{"id":15160,"date":"2015-07-07T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2015-07-07T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rivercruiseadvisor.com\/?p=15160"},"modified":"2016-12-19T08:13:42","modified_gmt":"2016-12-19T15:13:42","slug":"barging-in-the-south-of-france-croisieuropes-anne-marie-day-3-avignon-chateauneuf-du-pape-pont-du-gard","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rivercruiseadvisor.com\/2015\/07\/barging-in-the-south-of-france-croisieuropes-anne-marie-day-3-avignon-chateauneuf-du-pape-pont-du-gard\/","title":{"rendered":"Barging In The South Of France: CroisiEurope’s Anne-Marie, Day 3, Avignon, Chateauneuf du Pape, Pont du Gard"},"content":{"rendered":"
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In Avignon, the view from the Pope’s Palace. \u00a9 2015 Ralph Grizzle<\/p><\/div>\n

My barge\u00a0trip from Arles to Sete took place on CroisiEurope\u2019s Anne-Marie June 17 through June 26, with pre- and post-trip overnights and activities. This post picks up\u00a0on day three\u00a0of our adventure, June 19, when we\u00a0explored Avignon & Ch\u00e2teauneuf-du-Pape before boarding Anne-Marie in Arles.<\/em><\/p>\n

Following yesterday’s surprise trip to Uzes<\/a>, we set out this morning for a full day of exploring Avignon &\u00a0Ch\u00e2teauneuf-du-Pape. We were to have visited Pont du Gard, but we managed to do that yesterday as well. In hindsight, it may have been too much to do\u00a0Avignon and Ch\u00e2teauneuf-du-Pape and Pont du Gard in one day, so today the pace was more relaxed than it might have been otherwise. With an adventure ahead of us, we stepped aboard\u00a0our two vans and headed, with our guide Catherine, to Avignon.<\/p>\n

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Avignon\u2019s medieval walled city has a fascinating story to tell, from its impressive Pope\u2019s Palace that was once the seat of Catholicism to a bridge that has captured the imagination of millions of people over the ages.<\/p>\n

The city\u00a0is situated on\u00a0the Rh\u00f4ne river. Spanning the river (well, almost) is the Pont d\u2019Avignon, the bridge that inspired the French song, Sur le Pont d\u2019Avignon. Part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Pont d\u2019Avignon is one of the world’s most famous bridges. Hundreds, perhaps\u00a0thousands, of people come to walk on this bridge everyday. The odd thing is, the bridge doesn\u2019t go anywhere. That\u2019s because it was built back in the 1100s, destroyed many times, and what you see now is all that remains of the bridge.<\/p>\n

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Spanning the Rhone River, almost, the Pont d’Avignon. \u00a9 2015 Ralph Grizzle<\/p><\/div>\n

Still, there\u2019s something magical about the ancient bridge, and indeed it has captured the imagination of millions of children throughout the world. In the happy song Sur le Pont d\u2019Avignon various members of French society \u2013 ladies, gentlemen, soldiers and musicians \u2013 meet on the bridge and do a little dance.<\/p>\n

We did not dance on the bridge but admired it\u00a0from a high vista overlooking the river.<\/p>\n

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Our guide Catherine taking us for a tour of the Pope’s Palace. \u00a9 2015 Ralph Grizzle<\/p><\/div>\n

We also visited The Pope\u2019s Palace, one of the largest and most important medieval Gothic buildings in all of Europe. It was once a fortress and a palace, and in 1309 became the home to six successive popes. We explored the palace for about 90 minutes. Our tour included a visit to the\u00a0Grand Chapel, where the Avignon popes worshipped. I found it to be impressive and humbling.<\/p>\n

The Pope’s Palace wasn’t the only thing the pope’s left behind in Avignon. They also left behind a legacy of an internationally acclaimed wine, and no trip to Avignon would be complete without a taste, or two, of Chateauneuf du Pape, or basically, the Pope’s wine. For that, we headed to\u00a0Chateauneuf du Pape for lunch and a wine tasting.<\/p>\n

