Next stop on Carly’s European Adventure – France!
I was extremely fortunate to travel through the South of France with AMAWaterways on the beautiful AMAKristina for 7 nights travelling along the Rhone.
Starting in Lyon, I loved exploring this beautiful city. It is vibrant with stunning architecture, the amazing Cathedral and views over the city and walking the cobblestoned streets through the Old Town was great. From there we got to experience my home of 21 years ago, the beautiful Beaujolais, driving through this wine region and learning from the local wine makers was such a great experience and so nice to be back after so many years. I was reminded of how special the scenery of the French countryside is.
Leaving Lyon, we snaked down the Rhone visiting the small village and towns of Vienne, Tournon, Viviers, Avignon and finishing with the stunning Arles. The Roman ruins along the way and each towns history and fortresses were just stunning. I loved the walled city of Avignon and Arles was a surprise package and my favourite with one of the most well-preserved Amphitheatre’s I have seen. The history of Van Gogh and stories about his time there were fascinating.
The activities we chose from ranged from city tours by foot, bike tours, wine tasting, hiking to the vineyards, truffle hunting, market walks, and chocolate tastings. This is only a small taste of the options available on board. Each day you have great options to choose from. We loved the stretching and light exercise classes each morning to start your day right and the afternoon sip and sail is a great way to unwind from the day, talk to others about what they did for the day and watch the sun go down.
My favourite included activity onboard was our afternoon out spent visiting one of the most visited cities in Provence, Les Baux. It is known as one of the most beautiful villages in France with panoramic views of Arles and the countryside. They currently have an exhibition in the former quarry, and it is one the most beautiful things I have seen. It is an art-based multimedia show, projecting images of famous paintings set to music. We were lucky to see the Monet show, and it was a highlight.
My favourite included activity onboard was our afternoon out spent visiting one of the most visited cities in Provence, Les Baux
Let’s talk about the food. Every lunch and dinner is a delight. Great choices, plenty of options, fresh produce and the staff are just amazing. You are well looked after and do not go hungry that is for sure. You get to eat at the Chefs Table once when you are on board with AMA. It is a 5-course meal with matching wine pairings and such a special evening.
Finishing our time away with 7-nights onboard was such a great way to see so many new, different, and exciting places, with the convenience of not having to pack and unpack every few days. I can highly recommend adding a River Cruise to your European Adventure to slow down the pace of travel but not in place of exploring new destinations daily.
Carly
