Day: November 24, 2014

Monday was “wine day” on the AmaDagio. In the morning we enjoyed chocolate and wine pairings. In the afternoon we were awed by the wines of l’Hermitage, which come from 300 acres of vineyards that grow mainly Syrah grapes on terraced hillsides. In the evening we were tested on our knowledge of wines and were challenged to guess which of the two Syrahs we were served was French and which was American. Our small group correctly guessed the American Syrah, as did most of the people on board. And, so far, although we’ve had some fabulous French wines, the American wines from Ledson Winery in Sonoma County are holding their own.

We cruised into Tournon Monday morning before our wine tasting excursions. With the water still high from recent storms, several of us went up top to see how Capt. Dany Boucher handled the ship. I got some shots of him concentrating on docking the AmaDagio in Tournon. We sailed under the bridge that links Tournon and Tain l’Hermitage before docking. Charleen and I spent some time enjoying the delightful weather on deck.

On Sunday, we visited the asylum of St. Paul de Mausole near Arles where Vincent van Gogh voluntarily committed himself after lopping off part of his ear and sending it to his girlfriend. The facility still functions as an asylum and we were only allowed to visit a small portion of the facility. The place is no doubt an asylum. We heard unsettling shrieks and wails coming from behind high walls. Art therapy remains an important part of the treatment plan for many of the asylum’s patients. Van Gogh painted prolifically here and the olive grove that he painted still stands near the asylum. Whether any of these trees were there when van Gogh painted them is anybody’s guess.