Down the Rhone to the Sea

The Rhone – one of the biggest rivers in Europe and certainly one to be treated with serious respect. It represented 1/3 of our journey (as the crow flies) through France but occupied less than a week although we could easily have spent much longer. It has strong currents, vicious winds, enormous locks and lots of huge fast commercial traffic. On the other hand, it runs through some of the most ancient and beautiful towns in France and some of the best wine regions (Cote du Rhone, Chateau-Neuf-du-Pape, etc).
To be honest, we didn’t do it justice. We were in a hurry after the long delay in Decize and deliberately missed out some of the best bits – Lyon, Macon, Beaucaire, etc. We took advantage of the current to do up to 80Km per day or to spend ½ a day sight seeing and then do 40 to 50 Km to the next stop.
Despite our hurry, we saw some wonderful and some stunning places.
The first stop was Givors 20K south of Lyon. They have great pontoons, pretty much empty. The strange thing is that they’re padlocked and chained from the land so you can’t get ashore and they can’t get in to charge you!

Vienne has amazing roman remains. It was a really important place during roman times – with a huge excavated site and excellent museum. In the center of town is a complete roman temple still standing. Apparently it was converted into a church in about 700ad and remained so until the god botherers were chucked out in the 18th century and it was restored to its former glory. At least its religious status preserved it though. The public quay on the right hand side before the foot bridge is solid and free but has no services.

Valence was a bit disappointing. The marina is huge and there is even a chandlery close by – but it is expensive and it is a long treck by bike into town or to the supermarket. The town is interesting – good shopping, beautiful parks, winding shaded streets with occasional squares. The church is impressive but speaks of wealth and power rather than of peace and tranquillity. This was also an important roman town but the remains are not as well preserved as elsewhere.


Viviers is something else. It’s only a large village really but time has passed it by. Most of it is built on a huge rock and the mediaeval houses cling to it as the alleys wind up to the church at the top. The church is a real gem – you must see it if you stop. It is a single open plan roman / gothic space – no hidden side chapels here. The walls are covered with huge paintings and even larger tapestries. The whole edifice has a sense of peace that makes you talk in whispers. Thw town square down below is shaded by trees and very French. The small marina is cheap and very efficient – although beware of teh submerged dyke. You MUST pass between the green and red posts or you will hit rocks – lots do each year apparently. The pontoons are seriously odd. They are attached to a high concrete wall at one end. There is a float at the other end but the pontoon surface is mounted ion stilts about a meter in the air. You will need your fenders high – indeed the pontoon was Above our decks and we had to tie the fenders to the pontoon!



From Viviers we left at 7.00 and shortly went through the huge Bollene lock (22M high). Very easy because like all the Rhone locks it has floating bollards so you just tie on tight and drift up or down.




By lunch time, we had done the 40K to Avignon – and what a place! You could easily spend several days exploring. The fabled bridge on which everyone dances ( Sur la pont d’Avignon, tout la monde dance dance ...) is only a shadow of its former self - only the first three of the original 24 arches remain. It was first constructed with wooden spans by the Romans. In the 12th century it was reconstructed in Stone. King Louis “the good” then destroyed it. It was rebuilt again in the following century but was neglected and the Rhone finally washed so much away that it was closed in the 16th century. L & I were first on at 9.00 in the morning and did a quick waltz just because we could.
The popes were resident in Avignon for many years and left huge palaces and churches. Anyone who thinks that the Catholic church has anything to do with spirituality or peace will finally have their illusions crushed by these edifices. They are huge monuments to worldly wealth and power. Very well worth a visit though – truly impressive and fascinating.


Our last stop was at Arles. We didn’t know much about this until we got there but again it is well worth a visit. If Vienne was an impressive Roman town, this was a true city. It had all teh mod cons you would expect in a major roman city – huge public baths, theatre, coliseum-style amphitheatre, Chariot racing track, etc. All these are on show – not just a s ruins but still in excellent preservation. The amphitheatre is used for bull fighting and productions are regularly staged at the theatre.
And so down the last 40K of featureless river – bordered by the marshes of the Camargue – but these are invisible because they lie low behind the raised banks of the river. At times down here we were doing 19Km per hour over the ground. We arrived at the lock into Port St Louis at 11.00 and waited for a commercial barge. Once in we waited for the down but nothing happened. Next thing we know, the keeper is asking us to go ahead through the open gates ‘vite vite’. The fall of the lock was less than 6 inches – so small we didn’t even notice it!
The journey down the canal to the gulf du Fos was interesting. The ship we went through with made a slow start as he had to get out of the lock and then make a right angle turn but he soon started to gain on us. Meanwhile we were approaching a small German cruiser that was sailing down the centre of the channel. Having gained considerable admiration for the captains of these large vessels in tiny canals, we pulled over to the side, slowed down and let him pass – and got a large cheery wave in thanks. But the german pressed on regardless, eventually forcing the ship to do an emergency slow down and to swerve sideways into shallower water to miss him and get past! (If you’re wondering – sail does noty have right of way over power in these circumstances).

He got his just deserts though. The ship (Gasamange) waited until the channel widened out as we reached the sea and first of all settled down to track him but up wind so he was forced to turn his motor on. It then pulled past him and deliberately stopped at right angles in front of him forcing hime to make a huge detour to get round. A nice piece of direct action!
After a very short spell in the Gulf du Fos, we turned up another channel to Port Napoleon. We’ve spent a week there so having the bottom scrubbed and checking all the underwater gear, re-configuring our possessions from canal mode to seagoing mode, having the mast put back, re-installing the sails and waiting for a part I dropped overboard and for a Mistral to pass. With luck we set off for Marseilles tomorrow.