Another long day on the river, with three locks to
negotiate. We had just cast off when Diana realized that she had not
photographed this excellent view of Viviers, and leapt ashore, camera in hand. I managed to
hang on to the pontoon long enough for her to clamber back aboard.
Two large hotel cruise boats had spent the night moored up
just outside the harbour, and a third was waiting at the lock. But it was a
fourth that arrived at the open lock just after us and went straight in. We were able to go in behind her – Mistral this one was called – with no delay, which made a good start to the
day.
The landscape along this part of the Rhône
valley is spectacular, and the ruined castle of Rochemaure certainly caught the
eye. How did they get up there to build that?
Soon after there was another little nuclear station (Cruas),
which seemed to be going full blast. Four reactors, four cooling towers.
And the cruise boat that had been waiting at the first lock
of the day, the German Amadeus, finally caught up with us and overtook. But by that time
we were fortunately close enough to the next lock to go through with her (she
was very slow squeezing in).
We lunched on a new and rather uncomfortable quay at Le
Pouzin, under the sweep of two giant wind turbines. Interestingly, they did not
make any noise that we could discern. Amadeus was also moored up a kilometre or so further along the river. She left as we did, passing through the picturesque village of La Voulte-sur-Rhône, and we caught up with her again at the third lock of the day, so no delays
there either.
Once moored up in the port of Valence, we set off to a
(fairly) nearby shopping centre. Essential supplies (apart from wine) have been
running low. It was a hot, humid, kilometre walk each way, but we got most of
what we needed, and it was probably good for us after sitting on the boat all
day!
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