11/6/16 Viking River Cruise - Paris

We two sisters visited Paris for the first time in March, 2015 (see our past blog travel) and thought we'd never get the opportunity to travel back to Paris.  As luck would have it, almost as soon as we arrived home from that March trip, we received an "opportunity" through the mail outlining a Viking River Cruise out of Paris in November, 2016 with round trip air fare INCLUDED!  It took us about an hour to talk about it and by the end of the day, we booked our 2nd trip to Paris!

Have we mentioned we love to do these things on the spur of the moment?

We both decided that as long as we were booking the Viking Cruise for 8 days, we may as well stay in Paris at the end of the trip for another week.  That involved a small cost for a change to the return air fare and we set out to find a Paris hotel but in a different arrondisement (district) than the one we had just visited.  We'll talk about the district and the hotel in the next section of our blog.  In the meantime, just know it was wonderful!

After leaving West Palm, we flew Delta to Atlanta and transferred to Air France for the 7 hour flight to Paris, arriving the next morning.  After going through Customs and picking up our luggage we were greeted by a Viking rep. who took us to their gathering place at the airport. (Viking has this down "pat".) 

About 25 of us were put on a comfortable shuttle bus to our river boat (under 200 passengers)  which was docked at LaPecq, about 12 miles from Paris. 

Day 1, Sunday - Viking Rolf - LaPecq
When we arrived at the Rolf we were a little groggy but were greeted by the crew with hot towels and shown our cabin by the concierge....the officers on this boat personally escorted the passengers -- a classy way to begin the voyage.

There are 4 decks and we were on the lower deck -- remember, we got a great deal which is always our main goal in travelling!  The cabin was VERY tiny (the smallest we've ever had on any kind of boat/ship) .....

Even this picture is teeny tiny!  This room

was just 150  sf. but it worked for us!

Peggy relaxing in one of the lounges.

but we soon found that we were able to unpack, put all of our things in closets and drawers and had just enough space in the bathroom where the floor is heated, by the way!  There are American sockets to plug in our phones and I-pads and the Wi-Fi is good (and free on board which is quite different from the cruise ships where we've had to pay for wi-fi).  Our kids advised us not to make phone calls from France (big $$ charges) but we could e-mail them and even face-time (go figure!) without additional charges.  Oh, and there's a 40" flat screen but only BBC and CNN International in English--at least we could check out our elections when the time came.

Now is was time to explore.....there are 4 decks on this river boat and I'll start at the top --   the top deck is the sun deck and it's open with lounge chairs and some tables with chairs, the obligatory shuffleboard court and 2 tiny putting greens.  Some of the tables and chairs are under a large sun shade with is hydraulically lowered when the boat goes under low bridges.....we think the Captain said we'd be going under 50+ bridges during this cruise (some bridges twice, of course--coming and going).

Walk down a flight of steps to the 3rd deck or Upper Deck and you'll find 2 coffee/tea service stations which are open 24 hours (rolls and pastry in the morning and cookies in the afternoon) just beyond a small elevator.  NOTE:  this elevator only goes to the 2nd and 3rd floors so you can't get to the upper outside deck or lower deck (our "steerage" cabin) via elevator. 

Cabins are at one end of the third floor and the lounge and glassed-in atrium, Aquavit Terrace, are at the other end of the boat.  Brunch was being served in the atrium and it was delicious! 

The 2nd deck or Middle Deck also has cabins at one half of the boat and the other half is the dining room which is open seating and a great way to meet the other guests on board.
Reception and the Concierge is also located on this deck.

The 1st deck (our deck) is called the Main Deck and is comprised of  cabins at one end and the inner workings of the ship are at the other end.

The safety drill wasn't scheduled until the afternoon so we decided to step off the boat and run over to the Monoprix --

one of our favorite French stores since it's like Target in the U.S. but with lots of neat French cosmetics at great prices!  We also love some of their food-stuffs --Peggy picked up more Fines Herbes (which she uses in almost everything -- even tuna casserole looks and tastes better! )  Also bought several small containers of sea salt....doesn't taste any different from ours but she loves the small cardboard cans with scenes of the French countryside and the cork lids --2.25 euros.  Even though Peg is splurging a little (Morton salt is cheaper) she feels a little "gourmetish" by adding a pinch of French salt to her tuna casseroles....yes, tuna casserole is her specialty. 

and Mary K loved these inexpensive herb and rose salt grinders! (also from Monoprix)

Back on the ship in time for the lifeboat drill....amazing!  We basically learned that if the boat is in peril, we should put on our life vests and just float or walk to the banks of the Seine.  As our fellow passenger and friend, Carter, says -- "they'll be a mandatory cocktail party on the upper deck -- the Seine is too shallow for the boat to fully submerge".  Thank you, Carter!

