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France’s Finest
  • Chuck Cook
  • Glenda Cook

France’s Finest

While we have visited parts of France before, this will be our first trip to spend time in the interior. We’re looking forward to beautiful art, lovely architecture, wonderful history and delicious food. Read more
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  • Trip start
    September 18, 2018
    France’s Finest

    The Beginning of the Journey

    September 17, 2018 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 79 °F

    Since I retired we have begun every trip by piling all of our luggage on the couch in the great room just as we are ready to leave the house. Sometimes we take a lot of luggage; sometimes we take very little. As we have become more experienced travelers, we have consistently reduced the amount of luggage we take. What you see here is the luggage we will be taking for a three-week river cruise through the heart of France. All of these bags are carry-on’s. We will not check anything.Read more

  • France’s Finest

    Early at DeGaulle Airport

    September 19, 2018 in France ⋅ ⛅ 63 °F

    We arrived early at Charles DeGaulle Airport and are looking for the Viking representatives. Our flight to JFK was delayed twice so a very kind American Airlines agent arranged for us to get a direct flight from Charlotte to Paris. The flights to New York were further delayed by the remnants of Hurricane Florence, so we arrived in Paris earlier than we expected. Our Viking representative just met us so we’re ready to see France.Read more

  • France’s Finest

    Onboard the Viking Rinda

    September 19, 2018 in France ⋅ ⛅ 66 °F

    We were just welcomed aboard the Viking Rinda here on the west side of Paris. The shuttle will not be leaving for the Eiffel Tower until noon so we will not have time to go to the Museum Marmotan Monet. We will, however, be able to go into town or to take a walking tour of St. Germaine en-Lay, where our boat is docked. Claude Debussy was born here, Ravel’s family estate is not far away, and Claude Monet’s son died in a car crash on the bridge that spans the Seine near our Viking longship. There will also be wine and cheese in the Aquavit Lounge later today. Each of the Viking River Longboats is named for a Norse deity. Rinda is the goddess of winter, snow and ice.Read more

  • France’s Finest
    The Orangerie originally designed to serve as a hothouse is now an art museumNorth Hallway of the Petite Palais1Glenda in the Holy of Holies, Monet's Water LiliesThe Grand PalaisGlenda admiring Monet's paintings of Westminster

    Petit Palais and the Orangerie

    September 19, 2018 in France ⋅ ☀️ 75 °F

    The Petit Palais has a wonderful exhibit of French Impressionistic works painted in England. Beginning in 1870 the Franco-Prussian War forced many of these artists to seek refuge in London. English tastes and preferences caused these French artists to alter their style so that their works would sell to English buyers. Next we visited the Orangerie in the Tuileries to see their display of the Water Lilies of Claude Monet, as well as the works of Cézanne, Pissarro and Renoir. We were only a few blocks from the church where Cesar Franck served as organist for most of his adult life. We were within a mile of the place where Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel changed the way we think about music. Much of my understanding of the world and of beauty was formed within a stone’s throw of where we sit tonight.Read more

  • France’s Finest
    Rose Window Notre Dame
    Notre Dame de ParisThe Crossing, Notre DameHotel de Ville, Paris City HallThe Seine at Ile de CitéNow the Eiffel Tower is painted the color of coffee with cream

    Notre Dame

    September 20, 2018 in France ⋅ ⛅ 68 °F

    We are certainly in Paris now. Notre Dame, the hotel de Ville and the Íle de Cité provide our destinations this morning. The weather is perfect and Paris is beautiful. I asked our guide about the location of the University of Paris. She told me that the original campus for the University was on the south bank of the Seine River literally a stone’s throw from here. I am getting an impression that I once sensed in New York, specifically, that many of the ideas that formed the world in which I grew up originated in an area of less than one square mile in each of just a few cities: London, Paris, New York, and Vienna. Hegel lived just a short train ride away from them in Nuremberg. Gershwin and Ravel knew each other. Freud met his friends at his neighborhood coffee shop in Vienna. Chopin, George Sand, and Victor Hugo all lived within a couple of blocks of the Place Vendome in Paris. Dickens and George Bernard Shaw lived within a half mile of each other in London. Ideologically speaking, it is a very small world.Read more

  • France’s Finest
    The Winged Nike of Samothrace
    The Grand Exhibition Hall of the LouvreThe Pictures Behind the Mona LisaThe Hall Housing the Crown Jewels of FranceAn Ancient Calyx from Greece1Dome of the Chapel of the Hotel des Invalides, Housing Napoleon's TombSnapping a Picture of a Picture: The Mona Lisa

