Lyon River Cruise: Cruise Day 6

Tuesday, May 27: Viviers + Sailing to La Voulte + Onwards to Lyon

We were right next to the dock in Viviers, so I was able to enjoy my morning walk along the river, getting a far-off view of the city along the way.

For our city walking tour, we again split into groups by language, so M and I joined the French tour guide while Mr. E, his mom, and his aunt and uncle stayed with the English group. The town is quite small and very close to the dock. However, the inner part of the town is also very windy and hilly, so Mr. E’s mom, aunt, and uncle headed back to the boat before embarking on that part of the tour.

Our French guide was extremely informative and rather funny, getting a bit exasperated when there were too many visitors or when other tour groups were in the spot she wanted to be. She also had some wry commentary on parts of the town’s history and current situation, including the challenges with upkeep for the historic structures and the reliance on individual investors to maintain or renovate the buildings. She led us through the winding streets and up to the scenic panorama and the cathedral.

M and I had some time at the end of the tour to wander back through some streets for additional photos and a surprise friendly kitty encounter! [PHOTO] 

 

Mr. E’s tour group had finished earlier, so he was already back on the boat enjoying some coffee by the time M and I returned. We joined the rest of the family for lunch, and then we all decided to skip the optional afternoon excursion to the Ardèche Gorges, staying on board for an afternoon of sailing instead.

I was able to do more homework while Mr. E got some reading time. We also strolled around the sun deck as we waited out a rather long delay at one of the locks. The original schedule was for the boat to arrive in La Voulte around 4:30pm, with a return to the boat of the excursion buses around 6:30pm. Mr. E, M, and I had hoped to have the chance to get off for an afternoon stroll in the town, but due to the delay, we were actually late in arriving so had just enough time to load up everyone else and then continue onwards towards Lyon for the rest of the afternoon and through the night.

Our final dinner was in the style of la guingette, with colorful linens and decorations. We celebrated the end of the cruise with the family by sharing our wine from Tain l’Hermitage, which was quite tasty. Mr. E's mom received a wonderful creative fresh fruit alternative option for dessert!

The evening’s post-dinner entertainment was karaoke in the Lounge Bar, including participation from most of the crew. I again opted out of the later activities and instead did some organizing in anticipation of our departure the next day before going to bed.