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ABOVE: The MS Maribelle was moored near
the 18th Century Pont de St-Laurent in Macon.
Macon, France
Continued
from: Beaune
After our morning
trip to Beaune, we arrived back at the MS Maribelle just in time for
lunch and an afternoon of cruising on the Saône
River. We covered about 60 km or 40 miles over the next five hours, passing a
number of towns and castles along the way.
Tip: If you're cruising on a
Viking ship, be sure to ask for a free "Route Information" book at the reception
desk. On our itinerary, the booklet was reversible--Chalon-sur-Saône to Arles in
one direction, Arles to Chalon-sur-Saône in the other--and it had Milepost-style
listings of towns and landmarks that were keyed to kilometer placards along the
river.
We
reached Macon about 5:30 p.m., and several locals (with their dogs) were on hand
to watch the MS Maribelle tie up along the quay. We walked around the
town for a while, then returned to the ship before dinner to read the daily
newsletter and learn what we'd missed on a quiet, rainy Sunday evening in October:
"The town with its many
flowers has quite a southern flair. Most charming are its squares and small
alleyways. On the 'place aux Herbes' a daily vegetable and flower market is held
all summer.There is also a national French wine fair every year. The town museum
is housed in a former convent. Other sites include the cathedral of St. Vincent
as well as the apothecary of the 'Hotel-Dieu,' the old hospital. A museum that
is dedicated to the town's most famous son, the poet Alphonse de Lamartine,
provides insight into the story of his life and work."
For more
information on Macon, see:
Cruise Photos:
Macon europeforvisitors.com
These are from the 169 images in my MS Maribelle
Photo Gallery.
Macon
Tourist Office
Next page:
Lyon
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