“Dreams and restless thoughts came flowing to him from the river, from the twinkling stars at night, from the sun’s melting rays.”
~Herman Hesse, Siddhartha
Cruising the Rhône was a time of catching moments. An early morning sail-in to Arles, when the river was so still you could almost hear the quiet. A late evening soirée as we arrived in Avignon, watching a setting sun wash over the medieval city. An eerie evening on the top deck, feeling the walls of France’s deepest lock envelope us as we went down into the cavernous space before spilling back out onto the river.
Scenes from the Rhône
But it was the last afternoon of the cruise when those moments turned into a lovely stretch of time as we sailed from Tain-l’Hermitage to our final port of Lyon. Herb and I returned to our cabin after lunch and pulled our empty suitcases from underneath the bed. No matter how many times I pack and how wonderfully organized I seem to be, the stress of awaiting suitcases never fears to rear its ugly head.
But this time, something extraordinary happened.
We opened our cabin window, and it was as if we’d invited in a magic potion from the Rhône. The warm summer air was invigorating, and the scenery was peaceful and serene. We packed our suitcases and organized our carry-ons for the hotel in Lyon with an ease we’d never experienced, almost as if our bags were packing themselves. I took pictures from the open window in between tasks, caught up in moments of watching the Rhône roll by.
When we finished getting everything ready for the next day, we both laughed. “That was the easiest packing we’ve ever done!” Herb exclaimed, marveling at what we’d just experienced. I joked that we would need to channel the Rhône the next time we pull out our suitcases for a future trip.
We’ll never know, of course, what made that afternoon so different from other times we’ve packed up from somewhere to go home. I like to think that it had to do with the river, telling us to appreciate where we were instead of focusing on an unpleasant task. What could have been an ordinary moment at the end of a trip turned out to be a day we’ll always remember.
And if the Rhône was indeed speaking to us that afternoon, I’ve very glad we opened the window.
I recognise those packing-related feelings so well! With an ever changing view of glorious countryside just outside your window, I can see how your minds would simply float along with the river. How lovely to end your Rhône journey in such calm and peaceful surroundings. The palette of colour in your photographs is wonderful, Mary; those greens, blues and greys with a few dabs of earth tones are so restful and the photograph of Arles incredibly beautiful. Thank you for a most relaxing start to my morning!
Your description of the Rhône photos is really lovely, Gill…thank you! It was such a dreamy afternoon and an unexpected way to end our time on the river. I know we can never really recreate experiences or special moments, but I hope I’m able to carry this one with me the next time an open suitcase awaits!