NAPOLEON
ARLES TO TAIN
L’HERMITAGE
PROVENCE & RHONE VALLEY
The
day to day itinerary described below is a sample of a typical cruise on the
Napoléon. However, on any one cruise, the moorings may change, there may be
fewer or more excursions, the places visited may vary depending on the season
and the passenger preferences.
Sunday - Paris to Avignon
Your
departure from Paris on the TGV (Train
à Grande Vitesse) to Avignon will be met at approximately 15:57 at the Avignon
train station by the Napoléon guide. After gathering your baggage you will be
driven by mini-van to Vallabrègues for your cruise
on the Napoléon.
A champagne reception welcomes you and gives
you a chance to greet the crew while your luggage is brought aboard.
A late afternoon cruise from Vallabrègues to Arles
will be your first taste of Rhône River
cruising. Once moored in Arles and if time permits your guide will take you on a
tour of Arles, best known
in modern times because Van Gogh spent much of 1888 and 89 painting here and at
St. Rémy. If not, there is always
tomorrow.
Perhaps
a little stroll or an after dinner digestif to review the day’s events and
those for the morrow to come.
Monday - Cruise from Arles to
Vallabrègues and Avignon
Shortly
after today’s bread and croissants have been retrieved from the local bakery
the Napoléon will set off for the cruise to Vallabrègues. Since you have
already experienced this part of the river you will disembark for the walking
tour of Arles or, if this was done yesterday, you will visit Les
Baux and St. Rémy and then rejoin
the Napoléon for lunch in Vallabrègues. The afternoon cruise to Avignon
is not to be missed. Avignon, the home of the popes from 1309-77, is magnificent
in its grandeur as one cruises past Le Pont St. Bénézet (Le Pont d’Avignon)
to the evening’s mooring at the quay, facing the gate to the walled city. So,
if you are up to a morning stroll it should be an early one. This is a good time
to check out the boat’s amenities, the library of books, music and videos in
the salon, the keyboard if you are musically inclined, or relax and catch up on
the news in the IHT (International Herald Tribune - one of the world’s best
newspapers), and, by all means, lounge on the top deck and watch the passing
scenery of the Rhône Valley.
Tuesday
- Visit Avignon. Cruise to Duc d’Albe(Châteauneuf-du-Pape). Visit Château de
la Nerthe. Cruise to St. Etienne
des Sorts.
The
day begins early for those who wish to accompany the chef to Avignon’s market for breakfast, a great opportunity to sample the
produce of the vendors before the market is really open for business.
Following this a walking tour of the walled city, a
guided tour of the Palace of the Popes and the Cathedral of Notre Dame. Back
down the ramparts to the Napoléon where another scrumptious lunch awaits you.
The boat will leave Avignon and cruise to Duc d’Albe, a mooring from which you
will visit Château de la Nerthe for a tasting
of the wines of the Châteauneuf-du-Pâpe.
Return to the boat in a happy mood for the continuation of the day’s cruise to
St. Etienne des Sorts.
Wednesday
- Visit Orange. Visit
Pont du Gard. Cruise to Viviers.
This morning‘s excursion
may include a visit to Bagnols/Cèze (if the Avignon market was not visited).
The Napoléon will cruise to the lock at Bollène at which point the passengers
will disembark for the tour of Orange, an important Roman city dating back to 100 BC. The historical town
contains two of the finest Roman monuments in Europe. The Théâtre Antique
d’Orange is renowned worldwide as a site for cultural events such as Les Chorégies
d’Orange, a festival of opera, drama and ballet. Afloat in France offers
special opera cruises during the festival in this remarkable open-air arena. The
Arc de Triomphe celebrates Julius Caesar’s conquest of the Gauls and victory
over the Greek fleet. Lunch back on board. Time permitting you will also visit
the Pont du
Gard, part of the aqueduct that
transported spring water from Uzès to the Romans in Nîmes. Cruise to
tonight’s mooring at Viviers, a
charming medieval town currently undergoing a renovation. Challenge the crew to
a game of Pétanque before dinner.
Thursday -
Visit Château de Grignan. Cruise to Ancône. Visit Rochemaure.
The
van will be ready early to take you to visit the Château
de Grignan where the daughter of
Mde. de Sévigné resided. The
separation of mother and daughter was the motivation for the famous letters of
Mde. de Sévigné. A late lunch on
board the boat while cruising to Ancône and an afternoon visit to Rochemaure,
a fortress of the 13th to 16th century, and Montélimar,
the home of “nougat”.
The river valley
during this part of the cruise has a completely different perspective,
flanked by the vineyards of the Côte du Rhône. Mooring in Tain/Tournon you
will be escorted to a local vineyard for your last dégustation. Meanwhile the
chef is preparing a farewell feast. How about a final game of pétanque to get
you in the right mood for your farewell dinner.
Saturday
- Disembark Napoléon. Transfer to Valence and Paris.
Passengers disembark the
Napoléon after breakfast and are transferred to the train station in Valence
for the return to Paris on the TGV, arriving Paris Gare de Lyon
approximately 12:21.
