O'Hare Airport

My flight, AirFrance 137, was scheduled to leave Oct. 2nd, reaching Charles de Gaulle airport by 8:20 am the next morning. The seating in Economy was cramped and very uncomfortable. It was impossibleRead more
De Gaule airport arrival

Arrived at Charles De Gaule airport near Paris. Set off to retrieve luggage and find the Viking representative to provide transportation to the ship. There would be quite a wait to be on our way toRead more
Boarding the Viking ship Rinda

After landing, the long journey by foot to the baggage claim area followed. Once reunited with my little suitcase, I looked around for signs of Viking personnel with the expectation they'd get me toRead more
Heading for St. Germaine-en-Laye

On our way into the city -
The Chateau de Saint Germaine

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Château_de_Saint-…
The Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye is a royal palace in the commune of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, in the département of Yvelines,Read more
The Church of Saint-Germain-en-Laye

The present parish church of Saint-Germain-en-Laye was built in 1827. It is the fourth sanctuary to have been built on the site since 1028. In the beginning of the 18th century it was known asRead more
The Town

We did a little exploring before heading back to the bus that would return to the ship in time for dinner.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint-Germain-en-…
First dinner on the ship

Not bad. I was to gain some weight by the time this cruise would end.
Bus ride thru Paris

We headed out the next day for Paris, enjoying the city and our guide's narration, in the comfort of a bus.
Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris

Eventually, the bus parked and we walked to the Notre Dame Cathedral where our guide took us through the historic church. We were then given time to explore the surrounding area and find lunch on ourRead more
The Eifel Tower, Paris

After lunch, we were taken by bus to the Eifel Tower where we disembarked and were given time to take some pictures.
Return to the Rinda for the evening

Monet's Garden, Giverny

The Foundation Claude Monet has done a very good job of keeping up the garden and grounds. I liked being there.
Saint Radegunde & Monet burial site

Tho already tired, I made the walk down the road to see Monet's and his family's burial site.
Vernon after lunch

We returned to the ship for lunch but headed out once again to explore the sites in Vernon.
The Collegiate Church of Notre Dame

The building of the church Notre-Dame of Vernon started in the 11th century but wasn't completed until the 17th century. The style is mostly gothic. The elegant narrow nave is lit by a beautiful setRead more
Exploring Vernon

Back to the Rinda for the evening

Free champagne tonight!
Notre Dame Cathedral, Rouen

This cathedral is considered a landmark of art history. Visitors are seeing
essentially what Claude Monet saw as he painted 30 different studies of the frilly
Gothic facade at various times of day.Read more
Exploring Rouen

Rouen is an ancient city on the Seine in the north of France. Once the capital of
the Duchy of Normandy, it was one of the largest and most prosperous cities of
medieval Europe. The city has aRead more
Church of St. Joan of Arc

Church of Saint Joan of Arc (Église Sainte-Jeanne-d'Arc) - completed in 1979, the
church feels Scandinavian inside and out--another reminder of Normandy's
Nordic roots. Sumptuous 16th-centuryRead more
Return to Rinda for dinner

Normandy beaches of WWII

Until now, we'd been blessed with excellent weather. Today, however, we learned early that the American cemetery had been closed for the day. High winds and storming during the night had knocked downRead more
D-Day Landing Museum -Musee du Debarquem

This museum has windows facing the harbor so is a good way to get a look outside without experiencing the nasty weather like that we encountered on Sunday. The models, videos,and photographs it holdsRead more
The Longues-sur-Mer Battery

The Longues-sur-Mer Battery was a critical link in Hitler’s Atlantic Wall defense which consisted of more that 15,000 defensive structures stretching from Norway to the Pyrenees. These guns couldRead more