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136 For complete itinerary details and videos, visit vikingrivercruises.com.au O P T I O N A L S H O R E E X C U R S I O N S O N Y O U R J O U R N E Y T R U FFL E H U N T I N G P O N T D U G A R D AQ U E D U C T, FR A N C E FL AVOURS OF LYON Treat your taste buds to the culinar y delights of Lyon, hailed as the "world capital of gastronomy." Enjoy a Brioche à la Praline, a brioche packed with pounded pralines. Visit a renowned chocolatier; then learn all about cheese at your nex t stop and taste a variet y of local favourites. At a local bistro savour a tast y plat ter of cured meats and more. L AVENDER FIELDS OF PROVENCE Af ter a tour and lunch in the village, enjoy a leisurely drive past Ventoux villages and stunning lavender fields. Pause in St. Christol and Simiane la Rotonde to explore and to admire sweeping views. Then, visit Coustellet and the Lavender Museum, founded by a family that runs a vast lavender farm in a nearby village. RHÔNE VALLEY VINEYARD HIKE Explore the nor thern Rhône Valley wine countr y. Walk through the vineyards around the town of Tain-l'Hermitage that produce the world-famous Hermitage wine and learn about the histor y of local viticulture, the bir thplace of syrah. Taste the full- bodied red wines accompanied by locally produced Valrhona chocolate. UNSPOILED C AMARGUE & ARCHITEC TUR AL GEMS See the wetlands and farms of the untamed Camargue, France's protec ted Rhône River Delta region, and visit t wo of its historic towns. The Camargue is a refuge for a huge array of birdlife and wild horses. Visit the Or thinological Park of Pont de Gau, where you can obser ve hundreds of pink flamingos. BEAUJOL AIS & TRUFFLES Travel into the scenic countr yside and visit a medieval wine cellar for a private wine tasting. Enjoy a delicious lunch at a nearby truf fle farm and watch as the farmer's dog hunts for truf fles in the rich soil. Nex t, stop at a cheese farm and learn how the cheese is made, then sample both fresh and more mature cheeses. PONT DU GARD AQUEDUC T See the magnificent three -tiered struc ture built by the Romans 2,000 years ago. One of the Roman Empire's most breathtaking remains and most ambitious engineering projec ts of its time, mar vel at the huge struc ture that once channelled 4 4 million gallons of water each day, and spend time at the site's museum.