A pleasure getting to know these charming gentlemen...Carter and Bruce...fun and fascinating! Carter generously shared his extensive knowledge of all things Paris!  

Dinner was served and it was delicious!  The Bulgarian chef (named Angel) is 26 years old and takes pride in every dish he prepares.  Before each dinner, he explains his favorites and we order from a menu that not only includes his favorites but 2 more appetizers, 2 more entrees and 2 different desserts.  Prime rib, salmon and a veggie dish are always available at dinner as well as ice cream and sorbet.  Included with our dinner is our choice of a red or white wine and the waiters keep our glasses full -- "stingy" is not a word spoken on Viking!

The ship's officers spoke after dinner about our upcoming "voyage" and the mechanics of the boat.  They were very down-to-earth and friendly, seeming to enjoy their work.  We especially like Manuel (Mano) from Spain -- maybe it was because he always visited our dinner table with a bottle of wine and a huge smile!  Thank you, Mano! (he's the one standing next to Peggy)

Music and drinks were available after dinner in the lounge but we were pooped from the long flight and went back to our cabin to catch up on some much-needed sleep with the 6 hour time change.

Day 2, Monday - Viking Rolf - LaPecq
First things first.....breakfast in the dining room.  It was buffet-style (usually not our favorite) but fabulous.  The chefs and wait staff are all friendly and helpful and the food is delicious.  Omelets were prepared our way, scrambled eggs (exquisitely made), bacon, sausages, fried potatoes, smoked salmon, hot and cold cereals, fresh fruit, small shots of fruit smoothies, juices, pastries....you name it, it was on the buffet bar.  We could also order eggs benedict, french toast and pancakes from a menu.  Freshly brewed coffee and pain au chocolat ....Heaven....pure heaven in the morning!

Ham and cheese omelet, crispy bacon and delicious mushrooms along with a small plate of smoked salmon!  Just one example of

our great breakfasts every morning!

We were still docked at LaPecq so 3 excursions were scheduled....the Louvre, Paris city sights and "on your own".  We opted for the Paris city sights to refresh our memories of Paris and to prepare ourselves for a full week in that beautiful city after arriving back from our river cruise.  Viking loaded us onto a bus with a guide and we checked out the beautiful homes on our way into Paris.

As soon as we arrived in Paris, our guide pointed out special sights including the upcoming Christmas Market!  Blocks and blocks of small white houses filled with gifts, food and ornaments....and the Market will be open next week when we're in Paris!  Yes!

After we were finished gawking, the bus drove on to Notre Dame where we stopped for a lunch break.  

We had been to Notre Dame before so we, of course, decided to take our lunch break shopping and just plain laughing and enjoying ourselves. 

The Hotel DeVille is on the right side of the above picture with the BHV Deparment Store in the middle.

One of the things we liked about the BHV Department Store last year is the roof-top view from the ladies' room.

And speaking of ladies' rooms.......

Note:  If you see Mary K, ask her about the outdoor toilette.

We met our group outside the Hotel DeVille (the Paris city hall) after checking out the BHV Department Store across the street, of course.  Those French love their light fixtures!  Check out the burlap-type light balls all over the store....

Note:  We both bought some of these neat balls....but later in Paris at Tati at a much lower price (Yup, we're bargain shoppers! ) More about Tati later in the Paris section.

Our next stop was the Eiffel Tower....we stayed 2 blocks away from the Tower last year and went by or near it every day. 

This time, both of us were saddened by the changes.  It's totally surrounded by fencing with security trailers at each end.  We had to open our purses for security and they also had to "wand" each of us before entering near the Tower.  It's a sad reflection of our troubled times.  Each time we passed a group of armed soldiers, we said "Merci"...at first they were surprised and then they smiled.  We needed to thank them for their protection. 

