Notes from France November 2018

November 12, 2018 Paris never disappoints even in the rain. We took a lovely bus tour and saw the high spots. Notre Dame remains as beautiful as it was when I was here 15 years ago.  In front of the cathedral is zero stone for distance measurement in France.  In the cathedral we lit candles (of course) in memory of deceased family members, and gazed at the gorgeous stained glass,...the huge Rose window still takes my breath away. We hit all the important landmarks, Eiffel Tower, Arc d’Triomphe, the Left Bank (all those bookshops!!!), Champs d’Elysee...it was lovely.  We had some time at Notre Dame, so had the quintessental  Parisian espresso and crepes! We disembarked from our Parisian docking this evening and as I write we are traveling up the Seine to Normandy. A lovely way to be lulled to 😴.

Friday, November 16, 2018 Gary had the distinct pleasure to meet twice with Captain Frederic of the Viking Rolf. They discussed the tremendous actions of Viking for sustainable sailing as well as EU environmental regulations.  The Captain took him on a tour of the wastewater treatment plant, and other below deck operations including computer control of the engines to most effectively use energy. He also talked about his management of the 50 staff members and the challenges in dealing with the differences between the departments. Gary feels this is an incredibly well-run operation  and enjoyed  watching  the ship go through the locks.

Wednesday, November 164 2018 Les Andelys is a charming little town along the Seine. It’s claim to fame is the Chateau Gaillard, built by Richard the Lionhearted. It is ruins now, but goes back in time to when Richard was both King of England and France. (This only works if your mother is Eleanor of Aquitaine and gives you most of Normandy as a gift). Needless to say, the ruins are up a big hill and it was a strenuous walk. We opted out for the leisurely walk through the town and gazed at the chateau from afar. (This explanation will be clearer when I get to better WiFi and can add some photos). Our stroll took us to the town church, lovely mini cathedral with the requisite beautiful stained glass windows and included a lovely plaque listing the soldiers from the town who had died in WWI. ☹️ Gary went back to the boat as he had an appointment with the boat Captain (his new bff), to learn more about how the boat operates. More to come on that with a separate blog post.  S...

Wednesday, November 14, 2018 As we awoke this morning we were still cruising down the Seine to Rouen. A fog had settled over the river and reminded me of Monet’s famous paintings of the Rouen Cathedral.  We had a lovely morning watching the commerce moving along the river,  and then even attended a cooking class and learned to make lemon tart! Happily by the time we arrived the fog had cleared and we had bright sunshine for our walking tour. The cathedral in real life is magnificent. Monet's paintings are exquisite.  During WWII, the stained glass was buried to be saved before the building was bombed. The demolished parts are now rebuilt and windows restored after the destruction it suffered. Just so exquisite. Joan of Arc was burned at the stake in Rouen. We saw the site and visited a modern church built in her honor. Rouen suffered much destruction, and half of the town was rebuilt circa 1960 architecture. The remaining buildings from the 15th, 16th centu...

November 13, 2018 Boarded the bus early today and went to Auvers-sur-Oise. Although Giverny is closed for the season we were able to view Monet’s house and a portion of the lily pads from the bus.  Beautiful even when the season is over. The whole area was autumnal, colored leaves, sun streaming and the beautiful blue sky. Easy to see where these artists got their inspiration. In Auvers we learned about Van Gogh’s last months. He moved there from Arles, and painted so many of his iconic landscapes and portraits during the time he spent there.  There are conflicting stories about how he died. He was buried in Auvers, and his brother Theo who died within the year, was buried next to him.  Very interesting lecture by a local artist then a Normandy buffet! We are skipping the dancing tonight to be ready for a lovely day in Rouen tomorrow.

Sunday November 11, 2018 Safe arrival in France. Boat, accommodations, food are all outstanding. Grey day on the Seine, but a gray day in Paris is still beautiful. We went on a walking tour to the lovely St. Germain-en-Laye which is a short bus ride away. Many fascinating facts about the place, Louis XIV was born there, as were Claude Debussy, and Victor Hugo. We toured a medieval chateau and Gothic church where James II is buried. He had a French mother...who knew?  We even ran into Boy Scouts (in berets) doing Boy Scout things in spite of the rain. It has been a lovely, lovely day.