The Isle of Wighters were early leavers on their little boat, as they were heading down the Rhone to winter in the south, and didn’t want to waste time getting there!

We followed them out of port around 0945h, with the goal of getting through Lyon and mooring somewhere on the Saone that evening.

We were impressed by the autumn colours and the campground on the other side of the River Rhone.

At PK35, we passed Chateau Ampuis and were dazzled by the beauty and the idyllic setting of this Chateau. In a couple of day's time, we would also appreciate the quality of the wines from this chateau.

A little further up the river, just beyond Ecluse Vaugris, we saw the CNR HQ buildings. They sure know how to site a HQ!

At PK29, we passed through the town of Vienne. Its riverside buildings and ruins on the hill were very picturesque. Once again I marvelled at the variety in heights, rooflines and floor levels for a group of buildings that must all have been built at around the same time.

By now, I was becoming an expert at foot steering, and the chair we bought at the Vide Grenier many years ago was starting to earn its place on the barge. The width of the river allows for more relaxation in navigation and steering, and is much less tiring than cruising on a canal, where you have to concentrate ALL the time. Despite the fact that we are on the move for 6-8 hours per day, it's a much easier job as skipper, and the locks are also less frequent and easier. Unlike canal cruising, I have not really felt tired at the end of any day of river cruising.

The birdlife continues to impress us on the river. Today we followed a flock of herons that lazily winged their way up the river in front of the boat...

… and then a mob of cormorants took flight just before the barge arrived.

We saw some more loading activities today when we passed Samgen, which we had seen further south, being filled with gas.

The day was sunny as we headed into Lyon and we were soon heading for the Confluence with the Saone.

We had planned to stop here at the Confluence Marina, until we learnt that it had closed for the season, so we just continued on through, since there were no other moorings in desirable areas. Nonetheless, Lyon looks like an interesting city, with a plethora of bridges ...

… some interesting architecture and sculptures ...

… and some very pleasant riverside vistas. We will return.

And before we knew it, we had left the city and returned to the countryside as we made our way up the Saone.

Around PK9, we encountered many rowers, probably from local schools. They seemed to be enjoying their workout.

As we approached Ecluse Couzon, we radioed ahead to announce our arrival, but received no reply, so we decided to just front up and see what happened. But at PK16.5, we saw a nice mooring at Rochetaillee, that I had read about in the DBA Waterways Guide, which described it as looking like a “railway station” with two platforms. The two inner platforms were suitable for pleasure peniche, while the outer platform could accommodate a larger barge. So we decided to stop for the night. But the eclusier at Couzons must have got our VHF message, because as we were settling in, we got a call asking if we still wanted to come through the lock. We apologised and explained that we were stopping for the day. He was very understanding, and said he would see us in the morning, adding that the lock would open at 0500h. We explained that we might be a bit later than that, at around 0900h, and we both had a bit of a laugh.

So we moored here and then walked back to a riverside cafe that we had spotted just before the mooring, and treated ourselves to drinks in the sun overlooking the river.

We then walked up to check out Ecluse Couzon, which we would pass through tomorrow, to see what locks were like on the Saone. Still long and wide locks, but not as deep as on the Rhone and without the floating bollards. Then back to the barge, where Rita made crepes for dinner, and we had many ducks for entertainment.