2019-10-01_Australian_Womens_Weekly_NZ

158 The Australian Women’s Weekly|OCTOBER 2019

extremelywittycruisedirectorJean-

Loupgives“porttalks”– rundowns

ofthenextday’sactivitiesand

housekeepingmatters.TheFrenchman

hasbeenwiththecompanyfor 41

yearsandis a firmfavouritewith

passengers.Eachyearforthepast 18

yearstwocouples– onefromAustralia

andonefromtheUS– havebooked

cruiseswithJean-Louponboard.The

Australianshaveeveninvitedhimto

comeandstaywiththemin January.

I hangontohiseverywordandjoke

tomyfriendsthatheis theonlymanin

theworldwhocantellmewhattodo.

Thatnightwegoona “ghosttour”

ofViviers.Guideswearingmedieval

costumesmeetusat theendofthe

gangplankandwewanderuptothe

town.OurguidePierrecracksjoke

afterjokeandhasusin stitches.

Suddenly,anactordressedasNoel

Albert,a 16th-centurymerchant,leaps

outandregalesuswithspeechesabout

thetown’srichhistory.Weareboth

bemusedandamused.

Aswejoinpassengersfromother

shipswalkingtoa hilltopcathedral,

weseelocalsenjoyingthebalmy

evening,sharinga mealat a longtable

onthenarrowcobbledstreet.If I were

them,I wouldbewellandtrulysickof

tourists,butI reasonthathavingusin

townhelpspaytorestoresomeofthe

centuries-oldbuildingsin thevillage

thatwouldotherwisebelefttoruin.

Later,wesailforTain-l’Hermitage,

wherein themorninga groupofus

travels to Gorges du Doux. We’re here

torailbike,pedalling350kgvehicles

downhill.Despitegravity,it still

requiressomeeffortandweworkup

quiteanappetite,greedilydevouring

succulentapricotsfroma roadside

vendorneartheendofthetrack.

Buzzingfromexcitementafterour

exertion,wehearabouttheall-you-

can-eatexcursionotherpassengers

enjoyedat theValrhonachocolate

factory.Theshipsetssailat lunchtime

andwerelishsomemuch-needed

downtimein oursuites.Thatnight

it’sa galadinnerasweberthin Lyon,

France’sculinarycapital.

Onthelastfulldayofthecruise,

I takea foodietourwithguideMaud.

She’spassionateaboutherhomecity

anddeclaresLyon“hasallthequality

ofParis,butwithouttheinconvenience

andnottoomanypeople”.Sheleads

usthroughthetraboules– laneways

hiddenbydoorsthatconnectvarious

streets.Wegorgeourselvesoncheese,

porkandpraline,allwithwine,then

wanderthroughthestreets.Being

furthernorth,Lyonfeelsdifferentto

ArlesandI appreciatehowwonderful

it is toexplorethispartofFrancein

sucha relaxedway.

Thatnightwesaygoodbyetonew

friendsovera decadentwine-matching

dinner,beforepackingupandbidding

farewelltoourfloatinghome.It’s

au revoir much too soon.AW W

PennyLewistravelledasa guestofAvalon

WaterwaysandAirTahitiNui.Goto

avalonwaterways.co.nz, airtahitinui.com.

LEFT:Penny

enjoysanAperol

spritzinArles.

RIGHT:Historic

buildingsin

Viviers,the

sceneofthe

guided“ghost

tour”.BELOW:

Designedby

FrankGehry,the

newLumaArles

culturalcentre

bringsa very

futuristicfeel

to the old city.

Travel

Arlesis welcominga newartistic

giant 130 yearsonfromvanGogh’s

deathand 1930 yearsafterthe

Romansbuilttheamphitheatrethat

stillstandsatthecentreoftown.

Designedbyrenownedarchitect

FrankGehry,thesculptural,twisted

aluminium-cladtoweris settoopen

nextyear.It’sthecrowningglory

ofthenewLumaArlesartscentre

fundedbypharmaceuticalheiress

Maja Hoffmann.

THEARTOF

THE CITY

PHOTOGRAPHY BY GETTY IMAGES, ALAMY AND ALEXIA SANTAMARIA.