London

Saturday 9 August

In the morning we visited the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square. We enjoyed having the opportunity to look at a selection of the works of artists, particulalry those from the eighteenth to the twentieth centuries, that we have seen in books and in the media but could now actually view in the gallery.

This was the weekend of RideLondon. The main race is on the Sunday but on the Saturday members of the public were able to ride through the streets of London which have been blocked off to traffic. This also created challenges when pedestrians needed to cross the road but there were designated points where the riders had to stop occasionally to allow pedestrians to cross the road.

Trafalgar Square was also very busy and sections of the crow were being entertained watching street entertainers and living statues. We walked out of the art gallery to meet a friendly Batman who adopted a suitable pose for a photo.

Nelson's Column, is of course the most famous statue in Trafalgar Square but the lions at the base of the statue are also interesting. The four bronze lion sculptures, by Edwin Landseer (1802-1873), are often covered with people sitting on them.

This lion appears to be not too impressed with another 'piece of wildlife' in the square - a large blue chicken. Apparently the blue cock is to be on display for eighteen months from July 2013.

The remainder of the day was spent exploring the shops including visiting the Liberty department store.

I made sure that we went upstairs to the fabric section to look at the liberty prints.

Back to the hotel for dinner and then it was time to repack the suitcases for the trip to Scotland the next day.

London

Friday 8 August
In the morning we walked down Lambeth Road to the Imperial War Museum.

Several weeks earlier the new World War I galleries had opened for the centenary of the First World War and this was the focus of the visit though we also explored other exhibits at the museum. Details about the visit can be found in a post in the Exploring Military History blog.

We then walked back to the river and crossed to the north bank to explore some of the monuments on that side of the river.

In the Victoria Tower Gardens, next to Parliament House we found a statue of Emmeline Pankhurst (1858-1928) who was one of the key players in the fight for women to be able to vote in Britain.

We walked past Parliament House and it is hard not to be impressed by this beautiful building.

Keeping to the military theme of the morning we then walked down Whitehall where the Cenotaph,

the monument to the Women of World War II

and statues of British military figures are to be found.

Summer in London and colourful baskets and pots of flowers are to be found decorating buildings everywhere.

London

Thursday 7 August
After our final breakfast on the ship we were taken to the Lyon Airport to fly to London (British Airways). At Heathrow we were met by our driver who took us to the Novotel Hotel in Lambeth Road, Waterloo.

The view from the hotel window was of the buildings and gardens of Lambeth Palace and the Museum of Garden History. In the distance we could see the Victoria Tower, part of Parliament House.

On our last visit to London we stayed in a hotel on the north side of the Thames River and our explorations were concentrated in that part of the city. This time we had the opportunity to explore the South Bank. The area was crowded and as it was school holidays there were many family based attractions on offer as well as the Aquarium and the London Eye. We wove our way through the throng and along the river bank until we reached Tower Bridge.

As the tide was low there were a number of performers, including this band, busking near the water. They had laid out a rug on the sand where people could throw coins in appreciation.

Another busker was creating sand sculptures by the river.

The river itself was busy with barges and tourist boats going about their business.

Along the South Bank there are many buildings old and new and recreated such as the Globe Theatre.

Wherever you go in central London you can come across reminders of the past with explorations of sites in the city. This archaeological dig was near Southwark Cathedral.

Another reminder of the past is a replica of Sir Francis Drake's ship, the Golden Hinde.

Once we reached Tower Bridge we crossed the river to view the Tower of London Remembers project - a display of ceramic poppies at the Tower of London commemorating lives lost by British soldiers and soldiers from the British Empire during the First World War. Additional information about this project can be found in the post in my Exploring Military History blog. This is an ongoing project until Armistice Day.

We continued back to the hotel along the North Bank of the river.

As river levels were low due to the low tide it was possible to see the remains of structures that had once been part of this river landscape.

