head home, and return to snow, the warmer weather and the embrace of spring was absolutely restorative to the soul after a dreary winter in Ottawa.

I really enjoyed staying at the Intercontinental Hotel-Dieu in Lyon. Great location for walking around Lyon, and even walking to our river cruise ship.


The hotel used to be a hospital, and 1/3 people who live in Lyon was born in the hospital. The hospital location dates back to the 12th century, with modern building renos and overhauls of the building and structure from the 18th and 19th centuries.

  • The history of the location has enamoured the locals with the hotel, and many locals come to stay where their children or grandchildren were born. Rooms respect the heritage, and you will know which rooms used to be the maternity ward, etc, but the hotel is definitely five star with spacious rooms and luxurious amenities.
  • The hotel opened in June 2019, and was only opened for 8 months before the first pandemic lockdown in march 2020. Three more lockdowns followed in Lyon. So with spotty opening periods because of CoVid, the hotel has still won several awards as one of the top hotels in France.
  • The hotel bar is also a beautiful spot, and has won top hotel bar. It features a gorgeous dome that was built after world war 2, and was updated in the 1950s. The Presidential Suite overlooks the bar, and the dome; with other windows in that suite overlooking the Rhone.
  • Other category rooms (besides the Presidential suite) can overlook the Rhone River, or the central courtyard of the hotel .
  • The hotel is also part of a complex with shops and restaurants.
  • It is a great pre-cruise or post-cruise stop around your Provence river cruise – or any visit to the gastronomy Center of France in Lyon.

And then, we got to tour Lyon.
  • A beautiful day in Lyon – we walked up to the Notre Dame Basilica, and took the funicular down.
  • (And, yes – my knees would’ve appreciated us doing the opposite – funicular up, walking down.)
  • It was a gorgeous sunny day in Lyon. 17 degrees

If you go to Lyon, you have to take in the local food.
  • Lyon is the Center of France gastronomy, and the home of “nouvelle cuisine.”
  • Fantastic chefs have emerged and been influenced – including Mama Brazier, Paul Bocuse, and Daniel Boulud. Michelin restaurants that serve Lyonnais food seem to be on every corner.
  • One of my favourite Anthony Bourdain episodes of “Parts Unknown” had him going all over Lyon with Boulud and meeting Bocuse. I tried to visit a few spots Anthony visited – and toured the Market Halles de Lyon.

We were fortunate to have had a wonderful morning touring Les Halles de Lyon – Paul Bocuse.
  • And as further noted at the link, “Les Halles de Lyon – Paul Bocuse is one of the reasons that Lyon is dubbed France’s capital of gastronomy. An incredible variety of the finest quality food all assembled under one roof. … History of Les Halles …It was in 1859 that Lyon opened its first indoor food market in a large metallic structure located at Place Cordeliers in the centre of the city known as the “Presqu’ile”. One hundred years later the city decided to build a new indoor market representative of it’s commitment to gastronomy.”
  • An awesome spot to visit – and learn about the influence of Mama Brazier, and her famous student, Paul Bocuse.

And then it was on to Beaujolais.
  • If you’re in Beaujolais, you cannot skip going to a vineyard! We had an amazing time visiting a small vineyard in Bagnols. Spoke with the winemakers and vineyard owners. We learned how old vines are maintained and nurtured for the Gamay and Chardonnay grapes production, and the life cycle of a small vineyard over the year.
  • And we learned that 2012 was one of their worst years with the combination of extreme weather and insect issues; but 2020 was one of the best with the heat producing a higher concentration of sugar in the grapes.
  • Interesting fact – butterflies are very harmful to the vines. They carry a disease that can infect a vine. When a vine is infected, it can spread the rot before it dies – so the whole vine must be destroyed to save the others.
  • And, of course, the most fun was had by tasting the wines that came from here- and always in France, you taste wine with bread, cheese, and sausage. Domaine Riviere

Vienne, France was next. We really enjoyed learning about this city, and it’s history.
  • As my daily cruiser shared, “Vienne is situated at the confluence of the Rhône and Gère rivers and has a significant Roman history that is highlighted by its marvelously preserved ruins.
  • Sights include a 1st-century Roman Temple of Augustus and Livia, the ruins of a Roman theater, and the medieval churches of St. Andre-Le-Bas, and Abbey St. Pierre. “
  • We also took a little choo choo train to Mount Pipet for the most astonishing views of the theatre and the town of Vienne.
  • We had some workarounds with the France labour disruptions, but took a lovely tour to Vienne before returning to our ship the Ama Kristina .

A steam train ride in Tournon sur Rhone.

  • The train de l’ardeche was a fun way to see the sights and the beautiful landscape.
  • And we had an absolutely beautiful day in the south of France.

Hard to believe, but I’ve barely scratched the surface!

Next week, I’ll share some photos of Avignon, Arles, and Paris – including a visit to the Palais des Papes, a truffle farm, a Van Gogh walking tour, and Paris during a national strike.

We had a terrific time.

Please let me know if you’d like to do a river cruise to the south of France.

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