    The Louvre

    September 20, 2018 in France ⋅ ⛅ 77 °F

    The Louvre is the home of the Mona Lisa, the Venus de Milo, the Wiged Victory of Samothrace and Leonardo da Vinci’s painting of John the Baptist. Most of our viewing has been done over the heads of 500 Chinese tourists. Still, it is wonderful to see the original paintings of works I’ve seen only in books all my life.Read more

  • France’s Finest
    1Monet's Lily Pond at Giverny
    A Rose in Monet's GardenMonet's FlowersDining Room in Monet's HouseFlowers Known as CosmosArchway Leading to Monet's Front Door

    Giverny and Monet

    September 21, 2018 in France ⋅ 🌬 63 °F

    Glenda was in heaven today as we visited the estate of Claude Monet and Giverny. Our guide told us that Monet may have been bipolar. When he acquired the property at Giverny, the road running by it was unpaved. Coaches and wagons would pass, stirring up dirt. Every morning he would order his gardeners to dust the roses. Finally, he paid to have the road paved. At the time of his death Monet was the wealthiest artist in France. His success as an artist was largely because of a successful promoter who took some of his paintings to New York.Read more

  • France’s Finest
    1Remaining Tower of Vernon's 13th Cent. Castle
    She Remembers America and WWIIChurch at VernonNave of the Church at VernonHouses in Vernon from 14th and 15th Centuries1Our PatisserieThe Chocolatier

    Vernon

    September 21, 2018 in France ⋅ ⛅ 59 °F

    In the afternoon we took a walking tour of the little town of Vernon. Our ship was docked just beside the bridge where Claude Monet’s son was killed in a car crash in 1966. The town is charming, and is located at the confluence of the Seine and the Eure Creek, which served as the ancient boundary separating the Duchy of Normandy and the Kingdom of France. As we passed the fourteenth century church, we saw that a funeral was in progress, so we had to wait to go inside for photographs. In the meantime, we went to a supermarket to buy batteries. Then we visited a patisserie for an eclair and a tartelette. Next door was a chocolaterie where we bought some truffles. Since the pastry shop did not offer coffee, we brought our goodies back to the Viking Rinda and enjoyed them onboard. Tonight’s dinner was a buffet, a sampling of the characteristic dishes of Normandy. There was a ton of cheese, a fabulous chicken dish, and apples aplenty.Read more

  • France’s Finest
    Rouen Cathedral
    Church of St. Jean d'ArcHalf-timbered Houses of RouenMonet at the Museum of Fine Arts in Rouen1Inside the Rouen CathedralThe Town Clock of Rouen1Glenda at the Musee de Beaux Arts, Rouen

    Rouen

    September 22, 2018 in France ⋅ 🌧 59 °F

    When we were first married we saw three views of the Rouen Cathedral at the National Gallery in Washington. Then and there we fell in love with the work of Claude Monet. Today we visited that cathedral, along with the Parish Church of St. Maclou and the Church of St. Ouen. I was able to pay photographic homage to Monet by attempting to duplicate his beautiful images on this rainy Saturday. I had not realized before that the heart of Richard the Lionhearted is entombed here, along with the remains of Rollo, the first Viking Duke of Normandy. We also went to the place where Joan of Arc was tried, then to the church which has been built over the site of her execution. This modern structure, built in 1979, incorporates stained glass windows salvaged from churches of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries that were destroyed in World War II. A visit to Rouen’s Museum of Fine Arts capped off a wonderful afternoon. We saw one of Monet’s views of the Rouen Cathedral right here in Rouen. There was also a wonderful painting by Pisarro of the Pont Boïldieu, the bridge by which the Viking Rinda is docked. At night there was a sound and laser light show, using the facade of the cathedral as a screen. One presentation gave the history of the Viking invasion of Normandy, and another gave the story of William the Conqueror.Read more

  • France’s Finest
    2American Cemetery at Omaha Beach
    Statue of the Spirit of the American SoldierOmaha BeachCeiling of the ChapelThe Monument at the American Military CemeteryGlenda Decorates Grave of a North Carolina SoldierMuseum of the D-Day LandingsMonument at Omaha BeachDetail of the Chapel at Omaha Beach