Back to the ship and another marvelous dinner of veal tenderloin and orange souffle for dessert as well as a new set of dinner companions.  Most of the passengers are American with a few Canadians and we couldn't help but notice how "fit" everyone was.  There's lots of walking on these river cruise excursions and all of these passengers were ready for it.  More wine with dinner and we were ready to turn in....river cruises aren't like ocean cruises -- no spectacular shows after dinner, no casinos....it's a totally different, relaxing vacation.

Snacks and drinks in the lounge after dinner.

Sometime during dinner, the Rolf started sailing down the Seine and we went up to the top deck to check out the beautiful countryside rolling by. 

Very peaceful.....we couldn't even hear engines on this boat. 

For about the 5th time, we said to each other...."Aren't we lucky?"

View from our windows

Day 3, Tuesday - Viking Rolf - Vernon
We docked at the beautiful town of Vernon and couldn't wait to explore. 

The Rolf was tied next to another river boat which was moored to the shore...so a walkway was installed from the deck of our boat to the other boat and then we could  go ashore.  Interesting!

One of the neat things about this....the crew from the other river boat invited us into their lobby -- they were selling local crafts and, of course, we both bought a few things.  One of our favorites was this grinder filled with fines herbes......

We joined a walking tour for a few blocks but decided to go off on our own.

This small city was a major site of WWII battles but is now a place of ancient fairy-tale buildings mixed with modern structures.  Our Dad was in the Army Air Corps. during WWII and his plane was shot down in the French countryside someplace near here....he remembered parachuting down and seeing 3 tall smoke stacks before landing.

We stopped at a small cafe across from the church, had a cafe latte and it was served with a wrapped caramel -- imprinted on the wrapper was the name "Gilbert"....our maiden name.  We both got the chills!

Back to the lighter side of Vernon -- one of the major things we noticed were the vast number of beauty salons for such a small area.....when we started counting we got to 16!!  Should've had our hair cut while we had the chance but we wanted to keep exploring. (We think we could have gotten a great haircut cheaper than the Hair Cuttery franchise here in the states-- lots of competition here!)

We returned to the Rolf in time to join a painting class conducted by a local artist. Brigette.  Luckily, we painted with watercolors --which we have both used before (thanks to Laura, our instructor at DaVinci's Palette in Stuart, FL) -- and we were able to choose a scene from several selections the artist brought with her.  She gave us several tips we'd never tried....the main one being to paint the leaves before we paint the tree trunk and branches.  It was a fun afternoon and the artist left us with a post card of one of her wonderful paintings. 

Brigette is a member of a small art collective in the town of Vernon and we would have loved to have met her fellow artists and craftspeople.  Sounds like a great group!


Tomorrow we sail to Rouen -- a name that sticks out in both of our minds relating to our Dad and his WWII experiences.

Arriving back to our cabin, we find a map of our travels, featuring a French flag on Rouen/Normandy...our next stop!




Day 4, Wednesday - Viking Rolf - 1st day in Rouen

Welcome breakfast buffet starts our day again!

We climbed up to the top deck this morning after breakfast to watch the countryside sailing into Rouen. 

As soon as we were settled in our deck chairs, we noticed 3 tall smoke stacks....could this be the countryside Dad was talking about during World War II? 

We were anxious to go ashore and do a little research in this small beautiful town. After making a U-turn in the middle of the river, our ship docked in the middle of Rouen so it was very easy to just walk into this beautiful place and look around.

This is our first rainy day, so Viking supplied their red umbrellas for each of us.  We had scheduled a walking tour this morning, so we headed out with our guide and our Vox listening devices around our necks.

 

  The centerpiece of Rouen is the Notre Dame Cathedral .... construction on this huge church began in 1000 AD but it suffered damage during WWII.  Despite the destruction, the cathedral still has one of the most outstanding sets of mediaeval stained glass anywhere in France.

Little white houses were being set up in the Church courtyard for an upcoming Christmas market.

and a tourist information bureau was across the street with a beautiful little gift shop.

Determined to bring home apple delicacies from an area apple farm, Mary K. found this set of 3 apple sauces...caramel, cinnamon and natural.  She highly recommends these tasty treats! 

 

 
The young men working at the info center spoke wonderful English and were able to tell us that Rouen and the countryside surrounding it were heavily damaged during WWII.  Most of the damage occurred across the river which has since been rebuilt (but is still the site of the 3 ancient smokestacks I saw).  They kindly pointed us in the right direction toward cobblestone streets, beautiful ancient buildings (now quaint little shops). 

