South of France with Avalon.... (June '14) - We've arrived!!

Hi everyone -

I said I would try to post as we went along... So here we go!!!

We start in Nice, so decided to come in a couple of days early. It is nice in Nice... :D

We arrived without incident in spite of the air traffic controller's strike. Our hotel (Hotel Excelsior Nice) is close to the train station so we took bus 99 from the airport (6 euros). The buses are easy to find at the airport - follow the signs and buy your ticket at the kiosk.

We walked to Vieux Nice for dinner - about a 15 to 20 min walk from our hotel. Prices are high everywhere, so there really aren't any bargains to be had.

The next day, my friend was up early and went to find a bakery... Fresh croissants and brioches delivered to our room!!!! We walked back down to Vieux Nice to the market and bought food for a picnic.... Bread, cheese, meat, pate, olives, fruit and a bottle of wine. We took our meal up to the Château where we set the meal out on a stone wall and ate on a park bench.... Beautiful weather. Spectacular views. There is an elevator up to the Châteaux area and it is free.

Later in the afternoon, we took the bus to Vence and walked around the old town area.

The bus service in Nice is great. We bought a 1day pass for 5 euros which allows you to use the bus and tram in the city and surrounding area. A one way ride is 1.5 euros so the pass worked well for us.

Think this is a good start.... Don't want to make the posts too long (I do want people to read them....)

Fran

Glad that you made it, Fran. Will look forward to "following along". Have fun and enjoy your trip.

So glad everything worked out. Can't wait to read all of your reports. French wine and French cheese is the best. What else do you need, maybe some french bread. That is it, and life is complete.:) Say hello to the others when you meet up.:)

Great that you made it Fran without any problems.

We have been having a fantastic time, had the 1st night in Nice and now a week in Menton, off to Monaco tomorrow for the start of our Avalon experience.

Scenery along the Riviera is absolutely gorgeous isnt it.

We bought baguettes, meat, cheese and wine like you at the market and had a picnic at a park on the promenade here in Menton, lovely way to pass a few hours!

Trains and buses are so easy , we have been to Cannes, Villefranche, Eze and Beaulieu as well.

Fantastic weather so far, Deb

Thanks for posting; this itinerary is in my future :)

So glad to hear you made it without any problems. Oh...I could go for a good French baguette, cheese, & rabbit pate'...and, of course, a glass of wine! Have fun. Keep us posted when you can.

Hi everyone - so sorry for the lag in posting, but have been quite busy... And the internet hasn't always been available... Will try to catch up a bit.

Second day in Nice dawned bright and sunny. There was an Ironman in Nice so the Promenade D'Anglais was closed. We decided to take the bus to Èze and it is a beautiful city. It poured rain just after we got there so we took shelter under an umbrella at a restaurant partway up the hill. A very sweet woman came up to to take our orders. We just ordered coffee and croissants... And she asked if we minded waiting as she would bake the croissants fresh for us. So, 15 minutes later we had our coffee and warm croissants delivered. What a wonderful treat. The rain had stopped by then, so we continued up to the Jardin Exotique at the top of the hill. We debated on not paying the 6 euros to enter but figured we may not ever get back, so did go on up.... What a wondrful view from the top... So glad we went.

We took the bus back to Nice And again it started to rain, so took shelter in a restaurant in Vieux Nice....and, again we ate. We did some walking and shopping before going back to our hotel. It rained again for a third time that day - just in time for dinner... Went back to a family-run restaurant for dinner as it was close to our hotel. A long day, lots of walking....

We got up early and went to the Flea Market on Monday morning.... It was more an Antique market than a traditional Flea Market but a fun way to kill a couple of hours. We checked out of our hotel before noon and walked up to the train station. The trains to Monaco run every 30 minutes... EXCEPT over lunch so we ended up waiting almost 45 minutes for the train. It was VERY crowded so we ended up standing the entire way.... Thank heavens it is short trip. When we arrived in Monaco, we asked a young woman in the tourist office about the best way to get to the Fairmont. If we took the bus, we would have stairs. She could call us a cab - or we could walk. We opted to walk as it was all downhill (figured I could always get on my suitcase and ride it downhill):D . While we were there (in the tourist office) we did get our passports stamped.... The Monaco stamp is quite ornate. The walk was quite manageable - although we were quite hot and sweaty when we arrived. Someone at the hotel asked why we didn't call them and ask them to send the shuttle.... I pointed out that I would have if their website indicated they had one!!!!!

