A river cruise in Southern France

Do you feel like a little travel adventure? Well, then you are at the right place. Grab yourself a coffee, lemonade or maybe a French wine and start reading. This will be a looooong post… As I have mentioned previously I was asked to follow a river cruise in Southern France and take pictures of the sights, towns and people on the cruise for marketing and documenting reasons. Overall I took more than 6,000 photos, reduced it to some 2,000 photos. While I was able to join all activities the guest were engaging in, I didn’t get to enjoy them as fully – working and listening is hard. So I only picked up on some of the information the guides told us.

My plan for this post is to sort through some of the images and add some information and research a bit more so I can get a better picture of where I have been. And I figured it may be also interesting for you to read. If not, feel free to skip ahead.

Disclaimer: Costs for this trip were covered by my client Uniworld. This blog post however is purely for my personal documentation and has not been influenced by Uniworld.

Day 1 – Traveling to Arles, France

To make my journey to France a bit more comfortable I stayed at my parents over night. I had to get up around five since I wanted to catch the train around six going to the airport. I had planned for a lot of buffer – thank god – because two trains were canceled. That put some stress on me. But I made it. Thanks to my dad I had booked a time slot for the security check and I was in and out in less than 10 minutes. After that I looked for some decent coffee but only pizza and chicken wing places were open in the food court. WhenI decided it is time to head to the gate I realized behind the escalator to the food court was a nice coffee shop from a local roastery. I decided to splurge and got myself another coffee which was so much better. So if you ever happen to end up in the BER airport try to locate the “Berliner Kaffeeröster” at Terminal 1 on the main floor.

My first flight was to Zurich where I had a 50 minutes layover. My plan was to get some lunch there before boarding my flight to Marseille. Well, we ended up circling the airport for 30 minutes which left me run through the airport to catch my flight. Only to then sit in the plane because take-off was delayed. Not a fan. When I finally arrived in Marseille I was late, my suitcase took forever to arrive and I was starving. I was done with the day already. The airport was very small and when I excited the pick up driver was right there and we never passed any store for food or drink. The drive to Arles – where the ship was – took about an hour. I started to develop a headache wondering where I could get something to drink. Luckily the driver asked if he should stop at the gas station. When I wanted to leave and get myself a drink and a snack he said he would take care of it. Which was nice but unfortunately he came back with a tiny bottle of water. Well, better than nothing.

When I arrived at the docking of the ship around 4pm and was welcomed by a sailor who took my luggage and escorted me on board. I was surprised: it looked like a fancy hotel reception. Not sure what I expected since I never have been on any cruise ship but I was surprised. Also when they took my picture for security reasons.

Docking station of S.S. Catherine at Lyon

Anyhow, I was brought to my cabin – called a stateroom. Not sure if that was specific for that vessel or if that is the correct term on a ship. Anyway, it was all very fancy. I quickly took a couple photos and videos before I unpacked. After that I set out to explore the ship and get familiar with all areas and ways to get from and to each place as I knew I was going to need it once I started the job.

I ran into my childhood friend during my explorations and we quickly caught up. First order of business was at 6 pm at the lounge for the safety briefing followed by the reveal where the guest of the mystery cruise were heading. I planned on sitting and observing that part to understand what was happening. But my friend asked if I would already take pictures of it. So I ran back to my room to get the camera and off I went into busy mode.

The lounge was tough for me to take photos in. It was very dark, light from above with tiny spots and everywhere else bright windows to the outside. Some were covered some not. It was impossible to take any good pictures. I felt at a loss and overwhelmed. But I clicked away.

After that we had dinner. And dinners were amazing throughout the week. I will share more on that at the end. Anyhow, during dinners – and all other meals – I usually had time to catch up with my friend, got to know other crew members as our table was always occupied with different people. Sometimes the captains, sometimes the kitchen chef, sometimes hotel manager or other managers. I loved that, as I got a sneak peek behind how such an operation is run.

