After a busy week we arrived back Paris for the last stop on our cruise.
There was a choice in the morning of two trips, we decide to take the coach tour with views of the main sights as it was several years since our last visit and this seemed a good way to plan our afternoon free time. Our first stop was the Arc de Triomphe where after being warned about pickpockets we got out for a photo stop, before continuing our tour. After this it was a little disappointing as our only other stop was for a break in a rather uninteresting park. Lots of shops were pointed out as well as several buildings which were of limited interest, a shame as you would need several days to explore these, and the main attractions were just quickly passed by. Talking to people who went on the other trip to Montmartre this had been disappointing as well. A shame as everything else on the tour had been so successful.

In the afternoon we decided to visit the Musee d'Orsy as we had been to the Musee de l'Orangie on our previous visit and there wasn't enough time to do both.
Deciding to walk seemed a good idea at the time but it proved further away than we expected and finally arriving we first headed for a much needed drink.
We decided to go to the top floor to view the Impressionism exhibition and this proved well worth the long walk. It was impressive to see all the painting that we had only seen in magazines before. In reality the paintings were quite moving. 

To be able to see so many famous paintings by these greats of the Impressionist movement, Van Gogh , Monet, Cezanne and others,  in one gallery certainly made our day. 

Having spent so long in this area we didn't really have much chance to view the other artists and sculptures.

It was well worth a visit and we could have spent several hours here if we didn't have to get back to the boat. 
 A long walk in the heat and a surprise at the end as the boat was no longer moored on the jetty. After a small panic attack we walked on along the river and eventually found the new mooring point and were able to relax before our evening meal and the delight of packing our cases.
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To sum up our first river cruise is difficult because with it only being seven days we felt a little rushed at times compared with longer sea cruises, plus they are a little more expensive. We were lucky with Riviera as it was an anniversary year and we had several free upgrades. The organization was excellent apart from a couple of small problems and the two coach tours in Paris not being what people expected. The cruise director certainly knew his audience, keeping us entertained, and with only about 140 people of similar ages on board there was a very friendly atmosphere.
We would certainly look at river cruises again in future but possibly with a stay at the end.

Leaving our new mooring at Vernon we set off for our reason for choosing this cruise , Monet's house and garden at Giverny.
 After a little confusion about our time of entry, we were at last inside and made our way quickly to visit his house, before the queues started. This proved to be a wise choice as eventually the line to enter was huge. On entering there were  several copies of the artist's work, some not very accurate ones as well. Unfortunately, you had to keep moving but it was interesting to see several rooms and his impressive collection of Japanese prints. A shame you weren't able to see where he actually painted though.

Leaving the house we wandered through the garden and admired the flowers and displays for a while. It was interesting to compare the present views with the ones Monet painted.

Going through the underpass we arrived at the place we were looking forward to most, the Lilly pond.
This was a magical place and to stand on the famous bridge, when we managed to get a place, was surreal. There was still a boat on the pond, which he painted on a few occasions and the flowers around the edge added to the experience. Going around a couple of times we were able to soak in the atmosphere and capture some memorable images.

Looking back it was a shame the lilies weren't in flower as we missed this by a couple of weeks, maybe this is an excuse to return in future!
Walking back through the garden and entering the  IGS (Inevitable Gift Shop) we made a couple of purchases before going outside. Fortunately. we had arrived early as the queue to enter stretched all the way down the street.
A memorable experience and another one of our 'to-do' list.

Having stayed overnight in  Caudebec, we set off next morning by coach to Honfleur, a place we hadn't really researched and had little expectation of. In the end, as an artist, this was an enlightening experience. 
We were met by a local guide and as a group we walked around the town and we hadn't realised that this place was recognised as the birthplace of Impressionism. The guide talked about how the light effects of the region was inspirational and attracted several artists. 
Stopping in a small square she explained that a teenage Oscar Monet would travel into town, from his nearby home, and make a little money doing portraits and caricatures of local people and visitors.
Eugene Boudin recognised Monet's talent and helped him to develop his style inspiring him to paint Plein air. Eventually, he decided to use his middle name Claude, by which he is now known.