    Omaha Beach

    September 23, 2018 in France ⋅ 🌧 61 °F

    The beaches where the Allies landed on June 6, 1944 occupy sacred ground. One can only imagine the feelings of the nineteen and twenty year old men who jumped from the landing craft on that summer morning. Most expected to die on those beaches. In the first wave most did. Some did not even make it out of the landing craft. The weather today was raw—30 mph gusts blowing sand into your eyes. The temperature is a chilly, wet and windy fifty-five degrees. Yet the rain and wind today made for conditions similar to those experienced by the GI’s in 1944. Over nine thousand young Americans lie sleeping on the cliff they captured from Germans of the same age in 1944. Yet these patriots sleep in American soil. The French government gave these 170 acres to the United States in 1965 to say “thank you” for the permanent sacrifice of these young men and the four young women nurses who still lie here. They gave their lives because they believed that people should live in freedom rather than tyranny. Being here reminds me again of the cost of freedom. It also reminds me that America cannot be great unless she is good. I hope she still is.Read more

  • France’s Finest
    1Castle Gaillard
    A Town on the SeineChurch of the Holy SaviorGrape farmers leave a thank offering

    Les Andelys

    September 24, 2018 in France ⋅ ☀️ 61 °F

    I have never spent any afternoon more pleasantly than in this lovely little French town. With only a few hundred inhabitants, its greatest claim to fame is a castle built near the end of his life by Richard the Lionhearted. Unfortunately it fell to the French after his brother John Lackland succeeded him, losing eastern Normandy to the French. After touring the remains of the castle, we visited its 12th century church. The weather is perfect, and I think I could spend a week in this charming little place.Read more

  • France’s Finest
    Hall of MirrorsOfficial, Public Bedroom of Louis XIV1Royal Chapel in the Palace of Versailles

    Palace of Versailles

    September 25, 2018 in France ⋅ ☀️ 61 °F

    The Palace of Versailles began as a hunting lodge for King Louis XIV, but by the time of his grandson it had become the most luxurious and opulent residence in the Western World. The Hall of Mirrors where Woodrow Wilson signed the treaty ending World War I, the public and private bedrooms of three generations of French royalty, and the many rooms of state have been restored to their original, fantastic conditions. Add to all of this the palatial gardens surrounding the palace and one has a heavenly paradise on earth. More poignant, however, is the story of Louis XVI and his wife Marie Antoinette, who became victims of a French Revolution whose violence eventually devoured its own sons. It ultimately succumbed to Napoleon, who declared himself Emperor, and re-created the class of nobility that the Revolution had attempted to erase.Read more

  • France’s Finest
    Josephine's Swan ChairsNapoleon's Study

    Chateau de Malmaison

    September 25, 2018 in France ⋅ ☀️ 61 °F

    Napoleon Bonaparte and his new wife Josephine bought this house as their private residence shortly after their marriage. They lived here from 1799 until 1802. At that time Napoleon had not crowned himself as Emperor of France. In fact, officially he was little more than a captain in the French army. For this reason the house is not as opulent as are the palaces and official residences which French governments provided for their kings and their Emperor. However, after their divorce, Napoleon gave this house to Josephine as her permanent residence. Many of the furnishings have been returned to the house, and curators have attempted to evoke the style of the period. The first effort to restore the house was mounted by Napoleon III, the nephew of the famous Corsican. I had always wondered about the name of this building, understanding that “mal maison” literally means “bad house.” There are at least two theories about how the house got its name. The moniker may have come from the presence of Viking raiders in the area in the ninth century. Thus, the house became known as the “bad house.” One other possibility is that a building at this location was used as a hospital during an outbreak of the plague. Since so many died here, the place became known as the “bad house.” Either way, we thoroughly enjoyed our visit here. Tomorrow we will leave the Viking Rinda to board a high speed train that will take us to Lyon for the second leg of our journey through France’s Finest.Read more

  • France’s Finest
    Gare Lyons
    A Basket of Baguettes1

    At the Gare Lyon

    September 26, 2018 in France ⋅ ☀️ 46 °F

    We are waiting at the Lyons Train Station for the High-Speed train to Lyon. The TGV trains in France are remarkable. They zip along at over 200 mph and offer every amenity needed. We are hanging out at Costa Coffee until the train takes us to the next leg of the journey.Read more

  • France’s Finest

    First Afternoon in Lyon

    September 26, 2018 in France ⋅ ☀️ 75 °F

    How exciting to be in Lyon, France’s fastest growing city! Now it is number 3, behind Paris and Marseille, but right now Lyon and Bordeaux are both increasing in population and commerce faster than most other cities in Europe. Despite its recent growth, Lyon is still part of Provence, and it still retains that quiet, slower-paced life that eludes city dwellers. There are two universities here and a bicycle path that stretches from Germany to the Mediterranean Sea. In some ways Lyon has been the gateway between Germany and France, at least as far as culture, art, and politics are concerned. We are safely onboard our new home, the Viking Delling, and are looking forward to visiting the old city tomorrow.Read more