I went to my room rather quickly as I was very tired and I also wanted to download all images and start editing. Which was a good thing because I saw what worked and what didn’t and I felt a bit more relaxed for the coming evenings.

View of Arles taken from ship.

But you are here for the sights and the things France has to offer.

Day 2 – Exploring Arles and setting Sail

After breakfast – which was available daily between 7.30-9.00am – we met shoreside to explore Arles in a walking tour. If it had been a trip I planned myself I would have know at least a bit about Arles. I didn’t and so I learned that apparently the Romans shaped the city. There is a huge replica of the colosseum in the city. It seated 25,000 people. There are many other Roman ruins and a lot of them are under protection of the UNESCO World Heritage. During the Middle Ages the entire city was build within the amphitheater the arcades forming the city wall. In the 19th century houses were removed and now it hosts the famous bullfights.

Street impressions of Arles.

And there – as in so many other cities in France – is of course an important cathedral. I tried to get a look inside whenever there was a chance but I have to admit I rarely remember because there was just not much time for me. I did have a look into this one. It was rather dark but I found the display of relics rather interesting. And the portal was very fascinating. The very detailed tympanum shows Christ as the judge of the world, surrounded by the symbols of the four evangelists.

Overlooking Arles

I also learned that Vincent Van Gogh was living in Arles in 1988/89 in a yellow house right next to the cities restaurant on one side and the whorehouse on the other side. Van Gogh – as so many others – was not opposed to using drugs and it is said that in one delirious night he was gazing over the river Rhone and painted his first starry night. Overall 300 paintings were made by him during his time in Arles. And apparently the ear cutting incident also happened in Arles. Amazing, how. did I not know this?

Spotting a local.

For lunch we were back at the boat. It was very hot that day and I had some hard time acclimating to the temperatures. The afternoon was a Van Gogh inspired workshop with painting and wine. I was taking images so I wasn’t really able to participate or really listening to the instructions of the artist but I put some paint on paper during those hours just to feel I was part of it.

Wine and painting – following in Van Gogh’s foot steps

At 4pm we sat sail to our new destination. I took some quick photos of us leaving Arles and at 6:45pm we met in the lounge again for the next reveal and cocktails. Followed by dinner.

After dinner there was a 70s night happening with lots of dancing and crazy outfits. Again I was working but sneaked in one or two dances. There was also a Photo Booth the guests used and my friend and I decided to take a picture every day too. Overall it was a wonderful day and I was so tired when falling in my bed.

Day 3 – Chartreuse visit, olive oil tasting and Avignon

I woke up this morning and when I opened my curtains I was looking at the sight of Avignon.

However first order of business was to cross the river and go to the other side to Chartreuse du Val de Bénédiction. If I understood that correctly the chartreuse was an order of Benedicts monks. They lived in silence in single cells that look like amazing little houses and rather luxurious. And they produced some sort of herbal liquor. Apparently the order and this particular abbey was very important as it was a counter to the rich city of Avignon. That also made it rather rich. One pope rose from this abbey – Pope Innocent IV who is buried in the chartreuse and the tomb can be visited. Scientist checked – he is still in there.

Chartreuse views – right hand side is the courtyard of the cell. Each cell had its own.

Today the ruins of the abbey are used for cultural events. And you can even stay in the monks cell. It is open to artists, poets and musicians to go there on a retreat to do their work and find creativity. I think you can apply for it but not book it. So it is a very special thing if you get in.

Left: graveyard court of chartreuse now stage for happenings | Right: roof of chapel

After that we walked a view minutes down too. Maison Bronzini where we had an olive oil tasting. I only managed to taste three of the four oils in the tasting. It is really interesting that you can actually taste the difference. They also served baguette and some tapenade and olive paste to eat. I did enjoy a few bites in between the picture taking.

Tapenade – very flavorful and tasty

After that we went back to the boat for lunch. The afternoon we explored the city of Avignon with another walking tour. Unfortunately, it was the hottest day (38°C/100°F) and I really struggled. I had no energy to listen to the lady, just managed to get the pictures taken. The city was getting ready for Bastille Day on July 14 so it was lots of people and flags and decorations.

