OOH LA LA-what a wonderful trip we had!!!!

Wednesday, September 9, 2015

Yesterday we took Marina and Skipper to their spa in Hilton Head. We always feel so terrible leaving them although we know they are well cared for.

This morning we were up at 5 and off to the airport in Charleston by 7. Our flight to Atlanta was on time and we even had time for breakfast. In Atlanta we had a drink before boarding and then we were off to Paris! Beacuse it was only 3:30PM, we didn't sleep at all on the plane and it was a long 8 hours. The movies were no good so we read, had dinner and played video games.  Finally arrived in Paris about 6AM-it was still dark! There was a car waiting for us but it was rush hour so we didn't get to the ship til 8AM. The drivers here are crazy-the motorcycles drive between the cars, on the white  lines. I sure didn't want to start our trip by seeing someone get killed!

The departing guests were still aboard the AmaLegro but they took our luggage and we went into the dining room for breakfast. Wemet a nice couple from Australia who were not disembarking for another hour so we sat outside with them and chatted. The hotel manager Martin came for us at 10 and said they had hurried to get our cabin ready so we were able to check in and unpack. Then we sat on deck again and at about 11:15  Joe and Rose and Paul and Sharon arrived-we were so excited!!

We all had a light lunch until their rooms were ready and then took a short nap.  Paul & Sahron and Oliver & I went out for a walk. There was a beautiful park right across the street and wewalked around a neighborhood before coming back to shower and change for dinner. There was a welcoming cocktail party and we met the crew. Our Captain is only 36 years old and quite the hunk! Dinner was wonderful-everyone but me had chateaubriand and I had a wonderful fish dish. The appetizers were very fancy little salmon dishes and dessert was banana split and apple tarts with an apple/calvados sherbet, and a tray of petit fours and truffles. Elena, our wine steward, kept our glasses full. After dinner we cast off and the Captain backed down the river so we could see the Eiffel Tower light show. Beautiful to see. The bridges were so low we thought we'd hit our heads. We all watched the river for awhile before going to bed. We slept with our drapes open and I  watched through 3 or 4 locks before finally going to sleep.

So happt to see everyone!

A little walk in the park.

What a beautiful sight! You can't tell, but all the lights were twinkling.

The handsome Captain Geoffrey mugging for the camera!

There are alot of houseboats along the Seine. Some nice-some not so much.

Our cabin

Friday, September 11, 2015

We were up at 7 and in the shower and down for breakfast by 8:30 with Joe and Rose. Paul and Sharon slept in but joined us at 9. The food is just wonderful-and a mimosa is a nice way to start the day. We docked in Vernon (Ver-NO) at about 10 and we walked into town. A very old and very French small town-population 25k. No sooner had we finished breakfast, it seemed, than it was time for lunch. After lunch we left for our tour of Giverny, where Monet lived and painted. We saw the beautiful gardens-he had 12 full-time gardeners working on them-water lilies and all! Also toured his house. Back at the ship we had a quick drink before changing for dinner. There was a cocktail party for previous AMA passengers and then another outstanding dinner. Afterwards we had after dinner drinks  in the lounge before bed.

We were rafted three across here in Vernon.

Monet painted theses boats many times.

So many beautiful flowers here.

Paul in Monet's studio. He might do better if he had a brush in his hand!

Monet's REALLY yellow dining room!

And hispretty kitchen with an amazing stove!

Saturday, September 12, 2015

Our beautiful weather left us! We woke up as we were docking in Caudebec-en-Caux and the skies were gray. We showered and went down to the dining room, which was almost empty. P&S joined us but J&R didn't come down until 9AM. It started to rain but P&S and Oliver and I grabbed some umbrellas and walked into town. This is a charming little town. We walked around a farmer's market  where you could buy everything from vegetables, flowers and cheese to underwear and mattresses! We went into a very old church that is being renovated and then made our way back to the ship. Helene, our Cruise Manager, gave a short talk on helpful French phrases-none of which I can remember-and then we went to lunch--as it had been almost 2 1/2 hours since we last stuffed ourselves!

After lunch we boarded our buses for Honfleur. The weather had cleared and it was beautifully sunny! This is a medieval seaport with a population of about 25k, characterized by pastel slate-fronted houses. The harbor has been painted by many artists. We crossed the Pont de Normandie which was the longest cable bridge in the wrold until  2004. We peaked into Sainte-Catherine church, the largest wooden church in France. There was a wedding but we were able to stand in the back-and see their first kiss! We drove through an area famous for thatch-roofed houses, many with irises growing on top and saw many Norman cows-you can recognize them because they have spots around their eyes that make them look like they are wearing sunglasses! After some beer and wine in a quaint waterside restaurant, we boarded the bus for the AmaLegro.

