Issue No. 25

I’m not quite sure if there’s anywhere else
you’d see waltzing Frenchmen together with
a waiter sporting a furry shark’s head hat
and a group of cynical journalists practicing
tai chi on the dance floor of a luxurious
cruise ship floating down the Rhone River.
But life on a CroisiEurope boat is anything
but ordinary.
When my friend Anne asked me if I’d join
her and a group of women travel writers on
a 3-night cruise from historic Avignon in
Provence to the foodie city of Lyon, I wasn’t
sure it was for me. Aren’t river cruises for
old people I thought. But, I love Avignon and
I’ve never seen the gorges of Ardeche
through which we would pass – so I said
yes.
What a surprise I got and how wrong I was
These cruises are fabulous for friends,
couples and groups. Though it was a short
trip, just three days, I felt as refreshed as
though I’d had a much longer break. With
drinks and nibbles on offer from 10am to
1am, tea, coffee and water are available 24
hours, seriously good food, brilliant
excursions and lovely rooms – we were
spoiled rotten.
If I had to describe my CroisiEurope trip
from Avignon to Lyon via the Rhone River in
just three words: fun, fabulous and (very)
French. In fact, us uptight Brits made a pact
to do another trip before we even