View of Popes Palace (left) and the plaza taken from forecourt of the cathedral

Avignon is important and I am sure you all heard of it. But why? Between 1309 and 1377 it was home to the popes and was under papal control until the French Revolution. And again we find UNESCO World heritage sights here with the Popes Palace, the cathedral and the famous Pont the Avignon. Before you enter Avignon you have to pass through the city wall – which is completely intact. And even saves the city today from high water of the Rhone. Inside the city walls are a lot of the old houses and streets and plazas to roam through.

While we visited there was also the famous “Festival d’Avignon” taking place. It is a time where for a period of time theatre groups and performers come to the city showing their art. Every day they invite visitors to their plays and give little teaser performances prior on the streets. I think the guide said there are 600 groups in the city and around 1000 performances per day. It felt a bit like one of the episodes from Gilmore Girls where all the troubadours are in the city. Do you know which one I mean?

Cathedral of Avignon taken from top of the hill where the botanical gardens are.

After the walking tour was done we had some free time. Most went back to the ship as it was really really hot. I decided to climb up to the cathedral because – as you know I have a thing for sacral buildings – and also because from up there you supposedly had the best shot of the city.

It took me forever. It was so hot and humid. But I made it and was rewarded with an amazing view indeed. I even went up a bit higher where the gardens were. I wished I had time to sit at the little café by the pond but I had to get back to the ship and I knew it will take me some time. And I also new if I overdo it I will get a migraine. So I was doing the adult thing, went back and took a shower, followed by a 30 min much need nap. Before we met in the lounge again for the days adventures.

Look from Botanical gardens onto Rhone river were the Point d’avignon is and the Chartreuse in the background on the hill

Dinner today however was not on the ship but at the Popes Palace. Exactly the UNESCO site was booked for us to have dinner. It was really fun. After I took a few images I decided to enjoy and leave the camera be. I was able to talk to some of the guests and also to my friend.

After dinner was done we stayed in the city with some of the younger guests and had a couple of beers. We had be back on board by 1:00am for departure and we were cutting it close. So close.

Day 4 – Viviers and a day in the country

I was planning to get up a bit earlier to catch the docking of the ship at the new port which was scheduled at 8.30 am. When I was in the shower by around 7am I felt like the ship stopped and maneuvered. Well, I hurried and ran up to the deck with my camera just to see that the crew successfully managed to dock and was done working. So the captains and I went to breakfast and me with no images so far.

Village of Vivier

After breakfast we were supposed to hop on a bus but that one was delayed. Luckily for us, as we went to a spontaneous little walk into the picturesque village of Viviers. I loved it. It might have been my favorite on this trip. I wished there was more time to explore and wander the alleys. It was a bit sleepy but the local stores had so much charm.

When we got back the busses were there and we opted on to drive into the country. The drive was some 45 minutes and I dozed off a bit and also looked out the window. We passed the famous lavender fields. It was planned to stop so we can do a bit of a photo tour but every farmer had been busy and they were all in the midst of harvesting and nearly done. So hardly and lavender to see and if only tiny stretches. It was still beautiful.

Street impressions of Vivier

We arrived at another picturesque village with the name Grignan. Famous for its castle on top of the rocky cliff and a collegiate church. And for Madame de Sévigné – a letter writing aristocrat and an icons of French 17th-century literature. Most famous her correspondence with her daughter who lived at the castle in Grignan with a total of 764 letters. After the short walking tour in this village I asked the guide the way up to the church and its happened that one other guy was interested so we got a private little tour, an amazing view from the castle of the lavender fields and country.

Castle of Grignan and collegiate church (right hand side)

Before we went on the walking tour there was a tiny stretch of lavender field still in bloom and everyone jumped in to take the pictures. It was a bit surreal as it really was just a few rows and a motorway just behind. So not really that romantic but I managed to take some good images so that it looks like there is nothing but nature around. But don’t be fooled just behind is the car park.

