13 AUG 2018: The streets seemed deserted as we began a morning tour of the idyllic wine district town of Tournon. But not for long. With a fanfare of trumpets and swirl of colors, the town’s marching bands led fire-fighters wearing gleaming helmets, gendarmes in dress uniforms and tout le monde en ville through the narrow cobblestone streets to a ceremony in the square.
Every morning brought delightful surprises like this on our Emerald Waterways cruise in Provence. The new Emerald Liberté tied up in historic towns in the Rhône Valley that are straight out of French fantasies. Many, like Arles, Avignon, Lyon are famous in song and story. Others are renowned for their fabulous wines.