We left just after 9 a.m. - life jackets at the ready, as it's compulsory to wear them in the big Rhone locks. It was a beautiful day - not too hot with an almost cloudless sky. About 3 km from our mooring we arrived at St. Gilles lock. Although there is hardly any rise and fall it is a very large lock and we had to wait around for about twenty minutes before we could go through. Another 20 km on Le Petit Rhone saw us at the junction and we were on the mighty Rhone! Now to see how strong the current is running with the added disadvantage of the wind against us. As we motored on towards our first Rhone lock (Beaucaire - 15m) the wind started to strengthen but as the current wasn't running too fast we made pretty good progress. We arrived in Avignon just about 3.30 but it was a while after that by the time we moored. Aphrodite rafted up against a very smart Australian barge a couple of metres longer than herself and Cornelis k. on the quay behind a hotel boat. A nice young lady Capitaine helped us in and told us that the hotel boat would be leaving port at 11p.m. so that we could move in the morning, since we deserved a rest day and planned on staying for two nights. The new marina in Avignon was swept away in a very nasty Mistral a few years ago and, as no replacement has yet been built, the moorings are on the old quay and are at a premium. We had a well deserved couple of beers and a chat then arranged to re- convene at 7 p.m. However, a little later Skip said he was feeling unwell, so Crew and Henk went out for dinner alone. As we had eaten a few times in the main square we de decided to go 'off piste' and look elsewhere. We found a smaller square with a few bars and restaurants and plumped for one, after an inspection of menus. We had been eating out quite a lot so decided on just one main course of duck, which was certainly passable, if not excellent! Finding our way back was not as easy as we thought however.......for some reason we both felt that we should keep turning right (which, on reflection, made no sense at all!) and we got fairly lost. It wasn't until a young man asked Crew for a light did we decide to ask where the port was! He pointed us in the right direction and we were soon 'home'. Crew had trusted the navigation to Henk but as of today, her navigator is sacked!!! We had a small Armagnac on Cornelis k. then Crew went back to Aphrodite to check on her patient. He was through the worst but still hot - decided that sleep was the best medicine.
61km 2 locks 6 1/2 hours
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