We could not get into our room for over an hour, so we went to McDonald's for lunch, and to use their free WiFi. Good thing we did, as the internet in the hotel is 20 euros for 24 hours... Felt that was a bit steep so no further e- mail until after we got on the boat.

We did go swimming that afternoon (beautiful roof top pool) and then dinner at a restaurant called Mozza. Not inexpensive, but more reasonable than most in Monaco....

Monaco is a beautiful city....

Fran

Monaco is beautiful.... But not particularly impressed with the Fairmont, I must say.

I did not sleep well.... The bed was not nearly as comfortable as our bed in Nice. With the prices they charge, WiFi should be included ..... At least I could have sat up and done some emails. The TV stations were all news related, so didn't feel like sitting up and watching TV. The buffet breakfast was nice, but it wasn't the usual one offered by the Fairmont - it was put on for us (Avalon guests) so not sure how good or bad the one is that the regular guests get.

We had to have our luggage out by 10 am (early check out so the Avalon people arriving could have our rooms....) So we walked into the center of Monaco.... Just a beautiful city. Just one word of warning - we didn't find the streets particularly well marked, so we stopped often to get our bearings. We did make one wrong turn (although that may have been my map reading....) But it did result in a beautiful view from up the hill by the palace.

We picked up some sandwiches at a take-out window down by the marina and ate them sitting on a wall overlooking the yacht basin. We had to be back for a 1:30 departure from the hotel.

Think I will end here now and pick up later with the cruise... I will say, however, we are in our 3rd day, and I am very impressed with the product that Avalon offers....

Fran

Fran, thanks for your updates and I hope you are having a great cruise! Your posts from the south of France brought back great memories of our land vacation last year. Happy travels and I look forward to hearing more from your adventures!

Jerry

We got up early and went to the Flea Market on Monday morning.... It was more an Antique market than a traditional Flea Market but a fun way to kill a couple of hours. We checked out of our hotel before noon and walked up to the train station. The trains to Monaco run every 30 minutes... EXCEPT over lunch so we ended up waiting almost 45 minutes for the train. It was VERY crowded so we ended up standing the entire way.... Thank heavens it is short trip. When we arrived in Monaco, we asked a young woman in the tourist office about the best way to get to the Fairmont. If we took the bus, we would have stairs. She could call us a cab - or we could walk. We opted to walk as it was all downhill (figured I could always get on my suitcase and ride it downhill):D . While we were there (in the tourist office) we did get our passports stamped.... The Monaco stamp is quite ornate. The walk was quite manageable - although we were quite hot and sweaty when we arrived. Someone at the hotel asked why we didn't call them and ask them to send the shuttle.... I pointed out that I would have if their website indicated they had one!!!!!

 

We could not get into our room for over an hour, so we went to McDonald's for lunch, and to use their free WiFi. Good thing we did, as the internet in the hotel is 20 euros for 24 hours... Felt that was a bit steep so no further e- mail until after we got on the boat.

 

We did go swimming that afternoon (beautiful roof top pool) and then dinner at a restaurant called Mozza. Not inexpensive, but more reasonable than most in Monaco....

 

Monaco is a beautiful city....

 

Fran

Fran, I know it is too late now but if you join the Fairmont Presidents Club (free) you get free WiFi. We used it all around Canada last year. It's a pity Avalon didn't tell you about it.

So pleased you are having such a wonderful time.

Hi all - sorry for the delay. Have been quite busy.

Tuesday am, we boarded the buses and headed towards Arles. Jerome, our cruise director, had identified which bus we were for take to Arles. They left in 15 minute intervals.

The bus ride took about 4 hours.... including a washroom stop mid way. Our guide on the bus was chatty enough in that he provided some great information - but not so chatty that he was annoying.

When we arrived to the area where the Scenery is docked, we were welcomed with a drink, and asked to wait in the lounge. Check in was quick and smooth.

