While in Vernon, we took a short ride through the Seine Valley to Giverny to see Claude Monet's home and gardens. The gardens, with a beautiful water lily pond, and Japanese bridge, were a major source of inspiration for his art.
From Caudebec, we visited the Jumièges Abbey, where a resident monk took us around the monastery, telling us very funny stories. It was fun listening to him. Back to the boat for lunch then off again to Honfleur, a beautiful little harbor town with cobblestone streets on the Normandy coast. There was so much to see, we had hardly enough time to explore the entire port. But of course we had to sit and have a beer outside, it was such a beautiful day!
The visit to Normandy was a 10 hour day, seeing the bunkers first, then Omaha Beach landing sites, followed by the visit to the American Memorials cemetery. It was a very solemn day, peaceful and reflective of the events on D-Day. The guides did an excellent job in telling and showing us how all the events played out.
We had day in Rouen, a town with a huge gothic cathedral, cute alleys, squares lined with half-timbered houses, and the site where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake.
From Conflans we took a tour of Versailles palace and gardens. It was massive in size and way to elaborate for us. The crowds, ugh! Looking at all this luxury the French Royals lived in, comparing that to the local people struggling was like a slap in the face. We can definitely see why the people revolted.
Paris was bigger and more spread out than we thought. Our morning city tour was a total washout, pouring down rain and cold. Luckily for us, the sun came out for our afternoon tour to Montmarte,
on the outskirts of Paris. The town was on the top of a hill, where the views overlooking the city were amazing! The narrow winding streets were full of cafes, artists, and great shops!
We can't say enough about Avalon Waterways, the minute we walked on board we felt back home again, and already are talking about where our fourth river cruise with them will be. Our cruise director highly recommended Portugal, along the Douro River. Best month September. What a great way to celebrate our 25th Anniversary next year!