We had lunch in a fancy restaurant “Le Bistro de Chapouton” that just received some recommendations by Michelin. The food was amazing. I enjoyed it accompanied with some nice chats with guests and a few interruptions to take some pictures. It was nice sitting on the covered patio in a light breeze. The restaurants gardens were also so very beautiful. If you want to treat yourself you should stop there and enjoy.

The next activity was visiting a truffle farm. We took a scenic route up into the mountains along old gnarled oaks peppered with dots of lavender, blooming oleander bushes and olive trees. It was really beautiful. Once we arrived at the farm we learned about the truffle business and mystery of truffles growing under the oak trees. It was a family business and on good days they harvest six kilograms of truffle. Back in the day the truffles were hunted by pigs. Today they use dogs for that. We got to watch them do their job for a bit but it was so hot that the dogs needed to get back to the shade. And so did we.

Inside we were treated with a truffle tasting. Truffle on baguette with a drop of olive oil. White and brown truffles. I personally couldn’t taste the difference or see it. But I tell you eating raw truffle like that is the best. I don’t think I ever had so much truffle in my life or will ever again. Everyone was still full from lunch and couldn’t eat much. I stuffed my face and ate way more than was reasonable but man it was good.

Truffle slices on baguette drizzled with olive oil

After that we went back home in a longer bus drive. Many people dozed off and so did I again while also watching the country side go by and looking a bit through todays images. Once we were back on board it didn’t take too long for us to set sail.

After dinner it was game night with a Truly Wed game which was very entertaining and everyone had a really good laugh.

Cruising impressions – approaching a one of the many locks

I spend part of the evening up at the captain’s cab watching a storm approach. It was really amazing and suddenly we had bursts of wind sweeping across the sun deck. So much so that the furniture was one moment at the bow and seconds later they all tumbled in the back. It was impressive and a bit scary. I am glad I sat in the cab. It really opened my eyes how easy it is to be swept overboard. It must have sounded so scary under deck because my friend and the crew manager hustled up thinking we were stuck under a bridge. With that excitement I went to the lounge. Had a drink or two before heading to my room.

Day 5 – Train Ride and River Cruising

I was looking forward to this day. It promised to be bit more chill and relaxing for me as we didn’t move around as much. And in figuring so I decided to wear my new white pants. Spoiler alert it was the worst possible choice.

After breakfast we took the busses to go to an old train station. The plan was to ride the trains up a gorgeous landscape along side a gorge – Gorges du Doux. On the way back of the ride there would be a wine tasting. When we got to the station we had some time before departure so I walked the length the train to go to the front and see the locomotive. I was a bit sad that we were the only wagons with a roof and windows as this would make photographing a bit more difficult. But being the last wagons I knew I was going to the see the entire length of the train too. So I was ok.

Steam locomotive pulling museum train through country

The train today is only operating as a museum train. It was build in 1891and was originally 33 km long. Today it is 4 km shorter. One ride from end to end would take 2 hours. We only went for a shorter ride and turnaround midway. There was a turntable that moved the locomotive 180°.

Left: Steam locomotive | Right: ancient aquaduct

And that is when I realized closed of wagons were actually a blessing because now we were the first wagons in the train and let me tell you – we all can be so freaking glad that there is no more steam locomotives in the world. They are messy. They are stinky. They leave no air to breath.

Little mountain station along the way

We went through a few tunnels one being almost 265 m long. We also-ran along side an aqueduct for most of the ride. Below the river Doux.

When we left the train I realized I had my entire left leg covered in grease of the train. Why would I ever think I wouldn’t hang out of the train windows and over railings for the best photo. So when we came back to the ship for lunch first order as to get the stain removed. Well, handed it to the laundry service because I could and obviously I hadn’t had any thing with me. Luckily they managed to remove almost all of it.

