Arles Embarkation
It’s time to board the AmaCello for our six-day cruise up the Rhône River. But first, we spend a few hours seeing the sights and eating crispy galettes in Arles.
Arriving in Arles
Marianne and I enjoyed a leisurely morning in Saint-Rémy before checking out of our hotel and driving to Arles for the next phase of our journey: a six-day cruise on the Rhône River.
Rock tombs at Montmajour Abbey
On our way, we passed Montmajour Abbey, established as a hermitage in 989, fortified in the 14th century, and disbanded after the French Revolution. The monastery is known for its medieval graves carved into stone and its underground crypt. We drove through the morning shadow cast by the abbey’s massive, unfinished church set close to the highway.
We soon arrived in Arles and headed toward its central square, Place de la République. The old city of Arles is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with well-preserved buildings dating to the Roman Empire. One of these is beneath the Hotel de Ville, which was finished in 1676 and remains the seat of the city’s government. Below the town hall is a Roman cryptoporticus — a U-shaped covered passageway — built in the 1st century BC as the foundation for the city’s forum.
Next to the Hotel de Ville is Saint-Trophime Church, a former cathedral built between the 12th and 15th centuries. The church is one of many starting points in France, Spain, and Portugal for pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in western Spain. Sculptures above its portal depicting the Last Judgement and other scenes are considered to be some of the finest Romanesque sculptures still remaining.
Roman sarcophagus said to hold the remains of Saint Honoratus (350-429 AD), the Archbishop of Arles.
We strolled through the old city’s shopping streets, arcing around the landmark Roman amphitheater that we would visit in more detail the next day.
Marianne and I stopped for lunch at Le Petit Arles, a tiny place (as the name suggests) run by two women serving sweet crêpes and savory galettes. We sat at a small table on the narrow pedestrian street eating delightfully crispy galettes — mine filled with ham, mushroom, and eggs — and feeling the tranquil ease of a loose itinerary.
Embarkation
Logistics consumed the next couple of hours: retrieving our car, dropping off Marianne and our luggage at our cruise ship on the Rhône, then driving to the nearest Europcar to drop off our rental, with its rear wiper still tightly bound in duct tape. It was just a 10-minute walk from there back to port, where we checked in to our home for the upcoming week: the AmaCello.
Built in 2008 and operated by AmaWaterways, the AmaCello is a modest river cruiser with 73 staterooms accommodating 144 passengers plus 45 crew. It has four decks, with most of the action taking place on its second and third decks. The boat features two restaurants, a bar and lounge, a fitness room, a hair salon, a gift shop, and, on the top deck, a whirlpool, walking track, and lounge chairs.
Because we came into the trip with a sizable credit from our Rhine River misadventure, we spluged on a suite at the front of the second deck. The 255-square-foot room included a shower and separate bathtub, a comfortable seating area at the end of the bed, and a French balcony with floor-to-ceiling windows.
After getting settled, we joined an orientation meeting with complimentary drinks, hearing a rundown of what to expect on our river journey. We would remain in port that night, then kick off the excursion with a formal tour of Arles in the morning. Time to go with the flow.