Another Medieval Town - Cruas

Cruas - frozen in time

After 2 nights and a rather mediocre dinner at the cafe at Viviers port (memo to self: don't buy any more menu items called 'fish 'n chips'. In France anyway) we decided to move on.
The first lock  (Chateauneuf 19m deep) is just around the first bend. We were called straight in and on our own. That was about as good as it got for the day though. We travelled for about three and a half hours in very blowy conditions, with intermittent downpours and quite a strong current: so slow-going. I remembered this section from our trip south when we were caught in a bad thunderstorm and it was quite frightening.
The river opens out into some very wide sections: lake-like and exposed. It would have been pleasant on a normal August day but what is normal these days? A couple of boats stormed past us at high speed really knocking us around. Enough we thought. We'll stop at Cruas.
This port has a tricky entrance necessitating its own special blow-up section on the navigation chart. It's on a bend, there's a strong current across the entrance, shallows and underwater walls immediately downstream. We, of course, were faffing about at the last minute. The heavens opened - the windscreen wipers couldn't cope so we were quickly unfastening and lifting the canopy windscreen in order to see through the deluge and generally conversing in a less than calm manner. All the necessary ingredients for disaster. To my surprise and huge relief we slotted through the gap without mishap. The port captain, Pierre, was very welcoming, helping us tie up in the torrential rain. Exiting the port was easier than entering, he assured us. Basically, just aim for the marker, take a deep breath and go full steam ahead.

Cruas nuclear power plant - with backup wind turbine

The port is right next to the Cruas nuclear power plant one of whose cooling towers has an ecologically themed mural of a child with a shell entitled 'Aquarius'. The commission for the mural went to Belgian artist, Jean-Marie Pierret. 9 mountaineers spent 8000 hours and used 4000 litres of paint producing the finished art work. 8000 hours...puts painting the kitchen into perspective.
The village of Cruas was a real surprise. We'd heard nothing about it and only discovered its existence whilst on our usual foray for baguettes.

The port is about 20 minutes walk to the village which, like Viviers, is perched on the sides of a limestone crag. There's virtually no information about Cruas on the internet other than about the power station and the tourist office was closed so I can only tell you what we saw.
The ancient town is slowly being restored, by the local community, from almost complete ruin. They seem to be working their way up from the bottom which is logical I suppose as the steep, narrow and winding streets wouldn't be the easiest to navigate with building materials at the best of times never mind in a state of disrepair. Some buildings appear finished and are lovely, many remain in various stages of ruin whilst others are works in progress - occasionally slightly weird ones

.

Someone on the restoration committee with an 'artisitic' bent and an eye on future young tourists has come up with a couple of ideas for the top of the town (I do hope they aren't working their way down).  Near the summit, just below the abbey, is a recreation of a medieval village complete with medievally costumed 50s era shop mannequins and an assortment of plastic chooks, ducks goats and pigs. At the top of the hill, the castle tower, still under renovation, wasn't yet open to the public but the 3 elderly workmen chatting over cups of tea just inside the door kindly invited us to step inside and view the art works in progress - a collection of painted dragons, giants and medieval maids with oddly placed cut-outs for photographic opportunities.

We are in admiration of the townspeople undertaking the huge task of rebuilding and preserving their past. Good luck to them. The cruise ship trade will pass them by and make for Viviers but I recommend stopping here too. (And it is easier leaving port than arriving).

View of the port exit onto the Rhone, Cruas