The Upper Rhone

We had a good day in Viviers, it is an ancient medieval town where most of the population has moved away. It has been declared a UNESCO site because it has never been destroyed or rebuilt.  It is old with narrow streets, if there are two cars, one of them must back out of the street to allow the other to pass.

Like most of the places we visit there is either a cathedral or a castle, in Viviers there is a Cathedral with a 200 year old pipe organ where we went for a seven song, classical recital (Loreen had time for a nice snooze)

The Cathedral is on the highest piece of land in the town, so after a long hike we got to the top and had some stunning views.

Have I mentioned the mistral yet? No, well here is the deal. The Mistral is a cold north or northwest wind that starts in Switzerland and speeds up as it passes through the Rhone Valley on its way to the Mediterranean. Although quite cold the winds usually bring clear weather which helps in the wine production as wet weather means poorer quality wine. The winds can reach 50 to 60 miles per hour and while not steady every day, can blow for as many as 100 days per year. We must have been in a bad period cause I think they blew for about three days straight. 

When we returned to the ship, we had a food tasting of the foods from Viviers. Meats, cheeses, breads and pastries. They were all  produced by a couple of village shops.

We have had lovely wines with all the meals on the boat, and I am learning a good amount about French wines mostly from a wine connoisseur from North Carolina. This has been a positive on our two river boat cruises, we always manage to meet some like minded people that we can visit with. On this particular cruise, a couple from Toronto, a gentleman from Pittsburgh, a couple from North Carolina and a couple from Chicago. It is a good feeling to be able to visit, laugh with and just enjoy the company of people that were total strangers a couple of days ago.

As we continue up the Rhône we continue to pass through different wine regions.  We stopped in the town of Tournon, which is in the Ardeche region and across the river from the town and hill of Tain Hermitage which is famous for its wines. 

Tournon is a cute little place with winding streets and as most of the small towns or villages in France, it has a lot of history dating back to either the medieval or Roman eras. The highlight, was the farmers market in one of the many squares.

Produce

And protein

We did find a lot of shops and were able to purchase some French chocolate, the Valrhona chocolate factory is across the river,  and a nice bottle of Hermitage wine. I did know enough to understand that the Tain l’Hermitage wines are renowned, I did not know enough to understand that only those producers that have vineyards on the small hill at the back of Tain, are allowed to use that designation. So we entered a wine shop where the lady was tasting Ardèche wines, the wine region on the Tournon side of the river. But no, I was buying a Hermitage, which can only use the Shiraz variety of grape, therefore any Hermitage wine is a Shiraz. So the lady helps me pick out a 2012 Hermitage, untasted, that was in my price range, oh I was so pleased, until I figured out I had purchased a Crozes-Hermitage, what the heck is this. So after some research, I find that there is a much larger region, where only the Shiraz grape can be used known as Crozes-Hermitage, so a very similar wine, just not as renowned as Tain l’Hermitage, so all is well. 

Then back on the ship for lunch, I chose the frog legs!

Then up the river to stop for a quick walk through Vienne, once a major trade location between the north and the south. It has since lost out in significance to Lyon. One of the main features, besides being a charming little village, is the best preserved Roman building in France. A temple dedicated to the Roman’s Augustus and Livia. Since Roman times it has been used as a garrison, a bakery, a bookshop and various other shops. It is now a heritage site in the process of being restored and preserved.

Vienne is the place where the Knights Templar were put on trial at the request of the King of France. At that point in history the French Kingdom ended at the Rhône River, and Vienne was under the control of the Pope Clement and the protection of Rome. The Knights Templar had returned from the Crusades and established rest houses for poor people on pilgrimages. They were paid back in various ways and became wealthy. The King decided they were not paying their taxes to the Church nor to the kingdom of France and wanted them tried and their wealth seized. The Pope would not allow the trial to take place in France, but held the trial in the Cathedral in Vienne. 

Inside the Cathedral where the trial was held.

The vistas from the ship continue to impress as we move further north up the Rhône River. Soon we will be in Lyon and take a trip through the Beaujolais region.