Lunch was relaxed and the next item on the itinerary was to be on the sun deck at 3pm for a surprise. Easy. Not sure how I spend the hours till then but I think it was a long lunch, followed by some down time in my cabin maybe a bit of image editing or a nap.

I went to the sundeck a bit earlier and snapped some photos of guest chilling in the sun and then at 3pm a marching band entertained us. They left the ship after about 30 minutes and then we sat sail while the band played “oh when the saints go marching in” while standing on the bridge we passed. It w as a nice farewell.

The whole afternoon we sailed alongside vineyards, old castles and just a beautiful landscape. And I enjoyed myself by not taking many pictures and talking to guests for the better part of the afternoon. It was really relaxing and nice. It may have been one of the best parts of the trip for me as it was probably the only real time I got to enjoy the cruise.

Impressions of the countryside along the river Rhone

Again we had a wonderful delicious dinner and after that there was a Mardi Gras Party. I learned that Mardi Gras originated in Nice and was “imported” to the States. We had live singer and DJ. Many of the older guest went to bed earlier so it ended up being a party the younger people and also a lot the. staff joined.However I took the liberty to go to bed rather early. I left the windows open and just lay in bed watching the landscape goby and enjoying the breeze.

When I woke up we were in…

Day 6 – City of Lyon and Macaron workshop

… Lyon. On Bastille Day July 14th.

Overlooking Lyon from basilica hill

We moored on in a secluded pier right next to Musée des Confluences in the modern part of the city with a wonderful view of the skyline. After another wonderful breakfast we set out to explore the city. Another UNESCO World heritage site.

I learned that the city of Lyon is divided in to parts. One side of the river Saône is old and build on a hillside, overlooked by the Basilica Notre Dame de Fourviere. The other side of the river is all modern with glass and steel and olympic buildings.

Model of Lyon with old and new town separated by River

We started on the hill with the Basilica and this gorgeous view of the town. I managed to snap a few images of the Basilica’s interior but missed the information.

Impressions of basilica

One thing Lyon is very famous for are the quarters of the poor. In 1529, there was an uprising of the poor in Lyon. As a consequence, the citizens of the city established a foundation for the poor. Those quarters have been rebuild during the renessaince and kept in shape after World War II when housing was spare. To this day those buildings are lived in. One major thing was that little courtyards were integrated for more light. While the houses only have a narrow part on the street they are deep. For that there are (secret) pathways through the courtyard that are shortcuts.

One reason for the striving resistance during WWII in Lyon where these building. The pathways were kept secret from the Nazis. Meetings could be set up and people came in from different streets because the courtyards were connected. This way the Nazis were never sure were the meetings were and who was attending. It is the first time I heard about that and I am sure I only caught a fraction of it. I need to research that further and maybe read a a book or two about it. (Recommendations fiction & non-fiction are welcomed.)

Left: quarter of the poor now housing museum of cinema | middle: streets of Lyon | right: inside one of the courtyards

In 1536, silk weaving began in Lyon, becoming a lucrative source of income for the city and growing industrially in the coming decades. And is still one of the things the city is known for. I managed to see silkworms outside of a shop. At first glance I thought it was a model but they were alive. The picture is not very pretty but in case you have never seen one. Here it is.

After the walking tour with the guides we went to the museum of cinema and miniatures. Here the guest went on a little scavenger hunt. I more or less meandered around and took a few pictures when I came around guests – it was so so dark. Besides that I just enjoyed the little minutes. The detail was amazing. It could be a really interesting museum of you are a movie nerd for sure. Again we only had about 30 minutes here.

Famous Lyon candied almonds and then ground up in a sort of Brioche – unfortunately didn’t have any

After that we had s stop at an organic ice cream parlor for a tasting. We were served some raspberry, lemon rosemary or basil, goat cheese scoops. I love the. the basil and goat cheese but didn’t care for the raspberry.

