Nurseries - Avignon - Aramon

The evening in Viviers ends with a heavy rain.

When we set off the next morning, it has cooled down significantly overnight. Fog hovers over the river.

Our destination is Avignon. The first lock is not far behind. On the way, we meet the Vagabond again, he has been accompanying us since Chalon-sur-Saône, and we were last in the harbor together in Lyon.

We pass through the lock and power plant de Bollene, it is the lock with the highest difference in elevation, 23 meters, on the Rhone. We pass by Château du Jonquier, and then we reach Avignon.

Right after leaving the lock before Avignon, the Papal Palace rises majestically above the trees on the riverbank. To reach the harbor, we have to sail downstream on a section of the Rhone, and then navigate approximately 4 km upstream on the side arm of the Rhone to our planned harbor.

We pass the mooring place for river cruisers, the Papal Palace, and the famous bridge in Avignon. Even on the approach to the harbor, we have a feeling that something is wrong. The first ships are already moored two abreast, and in some places, there are even three ships side by side. One can understand why, as the old town begins directly on the opposite side of the street.

It is the weekend, and the French are enjoying the weather in garden restaurants along the Rhone. Bustle is everywhere you look.

The captain of the Vagabond offers us the option to moor alongside his boat. When he realized that his booked spot is already in the second row and his berth did not want to open a third row, we quickly decide to continue on.

After a short search for a harbor along the Rhone, we end up in Aramon, a small mooring place on the right bank. We are warmly welcomed, and despite the late hour, we set off for a little walk through Aramon.

Back at Gustav, we go to bed early as the next day marks the final stage before the Mediterranean Sea. We have decided to sail to Port-Saint-Louis-du-Rhône and cross the Gulf of Lion on the sea side.