We are in Aquarium class - Cabin 104. The room is quite spacious - lots of shelf space. The washroom actually has a cupboard, so we can store our toothbrushes, toothpaste etc in there and out of sight. The sink is quite large, the shower not particularly so, but is adequate. One thing to note - there is NO clothesline in the shower. Towels are not large, but they are changed daily if desired. Also, no hangers with clips for pants/skirts. Wasn't sure if it was just our cabin , but checked with our friends, and they do not have them either. There is an alarm clock in the room.

There are 2 bottles of water in the room - replenished as needed. The TV is not large, but there is a great selection of movies available to watch if you wish. There is a fireplace channel, and the fireplace is "on" when we come back to our cabin after dinner.... With a little classical music in the background.

The coffee machine is in the lounge at the back of the boat - top deck. There is also juice and ice tea there, as well as cookies and/or muffins or doughnuts.

WiFi is free and has been pretty good. There are 2 desk top computers available and they aren't used very much, so are usually available. I did find that I had some trouble connecting to the WiFi on the first day with my phone (not my tablet) but it was because we were rafted with a Tauck boat, and my phone was picking up their signal!!!

Will be off - need to get ready for dinner. Will try to post again later.

Fran

Hello franski,

Thank you for posting. I have been to the area and love the Pont du Gard. I hope you get to see it.

Have a great cruise.

notamermaid

The day we boarded the boat (Tuesday) was Canada Day, and the crew had decorated the dining room with red + white balloons, and small Canadian flags. Just before dessert, they played the Canadian national anthem. What a lovely surprise. The Canadians stood and sang, and there were many non-Canadians who stood out of respect. A great start to the cruise.

The next day we did the included walking tour of Arles. Wednesday is also market day so we walked much of the market after the excursion was finished. Bought tapenade, sausage, bread, olives for a picnic on the top deck. We returned to the city after lunch (we wanted to see inside the cathedral) and I found a lovely material store where I purchased some materials to include in a quilt. On the way back to the boat, we stopped at the Monoprix (across the square from the boat) and bought 2 bottles of wine for the picnic!!! I tend to buy by name as I am NOT at all knowledgeable about wines. The Casanova rosé was rather poor, but the other one was OK.

We had connected with East Coast Harley Girl (Rachel) and her husband and we ate with them and another couple (mother and daughter) that evening. Daniel was our waiter and he is amazing so decided that 1st night to stick with his zone.

Fran

Have a great cruise...

Hi all -

Sorry for the lag in posting, but the cruise was quite busy - and then couldn't get on when we got to Paris. So - arrived home yesterday, and figured I would continue on with the blog.

Our 2nd stop on the river was Avignon. We took the optional to the Pont du Gard - and were so glad we did.

We thought we would send the men to the Pont du Gard so that we (my friend and I) could see the Pope's Palace... but a great surprise awaited us. Anyone who took the optional trip to see the Pont du Gard in the morning was able to do the included walking tour in the afternoon. This is the first time that I have seen this offered (ie: a second offering of the included excursion). This happened 3 times I believe over the course of the week.

After we left the Pont du Gard, we went to the little town of Uzes for about 90 minutes. We had a short walking tour, and then some free time. I bought a little more material, and then a lovely pottery bowl. My friend bought a table cloth and napkins (the best price we saw in any of the towns we visited).

We did the walking tour of Avignon in the afternoon - and were able to see the Palace des Papes.

One thing that did help us in our planning was the folder that Avalon put in every cabin. In it, there was a page on each stop - with a map of the town. There was also some information about the town, shopping tips and miscellaneous information. We still got a daily itinerary (for the next day) left in our cabin each night, but it just was a nice addition to what we already had.

We did have the opportunity - on the bus - to sing "the" song.... (Sur the pont, d'Avingnon, lonys dancer..... probably have mangled the spelling, but you know what I mean).

Fran

On July 4th - we sailed in the morning - arriving in Viviers in the afternoon. What a wonderful little medieval town. We walked up through the small winding streets to the cathedral on the top of the hill. There, we were treated to a short concert --> about 5 songs played on their beautiful organ. At the end, the musician played the American national anthem as it was American Independence Day.

