Frolicking in France

If you've never tried cruising, but may be put off by giant ocean liners - how about a river cruise? More personal, they usually have around 150 passengers and because they are much smaller, they can dock right in the heart of the cities. They offer high levels of service, lots of interesting excursions and the food offering is amazing! Here's a short overview on the recent French river cruise I took along the River Seine. I was taking my mum on this trip and as she's not too good at walking we were taking her wheelchair and it turned out to be the perfect adventure! Day 1 We flew to sunny Paris and boarded the stunning Scenic Gem, part of their Space-Ship class. We were staying in a Deluxe Balcony twin cabin which is very spacious and had a fabulous walk out balcony where the full width window slides down. Quick change, safety briefing and then down to restaurant for a lovely 3 course dinner Day 2 What a fabulous first day visiting the very charming Auvers-sur-Oise. Situated just over 27km from the centre of Paris in the NW, the town is synonymous with several artists, the most well known being Van Gogh. Van Gogh lived in the town from 20th May 1890 until his death aged 37 on 29th July of the same year. He lived in the 7m square attic room of the Ravoux Inn and paid 3.5 francs per day for full board. During that time he was prolific, painting 74 pieces of work including Portrait of Dr Gachet, Irises, Tree Roots, his self portrait, Wheat Field with Crows amongst others. Van Gogh loved this part of France and is buried next to his brother Theo in the cemetery here adjacent to the wheat fields he painted. Day 3 A quick tour around Conflans-Saints-Honorine named after its geographic position at the confluence of the River Seine and River Oise. Well known as the capital of inland water navigation for 160 years, the town still has a Maritime College. Its history dates back all the way to Neolithic times and the castle constructed in 876 was built to ward off the Viking - the Tour Montjoie shown in my reel now stands close to where it stood. In later years it exported telephone and telegraph cables and you can still see many barges docked and sailing through. The Paroisse Saint Maclou church sits atop the town and dates back to the 10th century Then onto the beautiful Medieval town of Rouen, the capital of Normandy. Infamous as being the place Joan of Arc (The Patron Saint of France) was held, and after a 6 month trial finally burnt at the stake for being a heretic in May 1431. There’s a simple cross that marks the spot, her statue and a modern style church. With the magnificent Notre Dame Cathedral immortalised by Monet and Gothic churches such as Saint-Maclou, the town has a significant religious past. Nowadays the many cobbled streets and artisan shops are popular with tourists Day 4 A fascinating and memorable day learning all about the D Day operations on 6th June 1944, where 160.000 Allied soldiers assaulted a 50 mile stretch of the Normandy coast, that turned the course of the war. Focusing on the American offensive, we visited both Utah Beach where the 4th Division and Omaha Beach where the 1st & 2nd Divisions participated in the Allied invasion under Supreme Commander General Dwight D Eisenhower. We also saw the wider area where the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions parachuted in. Visiting the Utah Museum and various other monuments in the area we finished our exploration to pay respects at the American Cemetery where nearly 10.000 US servicemen who tragically lost their lives were laid to rest. Day 5 A little tour around Caudebec-En-Caux, a small town on the banks of the River Seine. The historical centre dates back to Medieval times and you can still walk down La Grand Rue, built along the old Roman road from Lillebonne to Rouen. The half timbered houses are some of the last ones remaining after the town got hit with multiple fires. In the Middle Ages Caudebec was a fortified town surrounded by stone town walls, 3-4 metres thick with towers at the corner and you can still see part of these today. The gaol was built into the fortifications and is one of the only Medieval prisons still surviving in France. The courtyard in front was used for the trials and the gallows located on Mont Calidu. The white building is the oldest in town and known as the Templar House, although it’s never been proven it was used by the Knights Templar. It was used as a Protestant meeting house and now houses a museum. Day 6 What a lovely day visiting Giverny which Monet called his home from 1883 to 1926. Over the 43 years he was there he moved to the pink Caribbean inspired mansion and created 3 acres of stunning gardens from the Clos Normand garden to the infamous Japanese inspired water garden, where he painted the water lilies over 500 times. Monet annoyed the local farmers as he diverted the river to flow through his garden. The impressionist painter is laid to rest next to the local church A whistle stop tour around Vernon. With a population of 25,000 the main tourist attractions include Tourelles Castle which was built to protect the entrance to the Medieval bridge and later became a prison. Then one of the most picturesque buildings, The Old Mill originally built in 1204 and later had windmills added before a dam stopped the water flow and made milling impossible. Heading into the town centre there are multiple lovely examples of Medieval buildings on La Rue Potard named after a wealthy family and La Rue Bourbon-Penthievre named after the last Lord of Vernon. The town hall and Notre Dame church are also worth a visit Day 7 & 8 When it rains in Paris, what better than to go to one of the cities phenomenal art galleries. I’ve visited the Louvre previously so this time headed to Musée d’Orsay and was not disappointed. The extensive collection over 5 floors features sculptures through to an amazing range of Impressionist paintings. With works from the world’s greatest artists ranging from Renoir, Degas, Van Gogh, Manet and Monet to Gaugin, the collection includes some of their most famous pieces. It was fabulous after visiting the homes of Van Gogh and Monet this week to see their masterpieces in person. For the final morning I took a stroll through Paris to of course visit the iconic Eiffel Tower, Flame of Liberty and the Arc de Triomphe while enjoying the beautiful bridges and historic buildings that make up this fascinating capital