Left Turn

We were undecided until the last minute as to which way we should turn on leaving Confluence port in Lyon. Left and down the Rhone to the unknown south or the safe option, right, and back up the benign Saone.
'Let's just go for it,' declared the skipper. So, although we have no winter mooring organised (not for want of trying) we turned left, past the adventurous architecture of the confluence riverfront and joined the Rhone; France's 'mightiest river' according to the information book handed to us in the first lock which didn't make me feel any happier.

Confluence of the Saone and Rhone

The Rhone locks are huge and are controlled remotely. The procedure is that you call up on VHF (or phone) to announce yourself and then follow instructions. It's the second part of that which inevitably causes confusion -for me anyway - you have to respond to what the lock keeper says to you. What they ask you at the first lock is, what's the name of your boat, where are you coming from, where are you going to (not today - your final destination) and how many people on the boat? If you're struggling they will speak English, but that can be even more excruciatingly embarrassing when you don't understand that either. We were greeted in the lock by a lovely group of young people- new employees of the Rhone waterway- who made sure we knew how to tie on to the floating bolllard, asked us the same questions again as the lock keeper had asked (probably my French is just too awful) welcomed us to the Rhone and gave us an information book.
Tonight we are in Condrieu les Roches having passed through 2 locks.There is very little traffic. We've seen a few cruise ships and one or two commercials but mainly we've been on our own.

Viking chefs taking a break

 The river is wide, the current gentle and we're passing through some of the famous Cotes de Rhones vineyards. So far so good.

Cotes du Rhone vineyards