L'Avenir - Cruising Europe's Inland Waterways

Lyon Port A Memorable Journey Upstream from Lyon 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.  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 bac...

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 o...

Arriving in Lyon Decision made. We leave Lyon tomorrow morning. Stay tuned for the direction. In the meantime a few photos from this great city. Place de Bellecour, Lyon La Vaporetto View over Old Lyon from the Basillica Notre Dame de Fourviere Confluence Port. Our home in Lyon The Weight of Oneself by Michael Elmgreen & Ingar Dragset Fountain Bartholdi - Place des Terreaux, Lyon From the restaurant at Basilica Notre Dame de Fourviere Jousting contest in the port, Lyon Our internet connection isn't the best so will edit this post when I can.