L'Avenir - cruising Europe's inland waterways: July 2020

Lyon - port, Confluence

I'm writing this almost a year later from lockdown in Australia. Looking back at my diaries and photos from last summer's cruising should be cheering but it's not really. With our borders closed to international (and even internal) travel there is no chance of us rejoining l'Avenir this year. This will be our first full winter in cold, damp Melbourne since 2007 but we are hopeful for next year.

So, I've decided to wrap up the blog for the moment. I hope every one of you stays well; those of you who manage to go cruising this summer, have wonderful adventures and those of you who don't, keep dreaming.

After leaving Valence it was only a couple of days to lovely Lyon, stopping on the way at Andancette and the good little port of Condrieu sur Roches. The town of Vienne looked interesting in passing but not a comfortable place to stop overnight. There are concrete wharves on both banks and as the river is quite busy here (one of the cruise ship stops) the water sloshes back and forth washing machine-like. A yacht travelling towards us downstream bucked and plunged through the lumpy waters almost as if at sea. 2 bikini clad women lounged completely unconcerned on the foredeck. Meanwhile, I was tightly clutching the handrail which fully encloses our stern deck; I could barely let go long enough to wave. I will never make a sailor.

And so we said goodbye to the beautiful Rhone. Through the final lock (on our own!) where 2 young students took our details and 'signed us off'. The river authority keeps track of all passages through locks so they know who is travelling. The Rhone, of course, doesn't end at Lyon - it converges with the Saone which is the navigable route north.

I love everything about Lyon. The passage through the city is quite dramatic from the striking, colourful modern buildings at the confluence through the winding channel and beneath the bridges connecting the old town and the newer city.

We hadn't booked a berth at the port but were confident that if we didn't find a place we could stop on the river on one of the town wharves. As it happened, the port was virtually empty. The capitaine (a different and much friendlier one than on our previous visit) came out to help us tie up. There is still a 4 day limit but there would have been no problem extending had we wished to. Only 2 other boats came in during that time.

We had visited many of the tourist sites on our journey south but that was no reason not to pay them another. The little Vaporetto navette still runs from the port every hour and and is the most convenient and scenic way to reach the city centre and lovely, old town. The other 'quaint' mode of transport, the funicular railway, is a fun and easy way reach the impressive Basilica de Notre Dame de Fourvière and, if you are lucky with the weather, enjoy an amazing view over Lyon.

Pusher tug and barge passing through Lyon

More Commercial traffic - sand barge in Lyon

Saone quayside, Lyon

L'Île Barbe, Lyon.

The River Saone has an altogether more relaxed feel than the Rhone and it's not just down to the slower pace. The commercial traffic is mainly cruise ships and hotel boats, the bulk of the other large commercials terminating in Lyons. The locks are smaller and no longer part of the nuclear power generation system; not necessarily easier to negotiate mind you as there are no longer floating bollards.

The river winds through mainly rural scenery and small towns and villages whilst cattle take advantage of the low banks to wade into the shallows to cool off.

Most of our stops were the same as on our southern journey but they were all worth a second look.

Some more pics added......