Viviers sur Rhone
Our next port of call was to be Viviers in the Ardeche. When we travelled south a few years ago this port had been closed. It is now one of the major stops for the cruise ships so we were keen to see what was there. The day was, once again, windy and overcast which was a pity as this stretch eventually passes through the dramatic scenery of the Donzère Gorge. First though we said goodbye to the river itself and travelled 30km along a straight canalised section before negotiating the deepest (23m) lock of them all - the écluse Bollene. Entering this vast lock from downstream feels slightly intimidating. It is dark, dank, dripping and slimy and the sky is a long way off. This watery elevator needed to lift us the height of a 7 storey building. The upstream gates are unusual in that they are curved to better withstand the force of the river behind them. It doesn't do to think too much about all that water pressing against. After the gates behind close there are a couple of ...