Womens_Health_Australia_December_2016

Tournon and Tain-

l’Hermitage, which stare

each other down on

either side of the river

bank. They’re home to

world-famous vineyards

as well as a 10th-century

castle that towers over

Tournon.Itaketheday’s

active option: a hike

through the steepest (and

most spectacular)

vineyards on the river –

I’m exhausted just looking

abovemeattheterracing.

My hike is along a winding

path through lush vines,

but the view (and the

vino!) at the top is

worthit.Oh,and

Tain -l ’ H e rmitage is also

home to the famous

Valrhona chocolate

factory. Feeling smug

aboutallmysteps,Istop

there, and grab chocolate-

covered nuts and 85 per

cent cocoa bars.

RIVER RIDES

Set where the Rhône and

Saôneriverscollide,our

gravity, jammed together,

lookinglikeafilmsetfora

quirky indie romance.

With a history stretching

back1600+years,theold

town is a charming mix of

Roman and medieval

influences.Hiketothetop

for St Vincent’s Cathedral

–namedforthepatron

saint of winemakers.

Enough said, yeah? After

exploring, I head down

foragameofPétanque

–it’sabitlikelawnbowls.

You don’t burn stacks of

kilojoules, but the laughs

giveyourabsaworkout.

The next day I wake up

in the twin cities of

next port, Lyon, is a real

stunner. With bike lanes

stretching across the flat

city, exploring on two

wheels is your best bet.

Isignupforatour,but

Vélo’v offers self-service

bike rental around the

city–4000bikesacross

348 stations!

Lyon is a culinary capital

and the streets abound in

fromageries, patisseries

and bouchons – simple

bistros serving hearty

fare. And with all my

cyclingit’sonlysensible

toindulgeinapastry.

My last days pass in

a happy pinot-tinted

jaunt through Burgundy,

before I return to Lyon for

the trip home. Wandering

the streets, I stumble

across an open-air

market with fresh fruits,

vegies, baked goods and

cheese for days. I’ve truly

sailed, hiked, kayaked

and cycled to my happy

place, without a single

greasy hors d’oeuvre

along the way.WH

a 2000-year-old UNESCO

World Heritage-Listed

Romanaqueductnestled

in a spectacular valley.

The best way to see it

is to kayak underneath, so

Ioptforapeacefulpaddle

down the Gardon River

(whichalsohasafewsets

of rapids – nice). Floating

under this tri-level bridge

is tres special. Later, back

onboard,Ieasemyarm

acheswithamassageat

the Serenity River Spa. It

offers everything from

a honey body beauty

treatment that cleanses

thebodyoftoxinsand

booststheskinwith

vitamins C, B1 and B2,

to hot stone treatments,

usingwater-heatedBasalt

stones. This is living.

VINE TIME

Docked in Viviers on day

four,Istartthemorning

with yoga on the top deck.

Doingtreeposeswhile

floating on the Rhône

(andnottopplingover!)is

like boarding a boat to

zentown.Viviersisseton

ahillbytheriver;thetiny

houses seem to defy

Nordic tips

Keep your

shoulders relaxed

and down, and

take longer-than-

normal strides

Adjust it

Notsurehowto

setupfora

comfy ride? Line

up the seat and

handlebars to hip

height. Easy!

62 womenshealth.com.au DECEMBER 2016

Best Body travel

ENGLAND WAS A GUEST OF UNIWORLD ON THEIR EIGHT-DAY BURGUNDY AND PROVENCE ALL-INCLUSIVE RIVER CRUISE. FOR MORE INFO, SEE UNIWORLD.COM. PHOTOGRAPHY: ANTHEA ENGLAND; GETTY IMAGES

DE VINE

HIKE

ANTHEA’S

HERE

SOMEWHERE