Seeing the arches of the bridge up close was amazing. Even though the span is no longer complete and it no longer carries water, the structure is over 2000 years old and still sound. The area around it is now an educational center and a park; while we were there, several student groups were making an entrance.
We returned to the ship for lunch, at which time we got the good news that the ship's techinical issue had been resolved. We would be able to continue the cruise, albeit with a modified schedule.
As had been planned, in the afternoon we took another tour bus to the Ardeche Gorges, the "Grand Canyon" of France. It was also a spectacular sight, different because the gorge is a work of nature. Over millennia, after the inland sea which covered the area was gone and mountains were uplifted, water from above wore a channel with walls several thousand feet in places. Our bus drove along a road which wound along the cliffs above the gorge. At no time did we see any guard rails -- slightly unnerving for those sitting next to the edge.
Lavender is grown as a crop in this region and our last stop was a Lavender Museum which detailed the process of growing, harvesting, and extracting the lavender oil for commercial purposes.
We met our ship at Viviers, having traveled upstream from St Etienne-des-Sorts. While it was late because of a river traffic jam at one of the locks, we were glad to see it moving again. The adventure continues tomorrow.