I really wanted to spend some more time in Lyon and I could have but I would have missed the beginning of the macaron workshop. And I was needed there. I decided I would not explore any more of Lyon but try to make it a weekend trip with the husband one of those days. I was pleasantly surprised by Lyon. I had no idea it was this picturesque and cute. So I took the bus back to the ship where we had lunch.

City houses of rich silk merchants along the river

Followed by the macaron workshop. It was more a demonstration by the pastry chef and three volunteers. They mainly had to whip the egg whites. Luckily for all of us the pastry chef had already prepared a tone of macaroons that morning and so we were able to sample them. I enjoyed the lemon ones most I think. But overall macarons are a bit too sweet for my taste.

At six pm we met in the lounge for the next days reveal – it was the only day it was not really a surprise anymore as the guides managed to slip multiply times where we would head tomorrow. After the reveal I went up on the deck to check where we would take the group photo that nigh.

I ended up standing on top of the captains cabin which could be adjusted in hight. The group picture was a nuisance. It was supposed to be done after dinner and before the big Tricolor party on the deck. I was up there at 8pm. It was dusk but still light enough. Just people didn’t show up. When it was finally done and almost dark the CEO popped up saying she wasn’t in the picture. It was so dark by then that it really was not possible. Oh well, not my fault.

I took a few more images when the party started but I realized I was really burnt out. It was just too much for me. I ended up sitting at the other side of the deck in the dark and just enjoying the breeze n my skin. My introverted side screamed for attention. I felt a bit guilty but I just didn’t feel being around people. No wonder after a week of being among so many people. So I ended up going to bed rather early while everyone else had a good time.

I downloaded the images and edited a bit and then was facing a whole new challenge. My laptop ran out of space and I was not able to do much. I kept deleting and back-up but everywhere I had trouble.

Day 7 – Market Day and Wine Tasting or Day on Board

Waking up I felt a bit sick and had a sore throughout. Not good. During breakfast I told my client that if we want to show some photos that night at the end of the cruise I really needed to skip the mornings activities to get that prepared.

The guests left for a farmers market visit and a shopping trip and it wasn’t such great photo opportunities anyways so it was okay. I ended up sitting in the lounge and working which was nice. All other days I could only work in my cabin as guests would have constantly wanting to see images. While I worked very concentrated I was really not making much progress. I was still in the stage of deleting images and sorting and not yet editing. I was stressed and overwhelmed.

So when people came back for lunch and I met my friend/client I told her I was staying in board for the afternoon as well if ok. She said it was fine as another wine tasting and castle viewing was planned but she said she can take a few images.

When they came back to ship I was just done and was able to take a few pictures of the returning.

After that we quickly wanted to throw the pictures in a powerpoint and be done with it. Well, quickly took us 4 hours. For some reason we our laptops didn’t communicate. We wanted to plug in my hard drive at my friends laptop so she could access the images but everything was blocked. I wasn’t able to do the ppt on my laptop as the needed function to add in all images with one click was not available on a Mac. So we needed to get the images to her laptop. Unfortunately since we were sailing at that point wi-fi was very slow. It was a pain. I hated every minute of it. We could not show the images before dinner when everyone was in the lounge. And I knew many people wouldn’t show up after dinner as they needed to pack. Some left at 3 am in the morning too. When we finally got it done. There was an issue with her laptop not being allowed in the entertainment system on board. Anyway, I think the photos were shown around 10pm when only a handful of people saw them.

Impressions of me working with a drink

To be perfectly honest I was not happy. I wanted to show my weeks work. Not so much to get positive feedback – even though that is always nice – but to get any feedback at all. To this day I have no idea if I did a good job or not. If my client is happy, if the guest feel like I captured the essence of the trip. It’s a bit like a black hole. I just wished it would have ended a bit more organized.

However, once that was all on the screen I decided to have a drink. Throughout the week I never really had any alcohol in fear of getting a migraine. But today I switched the non-alcoholic gin to the real stuff and just enjoyed the night. Some people played games but I didn’t feel like joining in. I just watched and when I realized I had a drink to much I went to the sundeck to get a grip and then came back and switched back to non-alcoholic. Around midnight I went to my cabin. I had to pack as I needed to be out of the cabin by 8am.