Lunch in\u00a0Chateauneuf du Pape<\/h2>\n
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Our lunch venue in Chateauneuf du Pape. \u00a9 2015 Ralph Grizzle<\/p><\/div>\n

Our lunch venue was outstanding, on the grounds of an impressive palace\u00a0overlooking the vineyards of\u00a0Chateauneuf du Pape. At\u00a0La Table des Fines Roches, we dined on a terrace punctuated by\u00a0cypress trees. It was a gorgeous setting on a gorgeous day. The lunch was one of those that went down in the books as “must return here one day.”<\/p>\n

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Lunch is served.\u00a0\u00a9 2015 Ralph Grizzle<\/p><\/div>\n

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My starter at La Table des Fines Roches. \u00a9 2015 Ralph Grizzle<\/p><\/div>\n

After lunch the group headed with our guide Catherine into\u00a0Chateauneuf du Pape for a wine-tasting. Monica and I headed back to Arles to prepare our group’s welcome aboard Anne-Marie.<\/p>\n

Boarding Anne-Marie In Arles<\/h2>\n
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Anne-Marie docked in Arles. \u00a9 2015 Ralph Grizzle<\/p><\/div>\n

Our tiny, yet elegant, Anne-Marie was docked at Quai Max Dormoy in Arles. We were told that Van Gogh, who lived in Arles from 1888-1889, painted his masterpiece, The Starry Night, near the dock. As it turns out, that’s not true. The painting\u00a0depicts the view from his asylum room at Saint-R\u00e9my-de-Provence. Following a\u00a0breakdown in 1888 that resulted in the self-mutilation of his left ear, Van Gogh had voluntarily admitted himself to the Saint-Paul-de-Mausole lunatic asylum.<\/p>\n

Nonetheless, Van Gogh probably did walk\u00a0along the docks here in Arles, and I couldn’t help but hum the tune of Don McLean’s “Vincent” as we boarded Anne-Marie.<\/p>\n

Our group returned from the wine tasting in\u00a0Chateauneuf du Pape, giving the tasting, and the wines, high marks. One from our group bought a case of wine and had it shipped back to the U.S.<\/p>\n

The entire crew welcomed our group\u00a0on board. We enjoyed a champagne toast and a orientation talk. Hailing from Hungary, the ever-affable Cruise Director Zoltan gave us a briefing about what to expect during our week.<\/p>\n

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From Hungary, Cruise Director Zoltan welcoming us aboard and explaining some of what we would see in the coming days. \u00a9 2015 Ralph Grizzle<\/p><\/div>\n

Anne-Marie is one of four new barges that Strasbourg-based CroisiEurope has put into operation. Two more barges are coming next year. CroisiEurope’s\u00a0barges are custom-built for hotel barging, as opposed to being modified from cargo barges. Anne-Marie\u00a0featured bicycles, included excursions,\u00a0 jacuzzis, and complimentary WiFi that actually worked well \u2014 and the all-important open bar.<\/p>\n

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Relaxing in the living room with a glass of complimentary rose wine. \u00a9 2015 Ralph Grizzle<\/p><\/div>\n

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Our living room, with access to the outdoor decks. \u00a9 2015 Ralph Grizzle<\/p><\/div>\n

Our Stateroom on Anne-Marie<\/h2>\n
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Two beds that could be placed\u00a0together. \u00a9 2015 Ralph Grizzle<\/p><\/div>\n

I’ll be posting more about Anne-Marie’s facilities as we continue our voyage. Many\u00a0of you have said you were\u00a0curious about the staterooms. They are down one deck from the living room and bar, cozy,\u00a0measuring 110-square-feet, and\u00a0exceptionally well-configured, with plenty of space for storage.\u00a0Knowing that the staterooms were small before boarding Anne-Marie, I found that the cabin exceeded my expectations, though it could be crowded when two of us were angling for space while getting ready to go out on excursions or preparing for dinner.<\/p>\n

