O'Hare Airport
October 2, 2018 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 61 °F
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
October 3, 2018 in France ⋅ ☁️ 57 °F
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
October 3, 2018 in France ⋅ ☁️ 61 °F
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
October 3, 2018 in France ⋅ ⛅ 64 °F
On our way into the city -
The Chateau de Saint Germaine
October 3, 2018 in France ⋅ ⛅ 64 °F
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
October 3, 2018 in France ⋅ ⛅ 66 °F
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
October 3, 2018 in France ⋅ ☁️ 66 °F
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
October 3, 2018 in France ⋅ ⛅ 66 °F
Not bad. I was to gain some weight by the time this cruise would end.
Bus ride thru Paris
October 4, 2018 in France ⋅ ☀️ 55 °F
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
October 4, 2018 in France ⋅ ☀️ 57 °F
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
October 4, 2018 in France ⋅ ☀️ 68 °F
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
October 4, 2018 in France ⋅ ☀️ 68 °F
Monet's Garden, Giverny
October 5, 2018 in France ⋅ ☀️ 48 °F
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
October 5, 2018 in France ⋅ ☀️ 59 °F
Tho already tired, I made the walk down the road to see Monet's and his family's burial site.
Vernon after lunch
October 5, 2018 in France ⋅ ☀️ 70 °F
We returned to the ship for lunch but headed out once again to explore the sites in Vernon.
The Collegiate Church of Notre Dame
October 5, 2018 in France ⋅ ☀️ 70 °F
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
October 5, 2018 in France ⋅ ☀️ 77 °F
Back to the Rinda for the evening
October 5, 2018 in France ⋅ 🌙 68 °F
Free champagne tonight!
Notre Dame Cathedral, Rouen
October 6, 2018 in France ⋅ ☀️ 68 °F
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
October 6, 2018 in France ⋅ ☀️ 70 °F
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
October 6, 2018 in France ⋅ ☀️ 70 °F
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
October 6, 2018 in France ⋅ ⛅ 70 °F
Normandy beaches of WWII
October 7, 2018 in France ⋅ ☁️ 55 °F
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
October 7, 2018 in France ⋅ ☁️ 55 °F
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
October 7, 2018 in France ⋅ ☁️ 57 °F
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

































































































































