After cleaning up, we had a cocktail in the lounge before another scrumptious dinner. There was entertainment tonight-an excellent singer and he had the whole crowd rocking-even the Captain was on the floor for YMCA! We enjoyed after dinner drinks before heading to bed. Tomorrow is a long day as we visit the Normandy beaches.

Typical thatch-roofed house

The beautiful Honfleur harbor.

 

 

We had drinks on this little street.

An antique maerry-go-round.

The wooden church

We saw these interesting sculptures on the way back. They were in honor of  the construction people.

There was an interesting miniature golf course right outside our ship.

Tonight's dessert

Sunday, September 13, 2015

What an amazing day we had! We were up early for breakfast at 7 and on our bus by 8. It was raining and chilly and we made a rest stop after about 1 1/2 hours on the bus. But-by the time we arrived at Omaha Beach, the sun was shining and it was warm.

This is a moving and emotional place. The white crosses-9,238of them plus 149 Stars of David-seem to stretch as far as your eye can see. Many of them are unidentified, and they come from every state. There are 45 sets of brothers and 3 Medal of Homor recipients buried here. Among the  M of H winners is Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. who was a Brigadier General. His brother Quentin, who died in WWI, was moved here to be buried next to his brother. Beautiful flowers, including of course, red poppies, are planted everywhere. The beautiful memorial that overlooks the cemetery includes a 22 foot statue, "The Spirit of American Youth Rising from the Waves" facing west toward the headstones.

The Gardenn of the Missing is a circular structure with engraved tablets containing the names of tose missing in action. A bronze rosette beside a name shows thatb the remains were later recovered, identified and buried. There are  not many of these. There is a small chapel with a beautiful mosaic ceiling that depicts America blessing her sons as they depart by sea and air, and a grateful France bestwoing a laurel wreath upon the American dead. There is an overlook where we could see Omaha Beach and the English Channel. It's so peaceful now that it is hard to imagine the chaos of those days. The Visitor's Center had several movies and many exhibits and pictures of Operation Overlord.

After spedning time at Omaha Beach from above, we boarded the bus to go down to the beach itself. There are 2 memorials thre-one a large concrete marker that resembles part of a ship and the other a series of tall metal structures built right on the beach.

We then visited Pointe du Hoc. There is a granite memorial that stands on top of a bunker on a 100 foot cliff 8 miles from the cemetery. It honors  soldiers of the 2nd Ranger Battalion  who scaled the cliff to disable German guns threatening the Utah and Omaha Beaches. There are many bunkers here and you could actually go down in them to see where the Germans stayed. There are craters all around them from the bombs that fell.

Our next stop was the town of Arromanches. Situated between Utah and Omaha beaches to the west and Gold (British), Juno (Canadian), and Sword (British), beaches to the east, this was the town chosen to be built as a supply port for the Allied Forces. In August 1942 the Allies tried to take the port of Dieppe and it turned into a fiasco, so the decision was made  to build 2 prefabricated harbors from sections towed across the English Channel. Work on Mulberry A at Omaha Beach  was abandoned after it was destroyed by a storm but Mulberry B atArromanches, nicknamed Port Winston, played a big role in the advance of troops in Normandy. The first convoys of harbor units left England in the evening of June 5th and construction began on June 7th. A outer breakwater was formed by sinking old merchant ships and these were joined by 115 huge concrete boxes, called Phoenix caissons. They were located about 2 miles from shore, were about 7 miles long and enclosed an area the aize of about 500 acres. Three landing wharves were installed-one for supplies, one troops and vehicles, and one for munitions. Floating causeways were installed along with 3 defense systems-guns, barrage balloons filled with hydrogen and floated at different altitudes and anchored to the ground with steel cables to prevent enemy planes from attacking, and artificial fog created each night to hide the lights. The floating causeways were towed across the Channel, a distance of over 150 miles, at just 5MPH. The steel causeways rested on metal or concrete pontoons  built on stilts. The landing wharves were T-shaped, allowing 2 ships to be unlaoded at once. The wharves slid up and down  on huge 25  foot high pierheads-the first floating docks! At it's peak, 745 lorries could be unloaded every hour-up to 18,000 tons of supplies per day! Only about 20of the Phoenix caissons are left today. The only large one left is number 36-it is about 18 feet high and is thought to be as heavy as the Eiffel Tower-7,000 tons!  The caissons were sunk in the Thames River priorto D-Day to conceal them from the enemy. We found signs all over Arromanches expressing gratitude to the Allied Forces.

Our bus returned to the ship after a long, but interesting day. Tonight we had dinner in the Chef's Table. This is the small 24 seat and very elegant restaurant on the 3rd deck. Service is exquisite and the food beautifully presented and delicious.