  • France’s Finest
    Entrance to a TrabouleIn a TrabouleSilk Weaver and His 200-year-old Jacquard LoomNotre Dame de FourvièreNotre Dame de Fouviere

    Morning in Lyon

    September 27, 2018 in France ⋅ ⛅ 75 °F

    From the Romans to the Nazis, Lyon has been an integral part of the history of France. This very liveable city has all of the advantages of Paris without the hassles. The city was here before the Romans made it their capital of Gaul. I have long wanted to come here because it was the seat of the episcopacy of one of the early Church Fathers, Irenaeus, Bishop of Lyon. Reluctant to support the French Revolution of 1789, Lyon was erased from the map by Rebespierre. Napoleon restored it and enriched it by making it a textile center. We saw a demonstration of silk weaving on a two-hundred-year-old jacquard loom. During WW II the city was part of the Vichy government. Many labyrinthine pass-throughs called “traboules” have figured prominently in the history of clandestine activity from the time of the Romans to that of the Nazis. They were important in the efforts of the French resistance to defeat the Germans. SS officer Claus Barbee was tried and imprisoned here for war crimes. Now Lyon is France’s fastest growing city.Read more

  • France’s Finest

    The Medieval Town of Pérouges

    September 27, 2018 in France ⋅ ☀️ 81 °F

    Until the middle of the fifteenth century the medieval town of Pérouges was destroyed and rebuilt countless times. Since then the town has remained the same. It was an overnight stop for travelers going from Switzerland or Germany until the construction of the railroad in the middle of the nineteenth century. Then the town simply fell asleep with only eight inhabitants at the beginning of the twentieth century. The lovely old medieval town was rediscovered and restored. About 1000 people live there now, and it typifies everything beautiful about medieval France.Read more

  • France’s Finest

    The Hill of Fleurie in Beaujolais

    September 28, 2018 in France ⋅ ☀️ 59 °F

    Hill of Fleurie in Beaujolais boasts some of the best vineyards in France. The French do not regard the Beaujolais nouveau highly. George LeBoeuf vineyards simply produces and sells it quickly to make money. Other crus of the Beaujolais region are far superior to the Beaujolais nouveau, which our guide called a “catastrophe.” It is remarkable that the varied soil here makes it possible to produce 18 different types of wine from one type of grape, the gamay.Read more

  • France’s Finest

    Regnie Durette in Beaujolais

    September 28, 2018 in France ⋅ ☀️ 64 °F

    The smallest vineyard in Beaujolais makes great grapes. Brouilly is the strongest of the wines of Beaujolais. The grape roots must fight their way through the underground rock, and the wine is aged longer. At our wine tasting we found it delicious. We were at the Chateau des Ravatys, the Domaine of l’Institute Pasteur. This vineyard, strangely, is characterized as a “charity.” It was founded by a nurse in the early twentieth century. It does not export or market its wines outside the estate. However, it produces such fine wines that oenophiles throughout the world subscribe annually to receive cases of its product, and it sells a small amount here at the vineyard store. All profits that are not reinvested into the winemaking operation are used to support the local hospital.Read more

  • France’s Finest
    The Gatehouse

    Chateau de Flecheres

    September 28, 2018 in France ⋅ ☀️ 79 °F

    Two men decided they would buy a sixteenth century château and restore it. Buying it was not a problem, but restoring it has taken a lifetime. The previous owner, a member of the French mafia, destroyed some of the fabric of the building and many of the records. The sixteenth century owners became Protestants, and for many years this chateau served as the meeting place for French Huguenots. Now the building is beautiful, but the new owners are still furnishing it. Some of the elaborate pieces have simply vanished in the mists of history. A parquet floor, once stolen from the house has been recovered. It shows the former opulence of the place. Nevertheless, the house is lovely, and the current owners are to be commended for their efforts. After the tour the owner treated us to a torte and champagne in the main parlor. What a delightful afternoon!Read more

  • France’s Finest

    Historic Vienne

    September 29, 2018 in France ⋅ ⛅ 63 °F

    This part of France became a Roman colony when Julius Caesar brought his army here in 47 BC. Though it had long been known that the Romans were here, excavations began in earnest at the beginning of the twentieth century. Now the ruins of a Roman forum, theater, odion and arches have been unearthed. One of the best preserved Roman temples is here as well. Vienne also figured prominently in church history. Now the church of St. Maurice is no longer a cathedral; the bishop now has his chair in Lyon. Things are now slowing down in Vienne. If it costs half as much to live in Lyon as Paris, it costs half as much to live in Vienne as Lyon. The picturesque beauty of this small city on the southern edge of the Beaujolais area is charming.Read more

