summertime goes south

6th October

"You know the nearer your destination,
The more you're slip slidin' away"

'Slip Slidin' Away' Paul Simon

Avignon/Arles

The Port de Plaisance at Avignon had pontoons alongside the quay but they were swept away by the 2002/3 floods. They have not been replaced, so we moored against the quay wall, without a second thought.

Our plan was to leave on Friday 10th for the last lap to Port St Louis but when we checked the state of the river downstream, we had to change our plans. The weather at Avignon had been warm and sunny but further north and west there were thunderstorms and torrential downpours resulting in serious flooding. Nimes, only 25 km. away had terrible floods. Overnight the Rhone changed from a benign waterway into a torrent. On the morning of our planned departure the river was flowing at over 8 knots and the locks both above and below us were closed so nothing was moving on the river.

We decided to spend a couple of days in Arles, only 15 minutes away by train. On arrival at our hotel, we had a call from our American friends, moored behind us, saying there was a danger of the river rising above the level of the quay and a risk of damage to the boats. I returned to Avignon, but by then the river, which had risen, had fallen so the risk had rduced. I arranged for someone to call if the danger became more acute and returned to Arles.

Avignon is dominated by gothic and renaissance architecture and while Arles has some fine examples of both, but the well-preserved Roman theatre and amphitheatre are the most impressive. The hotel where we stayed, glorying in the name of the Grand Hotel De Nord Pinus (don't ask), situated in the Place de Forum, incorporates in its façade, two columns and part of the entablature from the original Roman forum. Throughout the centre, consisting of narrow streets and alleys, the inhabitants have incorporated the remains of Roman buildings into their own. The amphitheatre and theatre were plundered for stone to build their houses and some of the fine early mediaeval churches that still exist.

Next to our hotel we found a café that features in one of Vincent Van Gogh's best known paintings, the Terrace Café at Arles. Van Gogh painted some 200 views of Arles during his stay there and by coincidence the one of this café was used by Linda for an art project when she taught at Oliver House.





We returned to Avignon today, Monday 13th and as I write, the river remains in full spate. The stream running past us must be at least 8 knots and is reported even faster lower down and the locks are closed again. The river carries a mass of debris, including whole trees and our hull has been battered a couple of times. The river level is less than half a metre below the quay wall so it might be an anxious night. We are hoping that the rains cease and the river will start to drop. There are a number of other boats, with their owners, like us, fretting about their boats and discussing strategies should the river overflow. The Capitaine assures us that it should be OK, as it only usually overflows in winter but somehow that is of limited comfort. We wait and hope that the river will go down and the flow abate so we can leave safely but that seems unlikely in the immediate future.