Toward the end of this beautiful street stood the daringly dramatic St. Joan of Arc Church.  This church stands on the site of the old St. Vincent's Church which was bombed in May, 1944.  The church was built on the very spot Joan was burned at the stake and much of the stained glass from the previous church was installed in it.
    

There's a small market just outside the church under one of the giant eaves with vendors selling fruits, vegetables and seafood.

Walking through this beautiful town, we noticed most of the older buildings had timber cross beams making it look like a fairy-tale village.  Several of the buildings must have been built since WWII but the architecture followed the lines of the older buildings still standing after the war.  If you look closely, some of the crossed timber beams aren't beams at all but have been painted to look like the real thing.

And we couldn't miss the Town Clock....between the Notre Dame Cathedral and St. Joan of Arc Church.  This clock is the most historic monument in town and miraculously it has survived unscathed.
 

The plan for this clock involved building an archway over the street and increasing the size of the mechanism to provide passers-by with a certain amount of precise information.  Beneath the dial, for example, chariots move past as the day progresses and different gods can be seen on different days of the week.  This clock has survived since 1529!

Back to the ship and a welcome by the crew with a warm glass of apple cider and Calvados brandy.
 

Dinner was again top-notch....did I mention the delicious French desserts?

We also enjoyed our new dinner companions.

We joined our fellow passengers in the lounge where the cruise director talked about the next day's excursion to Normandy.  It's a day-long event so we turned in early.


Day Five, Thursday - Viking Rolf - 2nd Day in Rouen
Our excursion to Normandy was scheduled on this day but we found ourselves on the top deck, looking out at the town of Rouen, and something clicked for both of us.  We decided to stay in Rouen for another day.....Normandy is, of course, an important part of WWII but we both felt this town meant something to and about our Dad.

It's time for his story......
As I mentioned, Dad parachuted out of his burning plane over the French countryside near Rouen and spotted the 3 tall brick smokestacks on his way down.  A French farm family found him and brought him to their home.  Due to the terrible burns he suffered on his hands and face from incendiary bombs inside his plane, they felt he was dying and there was nothing they could do for him.  He felt they would have helped him get to the Allies if he were in better shape, but he needed to get to a hospital and the French family would suffer if he were found, dying, in their home.  He was turned over to the Germans but never blamed the French family -- he felt they saved his life and had always wanted to meet them and thank them.
 
The Germans put him in a gunny sack and threw him in a boxcar on a train into Berlin.  He was taken to a hospital and two teams of plastic surgeons decided to experiment on him.  One team operated on his face which was heavily burned...his nose was totally burned off -- modeling his face after a wedding photo they found in his pocket. The 2nd team operated on his hands which were burned to the bone.  Our Dad's face was remarkable.....until the day he passed away, no one -- including his doctors -- could believe he'd had plastic surgery on his face.  His beard grew through, his nose was perfect, there were no scar lines between his face and his neck.  His hands showed the plastic surgery...baby-like wrinkled skin with definite surgery lines between his hands and wrists.  His face was remarkable....that first team of surgeons had techniques that current surgeons couldn't believe!

And that's why Rouen meant so much to us....we're glad we stayed.  And you never know who might be reading our blog.  If you're from the countryside around Rouen, France and you remember a story passed down through your family about the American flyer who was badly burned during World War II, we -- the daughters of Staff Sgt. Thomas Gilbert-- thank you.

After exploring this beautiful city on the second day.......

Just before returning to the Viking Rolf, Mary K. spotted this liquor shop, specializing in area goods.  She came out of the shop, Maison Pinel...with a neatly packaged bottle of Pommeau de Normandy apple liqueur for her son, Tommy...and a smile after meeting the sweet mom and son proprietors and sampling their wares!

we made it back to our boat in time for dinner.  YAY!  As we mentioned, the food is delicious and can't be missed.  Tonight we chose the chef's selection -- beef bourguignon -- perfection.  The cost of meals like these in Paris would be exorbitant and makes this cruise a bargain!  Thank you, Viking, and many thanks to you, Angel, our chef!

Lots of Bostonians on this boat!

The wine seems to be never-ending!  

A cute towel sculpture left for us from our efficient cabin attendant, Kinga!