  • France’s Finest

    Tournon sur Rhone

    September 30, 2018 in France ⋅ ☁️ 63 °F

    I was delighted to find that the wine tasting today was in the vineyard of Tain l’Hermitage. Back home in North Carolina I have often bought the wine produced here. This is the quintessential wine country of France in the region formerly known as Burgundy. We took a hike up to the top of the mountain and learned that the Croze Hermitage is grown in soils at the bottom of the hill. This wine is very good French table wine, and it sells for $15-20 per bottle. However, at the top of the hill is the area where the grapes are grown for the more expensive Hermitage wines. Actually until the 1990’s none of the wines here were terribly expensive. Then the area was discovered by wine guru Robert Parker. Since then prices have been soaring. While all the wines here are made of Shiraz grapes, some of the Hermitage wines sell for over $200 per bottle. All of the wines here are grown according to the most extreme organic requirements. No insecticides are used. Only goat manure is used for fertilizer. Even though it is only the Shiraz grape that is used here, some of the grapes grow in limestone soil and others grow in granite soil. The difference in terroir makes a significant difference in the flavor and strength of the wine. If you want to know how the wine tastes, you can get a bottle of Epsilon from Hermitage and check it out for a mere $220. The land here is beautiful, and the photographs of the vineyards are iconic images of France. Finally we went to the Valrhona Chocolate outlet. Two brothers started this business in 1922. Now it has turned into one of the largest chocolate retailers in the world. Good wine and good chocolate make for a very satisfying day in Tournon. I must mention one other very complimentary item about this place: the road over this mountain comprises one of the stages in the Tour de France. Bicyclists are everywhere. This is my kind of place.Read more

  • France’s Finest
    Romanesque Cathedral of ArlesObelisk in Roman Circus of ArlesHouse of God Hospital, where Van Gogh was treatedRoman AmphitheaterThe ArenaTarascon Castle

    Arles

    October 1, 2018 in France ⋅ ☀️ 59 °F

    The notes of Bizet’s L’Arlesienne Suite keep going through my mind. We are docked at Terascon, ready to board the bus for Arles.

    The Romans certainly left their imprint on this part of the world. Their amphitheater here is one of the best preserved Roman structures in the world. Another historical figure who made an impression here was Vincent Van Gogh. He probably drank too much, and he certainly disturbed his neighbors enough for them to circulate a petition requiring him to move. To impress his lady love he cut off his ear with a razor. He then checked into the local hospital to keep himself from bleeding to death. While there he painted a picture of its courtyard. I visited it and I attempted to duplicate photographically his work of art. Later Van Gogh checked into an asylum for the insane near Paris. There he committed suicide by shooting himself. This is a lovely town, and one can certainly feel the influence of Italy in its history, and its religion. One can also sense the influence of Van Gogh in its art.Read more

  • France’s Finest
    Courtyard of the Papal Palace
    Former Reception Room Now Displays ArtifactsThe Donjon or KeepFireplace in the Dining HallBanquet HallRecreation of the Dining Hall

    Papal Palace at Avignon

    October 2, 2018 in France ⋅ 🌬 63 °F

    One of the high points of our trip occurred today as we visited the Papal Palace at Avignon. As strange as it may seem, there was a time when there were as many as six different men, all claiming to be the rightful Pope of the Roman Catholic Church. The problem was that each of these men had the backing of one or more kings. This volatile recipe sparked the Hundred Years’ War, a conflict based on a complicated muddle of politics and religion. Though most of the furnishings of this place were destroyed in the religious wars and in the French Revolution, modern technology has produced some interesting graphic effects that bring these rooms to life. Any student of church history cannot miss seeing this fascinating place that combines palace with fortress.Read more

  • France’s Finest

    Pont du Gard

    October 2, 2018 in France ⋅ 🌬 64 °F

    Pont du Gard is a Roman aqueduct that carried water for over thirty miles to the Roman city located on the site of modern Nimes. A museum at this UNESCO World Heritage Site describes the unbelievable achievements of Roman slaves and engineers as they picked their way through the mountains. No one knows how many slaves were worked to death in the process of this construction. It was built over a period of about thirty years at about the time Jesus was born. One fact that amazed me was that the Romans in Nimes were quite well supplied with drinking water from the Rhone River. The pressurized water carried by this aqueduct was solely for the pleasure of the Roman overlords in their fountains and baths. It is still a remarkable sight. Glenda and I were able to climb to the top of the mountain overlooking this structure to get a photograph in the afternoon sun.Read more

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