Really no where to shop in town - although we did notice a couple of small boutique shops in the town square. We might have stopped to browse on our way back, but the weather turned very nasty, and we didn't want to get caught in the rain. There was also some thunder and lightening - so my umbrella was feeling a bit like a lightening rod --> figured we were safer on the boat. When we got back, we had a food tasting --> local meats (saucisson), cheese and bread.

Dh and I decided to have a drink before dinner during Happy Hour - and that was when we discovered that all drinks are half price for that hour --> not just the drink of the day. We both had a drink on 2 separate occasions, plus I bought my friend's DH a beer - and my total bar tab when we disembarked was 14 euros.

The dining room was decorated in red, white and blue that night - and there was the cake parade during a singing of the national anthem. Again, a nice touch.

Fran

Not docked here long... actually scheduled to sail at 10:15 am.

Decided to forgo the walking tour and headed right over to Tain l'Hermitage (across the river) to the Valrhona chocolate store. Turned out to be a great decision.

I am not a chocolate lover - but really like Valrhona chocolate. I prefer dark chocolate (70% is my choice) but they have a Dulcey there that is scrumptious.

The store opens at 9 - and we were there when they opened. Lots of free samples so you can taste before you buy. Then, they throw in "extras" when you check out. I decided that I would bring home chocolate as gifts...

On the way back to the boat, we passed (and toured) a small fruit and vegetable market on the Tain l'Hermitage side. Then - there was a another market (larger, more "stuff") right by where the boat was docked. Unfortunately, only had time to walk briskly through as we were set to sail.

We did have a chocolate tasting in the afternoon (more Valrhona chocolate - but filled chocolates, not bars....). A lovely way to while away an hour or so....

We arrived in Vienne in the late afternoon - just in time for a walking tour, and a short ride on a little train up to a view point on the top of the hill overlooking the city. Lovely little town - although our time there was quite limited. They were getting ready for a jazz concert that night. We were docked there until 4 am - if anyone wanted to head back into town for the music....

Fran

I think that Lyon may be better than our experience.... We arrived on Sunday - and most everything was closed. It was for this reason that we decided to do the optional Silk tour.

It was a tour of a family owned silk scarf business --> and, of course, you could buy after the talk and demonstration. The business is not open on Sundays, but they opened for the tour. I am guessing, by the amount of people that bought scarves (moi, aussi...) that it was worth their while to do so. The demonstration of silk screening was done by one of the owners - the 4th of 5 generations in the business. In talking with people who did the city walk in the morning, the prices charged here were the same as shops in town.

We did manage to get a bus/walking tour of Lyon in the afternoon (this was one of the days that they offered the tour a second time, so that the people taking the optional in the morning didn't miss out....). We did get to see one of the traboules --> very interesting. From the bus tour persective, much of what we saw in the afternoon we had already seen in the morning on our way to the silk shop.

One little gem my DH found was in a restaurant in the old town. They actually had an old Massey Harris tractor in the restaurant. My grandfather was the head of European operations for Massey Harris in the early 50's --> so this was a bit of nostalgia. DH did get some pictures for me.

Fran

This is a little gem....

We arrived mid-afternoon (docked long enough to pick up the groups that left earlier in the day for optional excursions) and my friend and I decided to head into town. It was raining when we left the boat - and so most thought we were crazy.

We made our way up to the Abbey church of St. Philibert... and it was well worth the effort. They have a crypt in the basement that has been restored. The church itself is an interesting mixture of old and new. It is obviously a working church, as there were children's drawings in the main area - as well as a children's spot near the back (Noah's ark, play doh etc). But the walls and ceiling are spectacular.

It had stopped raining by the time we left the church, so the walk back was a bit easier. Lots of little winding streets - but many shops are closed on Mondays, so we did lots of window shopping.

We did find one store that had some lovely pottery, and linens. Did buy a tea towel with Hotel Dieu on it - in anticipation of our trip to Beaune the next day.

Fran

We were docked over night in Chalon-sur-Saone. The next morning, we needed to be out of our rooms by 9 am.