The staterooms featured smartly designed storage in the headboards of the twin-bed configured staterooms, as well as a small closet for hanging clothes and storage of suitcases underneath the beds. I was pleased to see the bathroom had plenty of storage, in a smartly configured drawer beneath the sink, and that the shower was large enough to accommodate all of my 6’5″ body, even with the glass doors closed and elbows extended when washing my hair.<\/p>\n

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Smart storage at the head of the bed. \u00a9 2015 Ralph Grizzle<\/p><\/div>\n

For the mobility challenged, there is something very close to an ADA-compliant stateroom with a wider door and other features for those who find getting around difficult. The stateroom is the only stateroom on the same level as the living room and dining room.<\/p>\n

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The shower was large enough for me at 6’5″. \u00a0\u00a9 2015 Ralph Grizzle<\/p><\/div>\n

Dinner On Anne-Marie<\/h2>\n
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The dining room. \u00a9 2015 Ralph Grizzle<\/p><\/div>\n

Unpacked and cleaned up, we were ready for dinner. There is a single dining room that will seat up to 24, but as there were only 10 of us, we enjoyed sharing one large table. Dinner was served course-by-course, beginning with an amuse-bouche<\/em>, followed by a starter, then the main course, then cheese, then dessert \u2014 all complemented by complimentary wines from the region, which just so happens to be the largest wine-producing region in France. We enjoyed C\u00f4te du Rh\u00f4ne, Proven\u00e7al Ros\u00e9 as well as Chablis and Chardonnay, along with other wines on our voyage.<\/p>\n

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Ready for dinner. \u00a9 2015 Ralph Grizzle<\/p><\/div>\n

For those with food allergies or food preferences, the galley could be flexible, serving alternative dishes. Bottled water was at our table, both sparkling and still. Specialty coffees and soft drinks, as well as spirits and beer, were all available at no extra charge.<\/p>\n

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The dining room on Anne-Marie. \u00a9 2015 Ralph Grizzle<\/p><\/div>\n

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Rabbit, tasted like chicken, on Anne-Marie. \u00a9 2015 Ralph Grizzle<\/p><\/div>\n

The Cheese Plates<\/h2>\n
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We had two cheeses for lunch and two for dinner. \u00a9 2015 Ralph Grizzle<\/p><\/div>\n

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More cheese. \u00a9 2015 Ralph Grizzle<\/p><\/div>\n

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Cheese and wine. \u00a9 2015 Ralph Grizzle<\/p><\/div>\n

Good Night Arles<\/h2>\n

We enjoyed a nice dinner on our first night on board. The night was still light and summer-like, and so we took a stroll through Arles, walking no doubt where Van Gogh had walked before, perhaps contemplating, as we were, the beauty of this region and all that the river ahead promised.<\/p>\n

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Good night Arles. \u00a9 2015 Ralph Grizzle<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

My barge\u00a0trip from Arles to Sete took place on CroisiEurope\u2019s Anne-Marie June 17 through June 26, with pre- and post-trip overnights and activities. This post picks up\u00a0on day three\u00a0of our adventure, June 19, when we\u00a0explored Avignon & Ch\u00e2teauneuf-du-Pape before boarding Anne-Marie in Arles. Following yesterday’s surprise trip to Uzes, we set out this morning for […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":17231,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"full-width-content","footnotes":""},"categories":[507,377,171,22,25,24,41],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/rivercruiseadvisor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15160"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/rivercruiseadvisor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/rivercruiseadvisor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rivercruiseadvisor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rivercruiseadvisor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15160"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/rivercruiseadvisor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15160\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rivercruiseadvisor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17231"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rivercruiseadvisor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15160"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rivercruiseadvisor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15160"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rivercruiseadvisor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15160"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}