2017 France

Thursday night we were treated on board to a performance featuring French culture.  An opera soprano and a baritone, accompanied by a pianist and soprano saxophone performed a medley of music including opera, Broadway (les mis), and classics (American in Paris and Clair de lune).  All were very gifted musicians, but the saxophonist was especially good and could have given Kenny G a run for his money. This morning was our tour out into the wine country of the Beaujolais.  As we entered the area it was much like being back in Dundee --- the vineyards, the vistas, and the wineries. Our first stop was the town of Beaujeu from which Beaujolais got its name.  A town of 3,000, I could see myself spending some time here taking in the local culture with its church, streets, shops, and cafes. From our stop at Beaujeu we were just a short distance away for our winery tour at Chateau Ravatys.  Built in the 19th century by a wealthy individual, it was do...

Well into our second week we are developing a rhythm of breakfast, tour, lunch, nap, stroll, evening announcements, dinner, entertainment.  This morning started with coffee, yogurt and fruit on the back deck, followed by our tour of Lyon. La Basillica Notre Dame Fouriere Built in the late nineteenth century with major construction taking 25 yeaers, this is one of the most beautiful churches I have every been in.  Because it was completed in a relatively short period of time, it is complete and consistent through out.  The walls are all done in mosaics ornated with gold telling the story of Mary, Joan of Arc, among others.  From the top of the hill we were able to see the entire system which is much bigger than I ever imagined with more that 2 million population. From there we went back down to the old town where we toured some of the streets.  One fascinating thing were learned about were the Tarblou's (sp?).  The streets all ran north and sou...

On the train from Paris to Lyon Note:  I have having trouble downloading pictures so they may become few and far between.  Hopefully things will improve at our next port. Wednesday morning was up early at 5:30 to finish packing our bags and putting them out, followed by breakfast in the dining room before our 7:15 departure to the train station.  For the second time I had egg benedict and it was delicious.  It was about an hour drive on the bus through the heart of Paris from our boat to the station on the other side of Paris. Arc d Triumph on our way to the train station We boarded our train (there were two cars reserved for the 51 of us traveling from one boat to the next) for the two hour ride through the countryside at high speed (100+ mph).  We were on the upper deck of the train car with seats facing each other so we were able to get in a rousing game of Pinochle.  For some reason the train stopped for about 15 minutes; because we do not u...

First Four Holes of the Viking Rinda Course and Running Track Chateau de Malmaison Napoleon Crossing the Alps Josephine's Bedroom Napoleon's Office and Library Today started out again leisurely (as we will be out until midnight in Paris).  Started the day out with a round of golf up on the sun deck and did three laps on the track that covers the back half of the boat (12 laps = mile).  Had fish and chips for lunch, and then we were off to the home of Napoleon and Josephine.  Built in the seventeenth century, Josephine bought the property in 1799 while Napoleon was out of town.  In 1809 they were divorced because she was unable to produce an heir, but Josephine received the house in the divorce.  She lived there until her death at the age of 51. The chateau is normally closed on Tuesday, but they opened it up for just people on our Viking boat giving us an uncrowded view.  Facing the front of the home, Napoleon lived on the left ...

Going through the locks on the Seine and talking to pedestrians on bridge Towns along the Seine Towns along the Seine Chateau Gaillard, a fortess of King Richard the I in the 12th Century Our ship viewed from Chateau Gaillard Proximity of our Boat to Les Andelys Another leisurely day.  We pulled away from our mooring in Rouen at 7 am and began our trip to Les Andelys, a town of 400 on the Seine.  We sailed by several picturesque small towns and went through a lock that raised us about 30 feet.  While in the locks we were able to talk with people on the pedestrian bridge over the top (of course they talked French and we talked English so the interchange was limited).  After lunch we arrived in Les Andelys. Les Andelys is a town of about 400 residents.  This town was not touched by the war except for the French resistance intentionally destroying the bridge to keep German troops from passing through. Most of the buildings in the ...

US Paratrooper and Pilot in D-Day Museum German big gun at Gold Beach Memorial at American Cemetary Grave I chose to honor with a rose Monument in the sand at Omaha Beach Light Show on Cathedral in Rouen Light Show on Cathedral in Rouen Today was the somber day of the trip, our visit to the beaches of Normandy and the American cemetery.  Our first stop was the D-Day museum in Arronmanches above Gold Beach.  Here the British successfully built a working harbor in 12 days that provided one of the key supply lines to support the retaking of France and Europe, a major engineering feat.  The picture shows the uniform and equipment of the American paratroopers.  Many died landing in water (off course) unable to cut themselves free from their parachutes while being weighted down with 80+ pounds of equipment. We had a traditional French lunch at a local restaurant (not the best but the wine helped make up for it).  We then went to see...

Walking along the Siene River near our boat A cemetery with a story Inside the Nortre Dame Cathedral in Rouen Notre Dame Cathedral of Rouen The place where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake Today got off to a very lazy start.  We were able to sleep in and have a late breakfast (eggs benedict for me and french toast for Alice).  The four of us then took a leisurely stroll along the river where we watched the swans swimming by.  After a lunch of ribs and curly fries, we were off on our walking tour of old town Rouen. The town looks like many other modern cities from the river, but just four short blocks inland toward the city your are transformed back some 300 to 900 years ago.  One of our first stops was a "cemetery."  When the town was besieged by malaria and the plague (1700s?), over half the population died.  At first they were buried in the courtyard of this area, but they quickly ran out of room, so they built the building ar...