There were 4 buses to take us to the train. One group was going to the Avalon Creativity as a number of people were cruising the Seine. The rest of the groups were divided by colour into buses. Onto Beaune we went.

We had our choice of 2 included excursions - a tour of Hotel Dieu - or a visit (including tasting) to a wine cellar. We chose Hotel Dieu.

This was a fascinating tour. Especially, given that I am a nurse!!! Quite enjoyed the time there - as well as a bit of free time to wander the streets. We were encouraged to buy something to eat, as we would be on the train for most of the afternoon - and lunch was not included.

We bought sandwiches and drinks in a small shop, then headed back to the meeting area outside the Hotel Dieu. On our way back to the bus, the heavens opened - and EVERYONE got soaked. The buses cannot park in the town - and there is no shelter on the way to the bus park.... We all looked like drowned rats.

We then drove to Dijon, to the train station. We were given tickets - and we had reserved seats - so the transfer to the train was actually quite smooth. Once in Paris, we only had to look for the guide with the coloured sign (the same colour we had on our way to the train station) and we got back on the bus for our trip to the hotel.

We were at the Pullman Montparnasse. More of a business district - but the hotel was nice. They do have computers and a printer in the lobby, so it was easy (the next day) to check in on-line for our flight home and print our boarding passes. There are 2 supermarkets quite close to the hotel (one open until 8 pm, one until 10) so it was easy to get food to nibble on in your room if you wished....

Fran

I have been to Paris before - as has my DH - and my friend. My friend's DH has *NOT* been there, so we decided to take the included bus tour. Also, it was scheduled to rain, so figured we might as well be dry while sightseeing.

The bus tour was different that the others I have taken, Less time circling the obvious sights (Louvre, Eiffel Tower etc) and more about the different neighbourhoods and the architecture. I enjoyed it - but not sure if it was a great representation of the city if you have not been there before. We did stop once for coffee.... Great coffee shop --> quick service, good coffee and clean (free) washrooms. The rain actually held off in the morning.

After we got back to our hotel, we picked up umbrellas and heading back out. We wandered through a little market, and then down to the Luxembourg Gardens. We did stop for a quick lunch along the way.

While we were in the gardens, it started to rain. And rain. And rain. We walked down across the bridge with all of the locks and then over to the Louvre. There was a huge line up just to get in. We walked through the Tuillerie (?sp) Gardens towards the Orangerie. The line was worse there. So, we decided to head back to our hotel.

When we were crossing the Seine, there were a number of planes flying over head --> I think in preparation for the Bastille Day celebrations. It was fun to watch.... (even with the rain).

Halfway back to our hotel, I was done... so wet, and chilled. We actually managed to find a cab - and all squeezed in. Best 12 euros I spent. We went back and dried off before dinner... We went back to the place we had eaten at the night before --> about 2 blocks away from our hotel. Good food (GREAT desserts....) and reasonably priced.

One good thing about the Montparnasse area is that you can get a bus to the airport for 17.50 euros. You can purchase a ticket (cash or credit card) on the bus. You can also purchase at the Pullman Hotel - but make sure that you get your ENTIRE ticket.

I purchased our tickets, and when I went to get on the bus, I was told it was missing the tear off part, and therefore he wouldn't let us board, We had to get our luggage off-loaded - and I marched back to the hotel. At first, the man at the desk told me "n'est pas possible" that they had given only part of the ticket - but I insisted that they had - and luckily had the receipt with me. He finally called over someone else (? a supervisor) who did given me new tickets, and said she would take it up with here staff. I am sure it was a simple mistake - but am glad I had the receipt. The man seemed quite put out (as if I was trying to scam them...) - but, as I explained to the woman, I have never bought those tickets before, so had no way of knowing that a piece was missing.

Moral of the story - should have bought on the bus.

By the way - the bus runs every 30 minutes on the hours and half hour starting at 6 am. It starts loading about 15 minutes before it leaves. They only sell tickets for the number of people they have seats before - so, if you aren't there early, you may not get a seat.

The stop is right in front of the hotel. The bus stop also had a sign telling you what terminal you are flying out of - as there are a number of stops at Terminal 2. It takes about an hour to get to the airport.

