Paris, France: April 2022
After arriving in Paris and taking a taxi from the airport, we checked into the Hotel Castex in Le Marais, where there are many buildings of historic and architectural importance. We set out to explore the neighborhood and then wandered along the Seine, where we found a charming people-watching cafe and ordered crepes.
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Day 2: The colorful, cobblestoned Rue Crémieux neighborhood in the 12th arrondissement is a photographer's dream.
Day 3: In the morning we took a Panoramic Paris tour with several stops, including Les Invalides, with its gold-leaf dome, the Monument dedicated to the memory of over 13,000 Jews rounded up in Paris during World War II, and Shakespeare and Company, the iconic English-language bookstore opened in 1951 (named after the bookstore founded in 1919).
In the afternoon we took a funicular up Montmartre Hill, where many artists once lived, worked or had their studios, including Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and Vincent van Gogh. We visited Sacré-Coeur Basilica, the second-highest point in Paris after the Eiffel Tower.
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Day 4: We explored the quaint village of La Roche-Guyon with its 12th-century Château. The castle's centuries of history include World War II German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel's defense of Normandy against the Allies from a bunker located here.
We enjoyed a leisurely coffee at a sidewalk café before returning to the ship.
We enjoyed a leisurely coffee at a sidewalk café before returning to the ship.
We visited Giverny, painter and gardener Claude Monet's lovely home and amazing gardens, in the afternoon. Giverny was Monet's home for over 40 years until his death in 1926, as well as his creation and masterpiece. Monet is known as "the father of impressionism" and created a new way of seeing the world.
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Day 6: A meaningful and sobering day visiting Normandy's D-Day beaches and remembering those who gave their lives here.
We stopped in Arromanches to visit the Debarkment D-Day Museum where we saw a model of the temporary Mulberry Harbor that moved a huge volume of troops. We then had a pleasant lunch
at the Hôtel de Normandie. |
We toured the American Cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer, where two men from our group participated in a wreath laying ceremony, and we stood upon the sands of Omaha Beach, reflecting on the freedoms we enjoy.
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Day 7: Today was a sailing morning, giving us a chance to relax, watch as we passed by charming villages, and enjoy the many amenities of this lovely ship.
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A cooking demonstration by Chef Jozsef provided the recipe for Tarte au Citron... we got to taste it too! Then we spent a delightful afternoon in the small town of
Les Andelys. |
Les Andelys is a picturesque Norman town with many half-timbered buildings. High on a hill overlooking the town is Château-Gaillard, the castle and fortress of Richard the Lionheart, King of England and Duke of Normandy, built between 1196-1198. Steve tried the Lionheart Ale, brewed to a 12th century style recipe and said to be fit for a king!
Day 8: We spent most of our day touring the lavish 17th-century Palace of Versailles and its extravagant gardens.
The home of three resident kings, most famously Louis XIV, the 2,000-acre palace and park were designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1979. Our tour of the interior rooms included the dazzling Hall of Mirrors.
Day 9: We disembarked from the Skaga, checking in at the Hotel Castex. After coffee and a croissant we visited the Holocaust Museum and Sainte-Chapelle, with its stunning stained glass windows, before having onion soup for lunch.
Arranged across 15 windows, the stained glass panes depict 1,113 scenes from the Old and New Testaments. The rose window is composed of eighty-nine separate panels representing scenes from the book of Revelation. Sainte-Chapelle, constructed in the 13th century by King Louis IX, is considered a gem of French Gothic architecture.
Day 10: Our photo session with Malcolm McLoughlin provided us with some great memories and a new friend!
Works by Claude Monet, Claude Monet, Vincent van Gogh, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Pierre-Auguste Renoir.
We purchased our Eiffel Tower tickets ahead of time, planning to experience a lovely sunset view from the top.
Day 11: Our last full day in Paris! We'd booked a tour of the Louvre Museum and our guide Zdravko really made history and art come to life. Originally built in the 12th century as a fortress, remnants of its medieval beginnings are still visible in the basement of the museum. The Louvre became a museum in 1793 during the French Revolution and has a collection that spans work from ancient civilizations to the mid-19th century
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Above: Medieval fortress remains; The enigmatic Mona LIsa by Leonardo da Vinci, one of the most famous paintings in the world; The ceiling of the Galerie d’Apollon; Below: The Great Sphinx of Tanis; Artemis with a Doe (also known as Diana of Versailles),
a 2nd century marble sculpture; the Winged Victory of Samothrace, a masterpiece of Hellenistic sculpture; the Salle des Cariatides with female figures serving as columns, sculpted by Jean Goujon in 1550.
a 2nd century marble sculpture; the Winged Victory of Samothrace, a masterpiece of Hellenistic sculpture; the Salle des Cariatides with female figures serving as columns, sculpted by Jean Goujon in 1550.
Perfect for our final evening was a wonderful dinner at Vins des Pyrenees.
Day 12: Savoring one more sidewalk café breakfast; treats to take home; a reluctant au revoir to Paris!
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