Lyon & Provence - Avignon

Day 3 - Thursday 17 August - Avignon 

When we woke we were moored again at Avignon. The city is surrounded by a serious wall, with battlements and regular forts along it. The included excursion ‘Avignon Walk and Pope’s Palace’ set off at 09:00 but we didn’t join it. We’d done it in 2015 and Joan didn’t want to trudge again through the crowds packed in the palace which would be very stuffy in the current temperature. Instead we had a lazy breakfast during which Joan got a text that her bag had arrived, but reception said it hadn’t arrived.

We decided to explore Avignon ourselves, but tried, without success, the two cruise boats moored next to ours in case Joan’s bag had gone to the wrong ship. 

The marble pavements in Avignon, polished by generations of feet, were very slippery. After viewing the outside of the Pope’s palace, glad we were not in the crowds queuing for entry, we returned to the boat.

At 14:00 we joined the coach going on the optional excursion ‘Chateauneuf du Pape Wine Tasting’. For 70 years in the 14thC Avignon had been the home of the papacy and seven Popes had ruled there. 

They built a chateau (now a ruin, above) among vineyards on a hill to escape the summer heat of Avignon. That new chateau now gives its name to the wine of the surrounding area, which is made of a blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre but 18 or 13 (sources differ) are be allowed. 

Millennia ago the region used to be the Rhone river bed and the soil comprises large smooth river-bed stones. These take in the day’s heat and release warmth during the night, adding to the richness of the wine. 

Chateauneuf du Pape wines, in bottles embossed with Papal keys, are expensive which explained to us the high cost of the optional tour. We were taken to the ruins on the new Chateau, surrounded by vineyards and had a short time to take photos, before being bussed down to the village below. 

We were led from the coach to Chateauneuf du Pape village centre and given just over 20 minutes ‘free time’. The blurb for this says this is where we’d  ‘meet the vintners whose families have lovingly cultivated these vineyards for generations. They invite you to browse their winery cellars and learn the delicate blending process behind their extraordinary wine. Toast your experience by sampling the distinctive bouquet and finish of these very special wines in the place of their birth'. There was not enough time to ‘meet vintners’, ‘browse winery cellars’ ‘learn the delicate blending process’ and sample their wines. I didn’t see any vintners, let alone receive any invitations. The description was highly misleading.

Then we were bussed to Alain Jaume & Fils winery where we were shown their cellars before going for a tasting. Only three wines were presented, one not exported white and one red Chateauneuf du Pape wine. The third wine was a €10.20 rosé from Tavel. The hostess seemed keener to encourage wine shipments to the USA than to tell us about the wines.

Then back to the boat. I felt we were overcharged at £154 for a couple and that while two Chateauneuf du Pape wines might technically be a Chateauneuf du Pape Wine Tasting, it wasn’t in the spirit. Alain Jaume makes four different red Chateauneuf du Pape wines. Not recommended.

When we got back Joan’s bag was in our room. The boat left at 18:30 heading up-river to Viviers.