Wanton destruction by radicals - by Wayne

Our journey up the Rhone uncovered numerous small towns.  While many are located on the river bank itself, some, perhaps surprisingly, are perched on top of a high rocky outcrop.  Each town includes castles or ramparts (walls) built to protect the old city.  These walls were necessary to protect the inhabitants from invading armies including the Romans which invaded France in 50BC and invading barbarians including Germanic Franks which invaded France from 400AD.  Those castles built on a rocky outcrop offered significant defensive  advantage to those that sought its protection .

While docked at the town of Viviers, we viewed the old city walls that surround the oldest part of the town.  We also visited the village of Grignan to visit the Château de Grignan.  This was originally built as a castle on a rocky outcrop in the 7th century.  It was significantly rebuilt in the 13th century.  Further rebuilding was undertaken in the 17th century to turn the castle into a palace. 

Then came a number of civil and religious wars, including the revolution!  The French Catholics were were slaughtering the French Protestants during the 16th and 17th century.  Then the French commoner were slaughtering French Aristocratics in 1789.   The effects of these wars is much the same.  With no respect, the Palaces and Castles were plundered and irreplaceable art work and fine furniture were looted and destroyed.    

It all sounds too familiar to what is happening in Syria and Iraq today: the only difference is that the ‘wanton destruction’ is being carried out by IS radicals rather than French radicals.

The name of our Floating Hotel

Our Hotel Amadagio

Our room on the Amadagio.

The top deck of the Amadagio

View of the Rhone River 

Dog searches for Truffles

The day of first...
Eating truffles

Experience of the Lavender Farm 

A view of the old walled part of Viviers.

The lonely parishioner of the Cathédrale Saint Vincent de Viviers
A Roman Catholic cathedral constructed in The 11th and 12th century

The Château de Grignan
It has been rebuilt and turned into a Museum
Displaying 18th century furniture.

A French preoccupation...
Giving the plane tree an annual haircut: entire rows of trees are attacked.
There is a take-no-prisoners approach: all branches chopped to the trunk. 
Here is one of the few plan trees that had escaped the madness.

The two of us - still more than just friends.