Rhone Day 3: Hotel and Winery

In Paris we stayed at the Crowne Plaza Republique Hotel with its statue of Marianne, the symbol of the French Revolution.

This inner courtyard made it feel like we weren't really in the middle of all the confusion of a big city, but the metro was only a few steps away.

The Rhone River does NOT pass through Paris. It was a five hour drive to Lyon where we would meet our ship. On the way we stopped for lunch and a wine tasting in the small French town of Mercurey.

Chateau de Garnerot is a small family owned winery. The owner, Caroline Fyot, was a delight and explained her philosophy of wine-making. I can't say I understood it, but I was impressed.

We heard over and over of the importance of terroir--the nature of the land--to the flavor of the grapes.

This estate has been here for a few hundred years although Caroline is a newcomer out of the insurance industry.

It was a charming place, and lunch was delightful, especially the wonderful cheese course before the sweet and the perfect pairing of their wines with the different cheeses.

In the late afternoon we arrived in Lyon at the ship that would be our home for the next week.