We crossed a bridge back to the South Bank and continued, once again, through the throng of families enjoying their day by the river. On the way we purchased a crab roll and a lobster roll from one of the many food stalls along the promenade. We enjoyed the experience of exploring this vibrant part of London.

Lyon

Wednesday 6 August

Our final full day in France and after breakfast we found a swan on the bed.

This was the day to explore Lyon, the city at the end of our journey along the Rhone River. There were three excursions on offer including a bike tour of the area including a ride along the river bank.

A city tour with an emphasis on culinary aspects was another option. The third option was a bus tour to the main tourist destinations in Lyon.

 The first stop was at Fouviere Hill for a panoramic view of the city.

A section of the decorations on the outside of the building

Also on the hill is the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fouviere.

The decoration inside the building is magnificent.

The telecommunication tower is one of the many replicas made of the Eiffel Tower. It is marginally taller than the tower of the Basilica.

Back down the hill we went on a walking tour of the older sections of Lyon. The streets are narrow and there is a wide variety of architecture on view in the town

and along the river.

Lyon is famous for food and in the old section of the town there are small restaurants

and shops with a range of local delicacies on display in their windows.

Sweets, including nougat,

cakes, flans and pastries

and selections of other food are on display.

Lyon is also well known for its trompe l'oeil, painted walls featuring well known people.

The walls appear to be three dimensional. A number of buildings in Lyon have these features.

Another hidden feature of Lyons is a series of alley-ways and passages within and between the buildings of the old city referred to as the traboules. Some of these date back to Roman times and were definitely used by silk workers in later times to move the goods from one part of town to the other without getting them wet. Fortunately the Germans did not know about the traboules as they were used by the resistance movement. This article from France Today February 2012 provides additional information.

Lyon is an attractive city with two rivers running through it.

Back on the boat we had lunch and in the afternoon there was a presentation on silk painting and printing - the silk trade having played an important part in Lyon's history.

As an alternative we made an excursion to the local police station - not on the tour agenda -  to report the theft of my wallet from my camera bag at the beginning of our morning excursion. Anya, our tour director, came with us and assisted with communication with the one policeman on duty who spoke some English. Once the forms had been filled out we returned to the ship. Unless the thief collects wallets it was a pointless theft for apart from the cards, which were immediately cancelled, there was approximately two euros in loose change - toilet money. Needless to say the inconvenience to us in having to replace cards has been great. We were aware that this sort of thing regularly happens in France and other parts of Europe and thought that we had taken all precautions, including carrying my bag in front of me, but these guys are professionals and I did not see or feel a thing until I noticed the zip of my bag was undone. Unfortunately this experience has coloured my views of Lyon.

In the evening, back on ship we attended the Captain's Farewell Gala Cocktail followed by the Gala Dinner in the restaurant. Our cruise was coming to an end and we were ready for the next part of the adventure.

Oingt

Tuesday 5 August
After lunch we went for a ride in the bus through the Bourjolais region of France driving past many vineyards and stopping to visit one.

This part of the country is known as Pays D'Or or land of the golden stones. For centuries ochre limestone has been used for the buildings in this area resulting in the distinctive colour.

Oingt is a Medieval hillside village which is entered via the arch in the wall.

There are narrow streets to explore, once again decorated with colourful flowers in pots.

The Oingt Tower was built in the twelfth century and is now a museum. It is 18 metres high and was once part of a chateau.

From the top of the hill there are great views of the surrounding countryside.

As we boarded the bus we passed this sign on a bus shelter for the Tour de France which had passed through the area a few weeks earlier.

We then visited a vineyard where the owner told us about growing vines in Beaujolais.

The vineyard owner also showed us a selection of tools which have been used in the past to prune the vines.

The tools were passed around so we could have a closer look.

The afternoon ended with a wine tasting before we returned to the ship which was now berthed at Collonges.

A Provencal Dinner was served in the main dining room. Later in the Lounge we were entertained by Paolo Nassi who performed a selection of well known Italian and other songs.