My travel adventure began with a flight into Lyon, France, where I boarded the TGV inOui train heading south to Avignon. Avignon is on the left bank of the Rhône River, a few kilometers above its confluence with the Durance River, a tributary of the Rhône, and about 360 miles southeast of Paris, and 142 miles south of Lyon. It has been thirteen years since I’ve been in the South of France, so refreshing my memory and my solo travel is top of mind. The train makes three station stops en route: Valence, considered the gateway to the South of France and the capital of Drôme in the Rhône valley, and Montélimar, where Château des Adhemar reigns over the city, and the third station stop at Orange, where it is famous for its Châteauneuf-du-Pape wines, and my final destination Avignon Centre -Gare d’Avignon Centre.
It's a pleasant train ride with all the amenities needed for a 90-minute trip: a first-class assigned seat, free Wi-Fi, charging plugs, electrical outlets at each seat, and a window view into the French countryside.
Opéra Théâtre d'Avignon
En route, the
landscape is dry, crisp, and parched; sunflowers are hanging their droopy heads nearly
to the ground, and the once golden wheat fields are now faded and harvested
into large bales of brittle straw. Farmers on tractors toil in the distance, leaving behind clouds of dust. There are new developments in the
distance: new home construction, solar panels, greenhouses, and wind turbines
scattered across the thirsty landscape, and even ruins of a chateau.
I arrive in Avignon Centre amid the country’s fourth heat wave, which is deemed the worst drought on record. Most days the temperatures reach 103-110° with wildfires looming in the south of France, burning coveted olive trees and forests. French farmers are experiencing a dramatic decline in the production of soy, sunflowers, and corn yields; and three times less lavender oil will be extracted from this year’s 2022 harvest due to the extreme and prolonged drought. It takes 150 kilograms of lavender flowers to produce 1 liter of lavender oil, and many essential oil farmers are foregoing labor-intensive oil extraction and selling dried sachets and bundles of lavender as an alternative. The brunt of this drought has dramatically altered the production of French products we love so much: milk, cheese, wine, and olives.
This drought has caused European countries to restrict water usage, where watering is only allowed for vegetables and fruits. Shipping is currently endangered on the Rhine River, Germany’s biggest waterway, as well as the Danube and Po Rivers. Some shipping cargo barges are only one-fifth loaded due to the shallow water levels. Luckily, in a few days I will sail on the Rhône River, where the water level is adequate. Most European River ships have an astonishingly low draft and can sail with only two meters (6'.6") of water.
My accommodations are
at Le Limas for the next few nights, inside the ramparts of
Avignon, where the proprietor has arranged a taxi to meet me at the
station. My Oui driver weaves his way through the historical streets filled
with day trippers, tourists, and theater performers from the month-long Theatre
Festival, one of the biggest in the world.
After settling in I have a quiet evening and dinner with Carolyne Kauser-Abbott, editor of Perfectly Provence at the lovely Restaurant Le Violette. She and her husband are part-time residents in the South of France and by happenstance, our schedules coincide. Perfectly Provence is a food, travel, and lifestyle magazine for the South of France and the French Riviera. There are many writers for this online in-depth resource, and I’ve had the privilege to be a contributor. We share an evening of conversation, travel adventures, good food, laughter, and refreshing Alpilles rosé.
Continue this journey by subscribing to www.scribblesandsmiles.net or follow on Instagram and Facebook. Join me in discovering two of the most beautiful villages of France: Gordes, Les Baux de Provence and the quaint villages of L' Isle sur la Sorgue, and Saint Rèmy de Provence before boarding a European River Cruise. Where I will sail on the Rhône and Saône rivers through Burgundy & Provence, once again.
Travel July 26- August 7, 2022
Hi, I’m Christie, a Midwest native who is an intrepid traveler, author, and owner of the blog Scribbles and Smiles. Writing under the bespoke pen name J. Christina, sharing stories from European adventures and magical excursions. Since starting my blog, I have contributed articles to France Today, Bonjour Paris, The Good Life France, Perfectly Provence, and Bella Provence Travels.
Travel is a privilege. I intentionally share the joie de vivre through words and images, so others can travel vicariously.
1 comment:
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this article and I’m so happy you’re traveling again!
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