A message from Alan

The owner, Alan Rosen, recently returned from a trip from the South of France. He and his wife, Cathy, as well as his parents Chuck and Diane, took a river cruise with Avalon Waterways.

I thought I would share with you our latest travel experience.

My wife, Cathy and I just returned from a French River cruise with my father, Sand & C founder Chuck Rosen and his wife, Diane, on Avalon Waterways. This was our second trip on Avalon, and once again we were thrilled......it was a beautiful trip! What could be more relaxing than to sit on your ship and watch the French countryside go by?

Our trip started in Nice, with one night at a local hotel. The hotel itself was nothing special, but it was well located in the center of town about a block from the beach. Being the summer, Nice was bustling with young people vacationing.

From Nice, we had a 3 hour bus ride to Arles, to meet our ship. Arles is the capital of Provence and is most known for being the location that Vincent Van Gogh spent a very productive year painting the area. We then proceeded to Avignon, and began our tour through France's wine country with a trip to the Chateuneuf-du-Pape wine cellars for a wine tasting.

We learned a great deal about the different wines that are made in the region (southern France is known mostly for Rose, while as you go further north into the Burgundy region red wines dominate their production). We also received an education on how to properly taste wine and determine what we would enjoy!

Most of the next day was spent on the ship. I enjoyed sitting in the hot tub on the top deck, taking in the scenery and going through the locks. Life is tough!

The next major stop was in Vienne. This is a charming town surrounded by steep hills. Although we were not told in advance, our particular departure was a Jazz themed cruise. There were Jazz performers on board and they gave us tickets to that night's performance at the annual Jazz Festival in Vienne. This was an all night show. Cathy and I only stayed for the first two performances, a trio and a pianist. It was a wonderful experience, spending time with locals in the Roman amphitheatre and taking in the concert.

From Vienne, it was on to Lyon, France's third largest city and "gastronomic capital". Between the crepes, breads, potatoes Lyonnaise, kabobs, gelato, panini and wine, I thought I died and went to heaven. This was not the place to be for my diet!

Speaking of food and wine, the cuisine on the ship was excellent. There was always something tasty offered, and the wine flowed throughout dinner. For those who were not wine drinkers, such as my father, there was always complimentary soft drinks available with the meals. And the staff could not have been better, always making sure that we were pleased. In fact, Diane, my Step-Mother, has special dietary needs, and they always accommodated her with a delicious meal.
After Lyon, it was on to the Burgundy region for more beautiful countryside and wine tasting. Between the rolling hills with vineyards and sunflower fields, it was really gorgeous. The wine was great too!

It was then time to depart the Scenery, our Avalon river ship. While we did not want to dis-embark, the good news was that we still had 2 nights in Paris to go. We stayed at the LeMeridian. Having been to Paris before, we passed on the included city tour. Cathy took an optional excursion to Versailles, and enjoyed the magnificent palace and gardens. After her return, the two of us hopped on the Metro and made a quick obligatory visit to the Eiffel Tower. The area was bustling, as it turned out that it wasBastille Day, France's equivalent of July 4. People were preparing to party, and there were fireworks that night.

We did not get to spend much time watching the fireworks, as this was our last night in France and we took in dinner and a show at the Moulin Rouge. Although the food was fair, there was plenty of wine and champagne and a spectacular show. It felt like Vegas, with not only beautiful show girls, but amazing dancing and other acts, including an incredible juggler and a unique humorist ventriloquist that none of us will ever forget. The show was almost 2 hours, but it flew by.

It was then back to our hotel for an early morning departure for the airport. I think all four of us would agree, that it was a wonderful trip and very relaxing. We had just the right mix of touring, eating, drinking, sleeping, meeting new people and entertainment to take our minds off of our normal busy schedules. A river cruise really is a great way to see Europe!

You can see our pictures from our trip on facebook with this link. If you would like more information on river cruising with Avalon, contact your Sand & C Travel consultant.

Alan Rosen

President, Sand & C Travel

Cathy Rosen standing next to the Avalon Scenery