Fran

I believe this was the special Jazz cruise you were on. What was included that was relevant to the Jazz theme. How did you rate the food.

I have enjoyed reading your report. Have a month to go before I go on my first river cruises APT/AMA Amsterdam to Budapest.

I believe this was the special Jazz cruise you were on. What was included that was relevant to the Jazz theme. How did you rate the food.

I have enjoyed reading your report. Have a month to go before I go on my first river cruises APT/AMA Amsterdam to Budapest.

Yes, this was the Jazz themed cruise. There were a couple of different musical groups on board (besides the usual piano player in the lounge...)

The 2nd night on board, there was a musical group. Two musicians played a couple of pieces before dinner - then there was a concert after dinner with more people (total of 5). More mainstream type --> piano, guitars, bass. The piano player was amazing - and looked quite young. He looked 12 years old - but figured he was most likely early 20's. However, when they introduced the members of the band, it turned out he was the son of the guitar player - and he was 15!!

The next night, was more of a Spanish theme. Three or four musicians and 1 dancer. They were good, but I didn't enjoy it as much as the night before.

One afternoon, they had 2 musicians come on board for a lecture. There was a pianist, and a saxophone player. There was a bit of commentary on the history of Jazz - then they played songs that were of the era they talked about. Really enjoyed them. The piano player did the talking - and he indicated it was the first time he had spoken to a group in English.... He spoke quite well --> had no trouble understanding him.

The final night, they had a group on board that played "Gypsy Swing".... I think they said it was Manouche or Marouche type of Jazz. There was a trumpet, 2 guitars and a bass. The bass player was very good --> only 13 years old (the son of the main guitar player....).

Surprisingly, the lounge was not packed for these events. I think there was a core group of Jazz fans, and the rest of the group just ended up on this cruise by accident.

I will do a post on food specifically - so read on below!!!

Fran

Hi all -

Have saved the food for a separate post.

Now - food is quite subjective, so will just be giving my impressions.

Overall - was quite pleased with the food. The menu followed the standard pattern.... choice of appetizer, soup, main course and dessert at dinner. There were always "alternatives". Breakfast & lunch were buffets.

Breakfast was good - not phenomenal. The usual cereals, breads, cold meats, cheese, fruit, pastries. The chef who did the egg station was good --> you could get omelettes, fried or poached eggs each morning. There was also a hot tray of scrambled eggs.

There was a "special" each morning that you could order from the kitchen. Had the eggs benedict the morning it was offered - and it was fantastic. You could tell that the hollandaise sauce was fresh and home made.

Lunch was good - again, the "usual". Soup, salad, and numerous hot items. There was a grill on the top deck 2 days (had it only when the weather was nice, and we were docked....) You had to sign up as space was limited - but there was no charge. We did it the first day it was offered - and we had salad, chicken, veal, potatoes etc. Ice cream and sauce for dessert. There was also a "light lunch" served each day in the lounge. One day they made crepes --> so went upstairs to get one, and brought it down to eat in the dining room.

I thought that dinners were their strong suit. The food was always tasty, and very well presented. One night they brought a guest chef on board - and the dinner was phenomenal. The chef came around to every table and spoke to all guests.... a nice touch. Before dinner, he explained what was on the menu, and what the options included.

I did eat from the "alternate menu" one evening --> had the steak. It was cooked as requested... and was tender and tasty. When others ordered from the alternate menu, their comments were the same.

If there is one criticism I had, it was that there could have been the option of more pastries for dessert. There was always the option of a cheese platter, ice cream and some other offering such as mousse or cake. I happen to love pastries, so would have enjoyed those for dessert.

Wine --> red, white and rose at every dinner. You could also have beer - or a shandy. I asked for the shandy one evening -and it was very refreshing. Our waiter (Daniel) was amazing..... your glass was refilled anytime it looked as if it was getting empty. Most evenings I had to say "no" --> as they would have kept on pouring!!!.

There was a coffee machine in the lounge on the top deck to the rear of the boat. Well stocked tea box - as well as juice and cookies/muffins etc. There was decaffeinated tea in the box!!!

If anyone has questions - ask away!!!

Fran