Overlooking Omaha Beach

The Allied attack

 

The Chapel

The Memorial

The Garden of the Missing

On Omaha Beach

At Pointe du Hoc

At Arromanches-part of the landing wharves

You can see a lot of the comcrete breakwater still out in the water

The sign says it all.

 

Monday, September 14, 2015

I was still awake last night when our ship suddenly docked at a very large shipping port. A police car and ambulance pulled up and we were there for quite a  long time. We found out this morning that a crew member had been burned by hot oil and was treated and taken to the hospital  as a precaution. He rejoined the cruise later though.

We awoke to rain. After breakfast we departed for our walking tour of Rouen, which is the capital of Normandy. This is a medieval town and we saw many houses from the 14th century-including one which is now a McDonald's!! This is also where Joan of Arc was tried, convicted and burned at the stake. We visited a church dedicated to her, at the site of her death. We also visited the Bone House. Rouen was hit by the plague  several times and the graveyards filled up so they removed the bones and stored them on the second floor of the Bone House. The first floor was reserved for the wealthy people. Since the waste was also thrown from out of windows into the cobblestone streets, which were slanted to provide a trough to dispose of the waste, a common French expression is to "walk on the high cobblestones". The high side of the cobblestones was reserved for the welathy so that they didn't walk in the durty trough!

The rain was off and on-it would be sunny one minute and then pouring the next. We walked back to the ship and had an excellent lunch. Paul and Sharion and Oliver and I walked back into town in the afternoon and got rained on again for a few minutes. After we came back, I sat in the lounge and started going through my pictures. So far I  have saved 165 as favorites and we have 4 days left!!

Tonight was the special Chaine des Rotisseurs dinner. This is a prestigious culinary organizatiion founded in Paris in 1950. AMAWaterways is the only river cruise line to be invited into membership. The dinner was wonderful. After dinner there was entertainment-a really wonderful French singer.

The Bone House

The oldest McDonald's in the world!!

Rainy Rouen

Little Paul and his restaurant

This clock tells the time, the phases of the moon and the day of the week!

Where Joan of Arc was tried

Where she died

The church dedicated to her

 

Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Today we awoke to beautiful sunshine as we departed Rouen at 6:45AM. We had breakfast and then cruised all morning  before docking at Les Andelys. This is a very beautiful area. There are 2 parts to town-Le Grand Andely which is the older part of the town and Le Petit Andely  which started during the construction of Gaillard  Castle under Richard the Lionheart. During the Hundred Years' War, the town changed hands back and forth between English and French kings. After the French Revolution, the tow parts of town were united and became Les Andelys.

Chateau Gaillard- which means well- fortified- was desined and built by Richard I of England, the Duke of Normandy. Construction began in 1197 and was completed in 1198! Over 6000 workers  were required. The fortress was meant to deter King Phillip Ugustus of France from invading Normandy. Unforunately Richard died just a year after the fortress was completed, when he attacked the castle of Chalus, near Limoges, was wounded in the shoulder  by a crossbow shot and died 13 days later. In 1202 Phillip Augustus launched the conquest of  Normandy and after a 7 month blockade-with the fortress overflowing with all the townspeople who had fled the village-Chateau Gaillard surrendered. In 1204 Normandy was made aprt of the Kingdom of France.

We explored the ruins of the castle-it was very steep and some difficult walking but we eventually ended up down in the village, where we visited the church before walking back to the AmaLegro.  We set sail shortly  after and enjoyed another excellent meal underway. After dinner we visited the lounge for drinks and games.

This is supposedly a "magic fountain" which will cure what ails you!

Overlooking the village

And the Chateau

Visiting the ruins

In the village of Le Petit Andely

Captain Geoffrey enjoying the sun. He talks on the phone a LOT. He has a wife and 2 young children.

leaving Les Andelys

Wednesday, September 16, 2015

Today is my sister's birthday. Happy Birthday, Nancy! I think it is also Kelly's birthday!

We docked during the night  at Conflams-Sainte-Honorine and after breakfast boarded  our buses for a visit to Chateau de Malmaison, the former home ofNapolean and Joesphine  Bonaparte. We were now no longer inNormandy, but in the region of Ile de France.

Marie-Jospeh-Rose de Tascher de la Pagerie was Josephine's full name and she was born in the West Indies. She went to Paris, married and had 2 children. Her husband was executed during the Revolution. She was imprisoned but later released. Napolean met her and immediately fell in love. He was 6 years her junior. Josephine bought Malmaison while her husband was away fighting in Egypt. She spent a fortune buying the home and renovating it. She loved flowers and plants and worked to make her gardens the most beautiful in Europe. She cultivated nearly 200 plants never before seen in France but the rose garden  was the most well-known part of the property. Josephine and Napolean divorced and she was given ownership of Malmaison and remained there until she died in 1814. Napolean lived there after his defeat at Waterloo in 1815, before he was exiled to the island of Saint Helena.

