Rod Phillips was a “Smithsonian Expert” on a Rhône River cruise
Professor Rod Phillips spent a week in May as a “Smithsonian Expert” on a cruise down the Rhône River, in eastern France. The Smithsonian Institution, in Washington DC, organizes cultural “journeys” to many parts of the world, and invited Rod to talk about the Rhône Valley and its wines.
He gave two lectures, one on the history of the Rhône River and the other on the wines of the Rhône Valley, as well as talking informally to passengers. The other “Smithsonian Expert” on board was Ross King, a noted art historian who lectured on the Palace of the Popes in Avignon and on the paintings of Vincent van Gogh when he lived in Arles.
The cruise began at Lyon and ended at Arles, and the ship docked at several towns in between, where the 125 passengers – almost all from the US – could participate in tours to vineyards, markets, and historic sites.
