We went to Burgundy to start. The ship was waiting in Macon, actually on the Saone river, a tributary of the Rhone. It's a pleasant small city, with a lovely market which I took advantage of. Luscious fruit!
We went to visit Beaune, one of the important wine centers. It is a lovely old town, where we visited the "Hospices". This was a hospital for the poor first opened in 1452. It has a particularly nice roof.
We also went to visit a very attractive village with the unusual name of Oingt [the g and t are silent].
As seen from a distance
A little street
Typical Burgundy landscape: rolling hills and vineyards
We sailed down the Rhone the next day and arrived in the evening at Lyon. I took a few pictures at dusk.
A curious modern building on the river bank
Taken from the ship's deck, this is an unusual bridge, with no suspension on the other side.
Lyon is the third largest city in France. It has been an important commercial city for centuries and used to be an important silk weaving center. It is at the meeting of the Saone and the Rhone. Part of the city is on the peninsula between the rivers, and it is the oldest, with many Renaissance buildings. I will do another post with some pictures of it. Au revoir!