During our tour it started pouring so we didn't spend too much  time in the gardens. We came back to the ship and departed Conflans and had a nice lunch. the rest of the afternoon was devoted to packing. Yuck!

Malmaison

Napolean's billiard table. oliver says the short cue must be his!

The furniture was a bit formal!

We saw sa\wans everywhere in Normandy-apparently Josephine liked them too!

 

Josephine died in this bed

This is the place  where they kept ice!

Rainy gardens

Oliver, the Tower and the Statue of Liberty!

The Captain and Hotel Manager

The chefs

The housekeeping staff

Thursday, September 17, 2015

We arrived in Paris yesterday afternoon but stayed on the ship last night. After the farewell cocktail reception-where we were introduced to all  the crew-our favorite entertainers played-LaStrada, a group of violinists. They are awesome!

This morning we had breakfast before boarding our bus for a tour of Paris. We saw all the highlights-the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe. the Champs Elysee, the Louvre, and then had lunch. After lunch wetoured the Musee d Orsay where we saw many paintings by Monet, Gaugin, Renoir, Manet and others. We had a wonderful tour guide-very informative and very funny. AMAWaterways does a great job with logistics. While  we were at the museum, they took our lugagge to the hotel and ut it in our rooms, so when we arrived we just picked up our keys and we were settled within minutes. After unpacking  a bit and freshening up, we set out for one of the great highlights of our trip-dinner at the Eiffel Tower! I had made reservations 3 months ago so we had a lovely table right by the window overlooking the Seine. The restaurant is on the 3rd level so we were quite high! We enjoyed a 5 course dinner: marinated sea bream, duck fois gras  with a grape gelee and walnuts, roasted  langustine with vegetables, seared sea bass with braised leeks and gold caviar, plum-berganot shortbread with jurancon granita, and a crispy "Tower nut". In addition, they brought us plates of macarons, handmade marshmallows, and tiny chocolates. As if we hadn't eaten enough, they gave us little packages of madeleine cookies when we left! very hour  they have a light show and we were able to see it from both inside and outside. Our dinner lasted 3 1/2 hours and the cost was slightly more than the GDP of many small countries but as a once in a  lifetime experience, it was well worth it!  We took a taxi back to the hotel and slept well.

The Arc de Triomphe

The Louvre

Lunch!

The Musee d Orsay has many wonderful paintings as well as some sculptures

Monet did this sculpture

We saw this bridge at Giverny

Van Gogh

We saw a beautiful rainbow  from our room

Dinner at the Eiffel Tower!!

Friday, September 18, 2015

We were able to sleep in a bit today as we had no real plans. I went down and checked us in for our flight tomorrow and then we all met for breakfast. Joe and Rose were a bit worn out and decided to stick close to the hotle so P&S and Oliver & I set out to conquer theMetro, the Paris subway system. After some help from helene, the concierge, the Metro information desk and  and a very nice local man, we figured it out and went to visit Notre Dame. it was, of course, magnificent and we were lucky to be there when mass started. After we left the cathedral, we found a nice place for lunch. Contrary to what we were expecting, everyone in Paris has been so friendly and nice to us!  After lunch we took the Metro back to  the main station where we transferred to another  line and went to visit Napolean's Tomb. This is located at a building that is connected to the VA hospital which Napolean built, as well as a beautiful church. The tomb itself is spectacular! We made our way back to the hotel on the subway, cleaned up and met for drinks before having a very nice dinner at a restaurant close to the hotel.

On the way to the subway

Notre Dame

Lunc time!

Can't come to Paris and not have crepes!

Paul liked this apron

Gas station

At Napolean's Tomb

It's a huge complex

There are many others buried here

Napolean's Tomb

Saturday, September 19, 2015

We had a 3:45AM wake-up call!  Because Charles DeGaulle airportis so big,m they suggest arriving 3 hours ahead of time!  When we got down to the lobby, Helene (our AMAWaterways Cruise Manager) was waiting for us with a box breakfast and put us into the car with our driver and AMA representative. At the airport the AMA man carried our liggage right into the airport and up to the counter! Our flight was on time and we arrived in Atlanta early. Our connecting flight was short and after a slight glitch getting our luggage, we were in our car and home by 6:30. A VERY long day!

We had such a wonderful time with our dear friends in a beuatiful country. Can't wait for the next trip!!