My friends ask me why I continue to take these trips with U. of L. They know that flying to another continent is expensive and that traveling is an ordeal. My reply is that “it is nice to get away for awhile so that we appreciate what a good life that we have and it helps to break up the year.” These river cruises are perfect for us because we are treated like royalty and half of the fun is to live like kings and queens, if only for a little while. The Rhône was great because on every day on the cruise there was a new historical town to discover. We saw the Roman amphitheater in Arles, the Palace of the Popes in Avignon, the Viviers cathedral that was built by the Romans, the Lyon cathedral which is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and the historical hospital in Beaune. We came back to the ship in the afternoon so we had time to take in the sun on the upper deck of the ship. It was the perfect trip for Tracey and me.
We spent a week on Uniworld’s “S.S. Catherine.” The ship was small enough for Tracey to memorize its floor plans so she had complete freedom and independence, That means a lot to a blind woman. On the other hand, the Palace of the Popes in Avignon was challenging. There were many flights of stairs and they were of uneven height, the edges were worn down so they bowed in the middle, some steps were narrow while others were wide, some were steep while others were shallow, some had handrails and others did not. Also, some of these old towns have been around forever and have been reconstructed many times so the surface of the streets alternated between cobblestone, asphalt, tile, and brick. Tracey can navigate the tile easily but her cane became useless on the other surfaces. A half day tour was about all that we were up for because of the ordeal of walking.I like to joke around with our tour guides whenever possible. As part of our excursion to Viviers, for example, MaryAnne invited us into her house. She said that even though we had a large group, everyone could take a restroom break because she had four bathrooms. I smirked when I said, “Hopefully their isn’t any carpeting around the toilets.” That joke landed flat so I tried gain. As we were leaving I said, “You should check eBay in about two hours if you want to get your stuff back.” I thought that I was hilarious but she remained stone-faced. In Tournon, we took a walking tour with Pierre and as we passed the slaughterhouse he pointed out the heads of cows carved into stone and imbedded into the walls. I said that the heads served as a warning to any passing cows that they should stay away. Pierre didn’t laugh so I tried to sell the joke. “You see, there wouldn’t be any loose cows walking around the middle of the city and that makes the joke funny.” There still wasn’t a laugh so I tired again. “A cow wouldn’t recognize its face carved out in stone because it is a cow.” Finally, Pierre smiled, but it was more out of charity than because he liked the joke.
There were a lot of moments on this trip that made it special. For example, it had rained for three solid weeks before we arrived in Arles but now the weather was perfect so parents took advantage of the sun by letting their kids play in the public square. It was wonderful to hear the happy noises of the kids playing and laughing. Another example was in Viviers where a woman teared up as she recalled how the guide had helped Tracey feel the altar in the cathedral. Also, she was inspired by watching me guiding Tracey through the buildings and on the streets. You just know that she is going to share the story of the blind woman to family and friends when she gets back home. Of course, the nicest moment was celebrating Tracey’s 60th birthday. Todor, the manager of the dining room, put up streamers, set out special plates, and blew up two big balloons which expressed a six and a zero. I don’t think that I have ever seen my wife so happy as they served her a birthday cake with her name on it and popped the cork on a champagne bottle. It was a wonderful evening, one that we will not forget for the rest of our lives.