Tonight we cruise from Rouen to Les Andelys.  Yes, we're lucky indeed!

Day Six, Friday - Viking Rolf - Les Andelys
We're docked in the center of Les Andelys and from the top deck we see an old, crumbling castle at the top of a steep hill.  Thank God, we didn't sign up for that climbing excursion!  Our fellow shipmates were coming back, totally out of breath....wish they'd had oxygen tanks aboard for some of them!  We were sincerely worried by the red faces and the huffing and puffing.

In our own usual way, we took a casual stroll into this quaint village and the first shop we see is a wonderful little boutique with only French wares.  Both of us bought beautiful scarves
 

and Mary K found a beautiful and intricate felt flower pin

....we actually went back twice and bought again. 
  

There was a small festival going on at the other end of town celebrating Armistice Day.....but we spent too much time at the shop and we missed it.  We did, however, note the size of the maple leaves on our way.  (Yes, we're a little wacky sometimes but we keep our eyes down because of the cobblestone streets and the occasional dog doo-doo.

Loved this cute shop.  We each bought a handmade Christmas angel ornament and Mary K. found her favorite towels!

There was a beautiful little church in the middle of this village...not impressive as others on the outside but inside was like a jewel box.

We ended up at another quaint little cafe for a latte and a little picture taking.....we couldn't resist.

And yet another coincidence....this little cookie at the café also had "Gilbert" imprinted on it.....again, Gilbert is our maiden name!

Ran into our new friends from Boston, Marlene and Mike, who gave us some delicious pastries to enjoy with our lattes.

We also found time to sit at the bottom of the "hill" leading up to the crumbling castle and patted each other on the back, congratulating ourselves that we didn't risk our ankles on that climb.  We still have a week in Paris!  We don't want to hobble around Montmartre with ankle and/or neck braces.

Back to the boat for a late lunch of fish and chips...the best...we really liked the French fries in a fry basket....

Even though we have another day and a half aboard the boat, tonight is a "Farewell" Dinner.....guess we'd better dress a little finer than turtleneck and heavy coats!  It's also picture-taking time with the crew....

Day Seven, Saturday - Viking Rolf - LaPecq
Today we have an excursion to Versailles.....we had planned to visit last year but our schedule didn't accomodate.  This year, Versailles for sure. 

Viking again herded us on a comfortable bus with a guide who swapped his guiding duties to another guide as soon as we arrived at Versailles.  The sheer size of this property takes your breath away.

Another sad sign of our times....armed soldiers.  Merci

Lots of glizy gold fencing and gates at Versailles.

Traveling with Viking, we were able to get into Versailles very quickly and moved from room to room with relative ease.  The building itself is mammoth but very sparsely furnished.  You can't miss enjoying the structure and the interior glitz, though. 

After trying to take a selfie, we think the security guard took pity on us and offered to take

this picture......

Merci, Mr. Security Guard!

The gardens are something to behold and we're sure they're much more beautiful when flowers are in bloom.  Just imagine the upkeep on this place -- no wonder the entry fee is a little high.

Back to the boat we drove, in time for a welcome from the crew with hot chocolat au pain.  Perfect end to a perfect day. 

Dinner was wonderful and we had a chance to say good-bye to new friends.  We then felt a little frisky (sleep caught up) so we went to the lounge and enjoyed the music of Bobby the Bulgarian pianist who played our kind of music -- Billy Joel (Piano Man, of course -- which he's tired of playing),  the Eagles (Hotel California), and Elton John, naturally.

Back to our cabin to pack before the ride into Paris tomorrow.  We have to be out of our cabin by 9 AM but breakfast was served and we never felt rushed by the crew (as we do on the larger cruise ships).  Our bus doesn't leave for Paris until 11:30 AM......we'll actually tag along with new passengers on Viking's next cruise who will be spending their first day in Paris.

This trip on Viking has been wonderful in every way -- the crew remains at the top of our list -- our housekeeper, the waiters and waitresses, the officers -- everyone was a tribute to Viking.  Tips are due at the end of the cruise (optional, of course) but we gladly paid for the perfect service we received.  We won't hesitate to go on another river cruise WHEN we find a bargain, of course. 

A hug and a special tip for Mano before we leave, a cup of coffee on the top deck and our 7 day adventure in Paris begins.