cruising Burgundy and Provence

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28 and 29 April It has rained everyday. We are now used to it. Dress warm and carry your umbrella. Sunday we toured Avignon and the Palace of the Popes. It was built in the 1300's. The walls were very thick for fortification and all the streets were cobblestones. It is amazing to see these buildings and realize how old they are. The paintings on the walls and ceilings were truly amazing. The city now uses the facility for an arts festival where they have cover 1000 different plays during the festival. The stage is built in the center courtyard. Viewers stand to watch the performances. In the afternoon we took a tour of Provence. It was raining but we kept going. The French people must be used to it because they just bundle up the children and themselves and go out. All so the baby strollers have a plastic cover to keep the little ones dry. We toured the small town of Les Baux which dates back to the 12th Century. It was very windy and rainy. Following that we went to a quarry where they had an audio visual show of French paintings. It was called the Carrieres de Lumieres. You must Google it to see what I am talking about. When I walked into the quarry, I almost burst into tears it was so beautiful. I think it would be a wonderful way to introduce art to children. The images were projected on the walls, ceilings, and floors and it was all set to music. This was my favorite activity to date. Everyone there was smiling and looking around in wonder. Upon our return to the boat, we set sail for Viviers. We toured Viviers this morning (Monday). It is a very old town built around a bishop's residence. Streets are very narrow and steep and cobblestones. Your really do need good shoes. A very beautiful place. We were lucky enough to have found an organ recital I the church. It was a great treat. The encore was the William Tell Overture. When we returned to the ship we set sail for Tournon. We will be dining with a French family tonight. It should be exciting to experience real home French cooking.

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