Day 2 of our Rhone River Adventure

   Day 2
This morning we woke up and it was nice and sunny with less wind.  Today we have our second Active excursion.  We boarded a bus to head over to Val d'Enfer for our hike.  The name comes from the unique white limestone rock formations.   We learned that this location was the inspiration for Dante's inferno.  The hike was so much better than the bike ride!   It was a nice climb with lots of wonderful views to stop and see along the way.   At the end we visited the old quarry which now hosts the Carrieres de Lumieres which was just amazing!   You entered what seemed like a cave with lots of perfectly flat walls and many square columns.   The show started and it was a moving collage of Van Gogh paintings set to music that were projected all over the walls, ceiling, and floors.   You felt totally immersed in the experience and I just couldn't stop looking everywhere to take it all in.  I could see how some people might feel a bit dizzy though.   Our guide mentioned that the show changes every year so make sure to visit again next time we are in the area.   I really enjoyed the Van Gogh theme since it really seemed to tie in with everything else we have been seeing in Arles.   The Discovery option for today option was a painting class where you got to paint in the same spot as Van Gogh once painted.   The Classic option today was a tour of Arles with a bullfighter who took them into the Roman arena and explained the games they do there with the bulls.
  We arrived back at the ship for lunch and since it was so nice the ship offered a bbq lunch on the top deck which was just perfect.   After lunch we headed back into Arles to do a little shopping and exploring. Arles is a very old town with lots of Roman influence.   We explored the arena which looks like a mini colosseum and they still do bullfighting in there.   We learned that it is not the same as the Spanish bullfighting though in that they do not kill the bull but instead it is more of a game where were are pulling the ribbons from the bull.  There are plenty of shops and cute French cafes to enjoy.    We did have to be back onboard before dinner time because the ship was moving onto our next stop, Avignon.   On the way we did go through our first lock and it is a tight squeeze but we made it.