We had a morning sailing and then guided walking tours of the small town of Viviers. It’s historic (like all the towns) and cute with a castle on the hill. The main reason for the visit to this area were the optional bus tours to the lavender fields and truffle farm. Given my tendency to hay fever and dislike of truffles I was happy to miss those trips.
Viviers has a cathedral on a hill with a great view outside over the Rhone Valley.




The valley is very fertile but also very industrial. There are 4 nuclear power stations in the area, one of which produces the majority of the world’s enriched uranium. There is also a huge cement plant, recently purchased by Holcim, and it’s a centre for nougat production.



We were treated to a performance in the cathedral (the smallest in France) by a local opera singer. It was beautiful.



Following dinner we had a cornhole competition. Essentially teams of 2 throwing bean bags onto a wooden slope with a small hole. The teams with US membership definitely had an advantage but Mike and I were finalists running a close second, thanks mainly to Mike’s efforts.


Loads of fun was had by all.