We docked in the small village of Viviers on the Rhone. Our tour today was to a truffle farm. The ride out to the truffle farm through the countryside was very pretty. The first view was the Cathedral Saint Vincent perched high on the hill over looking Viviers. Also we learned the Viviers was not bombed by the Allies because the bridge over the Rhone had been blown up by the French Resistance a week before the bombing campaign to blow up all the bridges across the Rhone.
Viviers Cathedral
While at the truffle farm we learned about the different types of truffles, mostly based on the time of year they are found, as well as how truffle trees are cultivated. The farmer inoculates new oak tree saplings with truffle spores. It takes ten years for a truffle tree grove to mature to produce enough truffles to be economically viable. In the meantime, they plant rows of lavender between the trees to have a crop while waiting for the trees to mature. They also train dogs to locate the truffles which grow underground.
Truffle dogs in the truffle grove
Linda holding an Autumn Truffle
Truffle farmer holding found truffles
Truffle Farmhouse
View from the farm
Left the farm and went back to the ship. That afternoon, we learned that because the Saone River was rising, we were going to miss our next stop at Vienne and sail directly to Trevoux, a port not on our original itinerary north of Lyon.
Entering a lock
We are cruising as quickly as a we can northward. We will pass the low bridges in the early morning tomorrow.