Day 8 – Enjoying the cruise life and traveling home

And just like that I woke up on my last day of river cruise in Southern France. It was departure day. I had a long breakfast. For the first time with guests and not the crew. I send of my friend/client on her way around 10 am. Then picked up my drinks and headed to the lounge with a bunch of guests.

I was debating if I should go into Lyon and stroll the city. But a) I was really exhausted, tired and it was hot and b) I didn’t feel like going alone for some reason and c) I already decided to come back to the city one day.

Street in Arles

So I just enjoyed the day on board. Lots of free drinks, lots of food, some nice conversation. One really enjoyable moment happened when a couple and I – the last ones board – sat there in silence each of us writing something. It is not often that you can be content in silence with people you hardly know. It was a bit of a magical moment.

Soon they left too and I was alone. My airport pick up was at 3 pm. So I went to the sundeck for a bit and read some pages. Then I slowly walked around and said my goodbye to the crew.

Street in Arles

I had a lot of time at the airport once I arrived. I just listened to an audio book, scrolling instagram and enjoying an ice cream. Unfortunately we were already delayed in Lyon and I knew Amsterdam transfer will be a pain. I already figured my suitcase wouldn’t make it. It didn’t. But I still waited at the baggage claim in Berlin for an hour while the husband was outside waiting for me. We had another 50 min drive ahead of us. When I finally arrived at home I was really tired. And I had to be in a meeting at 9 am too.

Edit: my suitcase arrived a couple days later and of course it was broken. So I had to handle all that in addition to finalizing the images and send them over to the client asap.

The French Cuisine

OK, I mentioned multiple times that food was amazing. Unfortunately I didn’t take images of the menu each night. That would have been handy. But I did take images of almost everything I ate during dinner.

The food of the trip was amazing all throughout. I think there was only one thing that was underwhelming (bottom right soup). Everything else was really really good. Some things really did make an impression. For one the cold cucumber soup (not pictured) during one lunch. I could have bathed in that. The frog legs were surprisingly amazing. (second row, third from left). Not sure I would order it but I would it again if I get the chance. The deserts were also great. I think the mouse au chocolate (third row, second from left) was my favorite on board. And the olive ice cream with candid olives at the popes palace was a revelation for sure (not pictured).

The ship – S.S. Catherine

Before I wrap up this post I will quickly talk about the ship itself. As I said it was my first cruise so I really had no idea about how the ship would look like. I knew its not as huge as those ocean liners obviously. I hoped so too.

But I was really surprised how spacious the whole things was. The entry hall with the staircase and reception area. And then in my cabin / stateroom too.

My stateroom – cabin onboard S.S. Catherine

There was small indoor pool at the stern with a lounge. That is the lounge the painting class was in. From there you could get outside and walk up two smaller stair cases to the sun deck. At the far end of the sundeck was a crew area. The rest was filled with loungers. Towards the bow of the deck there was captains cabin that was adjustable in height. That was necessary as many bridges were really low. When this was the case the sundeck was closed for the guests. There was a smaller seating area with tables at the very front of the bow.

Here a smaller staircase went down again and you passed the outside smokers lounge. From there you could enter the Van Gogh Lounge were most of the gatherings took place. Also a huge bar and the Photo Booth.

Underneath the lounge (ground level) was the restaurant. There was another downstairs level where – besides rooms – where also a laundry room, a coffee station and a fitness area. And also the kitchen (located underneath the restaurant).

So it is still a huge vessel when you look at all the things that were integrated.

Alright… I think this will be all about my adventures of the river cruise in southern France. It’s gotten a bit out of hand. I was thinking about splitting up the article but then I just want to have it all in one piece. I still hope you enjoyed following along.

Now, let me hear it: Have you been on a cruise? Have you seen any of the places I mentioned? Which one would you love to see?