Moving onto the harbour it was exciting to stand at one of the inspirational places for these artists. Both Monet and Boudin painted versions of this view and it was easy to see why.



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Moving on we visited a small square where the wooden building of Saint Catherine church stands. A stunning structure also painted by both artists.


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Moving around the maze of streets, it was no surprise to find  several art shops selling a full range of styles for visitors to buy.

After a while exploring, we decided to have lunch at one of the restaurants we had checked out earlier. A tip here is not to leave it too late as they soon fill up. We ended up buying a crepe and sitting along the harbour enjoying the food and view. Another tip is don't get a banana and Nutella crepe without a plate, a knife and a fork as eating it became quite messy!
So an enjoyable few hours exploring and learning about the importance of this area to Impressionism and  Monet's early life.

#caudebec #bayeux #normandycoast #goldbeach #mulberryharbour

We had an overnight sail to the small town of Caudebec, where we moored for two nights.  An early start the next day saw us heading to Bayeux to view the tapestry which in reality, as we were informed by our guide, was an embroidery!
This was one of the things we had often heard about and had seen small images of, and we were excited to be seeing the whole piece. It was impressive at 70 metres long. A group of nuns had undertaken this task, and it demonstrated their exquisite sewing skills. 
It told the story of King Harold and his adventures when he visited France to meet with William of Normandy about the succession to the English throne, and ended with his death at the battle of Hasting in 1066.
We listened to the story on our headsets where the narrative changed as we moved along the room, stopping briefly to listen about the section we were viewing. The area was quite busy but the line continued to move.
Our only regret is that we didn't have time to visit the museum on the other floors to learn more about this fascinating piece of historical artwork.

With only a short time left we had a walk outside and a chance to view the impressive church and a quick look around  at the town.  

Moving on, we had a chance to view the cemetery for the allied soldiers who sadly lost their lives during the D Day landings. The fact that so many of these were so young was moving, as was the fact that we had a couple of retired soldiers with us who were showing their respect as well.
We soon moved on to the seaside town of Arromanches, to see the sights of the D Day landings and visit the museum that told the story of these historic days.
Now, this area is enjoyed by families, but there was still a reminder of these dark days with the decaying remains of the artificial harbours.  
Going into the museum we were enthralled by the ingenuity of the construction needed to make the landing successful, particularly as the individual parts had to be built in secret and then brought over  having been untested.
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Lastly, we visited the British Normandy Memorial  where the names of the men who died are listed on columns. That was shocking enough, but the temporary exhibition on the field  marking the 80th anniversary of D-Day, the 'Standing with Giants' installation featuring 1,475 silhouettes of soldiers, sailors and airmen, as well as two female nurses, really brought the losses home to us. (This exhibition will soon be moving to the UK.) It was a moving tribute to all who gave their lives in the war.
aienas well as two female nurses

A long tiring day but images that will stay with us for a long time.

We arrived at Rouen, our next port of call in the late afternoon. Having time before the evening meal, we decided to go for a short walk, arriving at the Cathedral just as the sun was setting. We were captivated by the golden glow from the setting sun. It was easy to see how Monet was inspired by the changing colours on the building. Beautiful!

 Just before sitting down to our evening meal, the cruise director told us about the evening light show that would be taking place, on the front of the Cathedral building later that night. He told us that he wasn't as impressed with this year's show, having seen others in past years. He explained that he found the story hard to follow. Nevertheless, it was an opportunity not to be missed, so we joined the crowds to see it for ourselves.

An interesting show which, we must admit, was hard to follow at times, as most of the dialogue which accompanied the light images was obviously in French! However, the images although often puzzling captured our imagination. It was well worth seeing.

The following morning, we decided to explore ourselves rather than going on an organised tour. We wandered the streets viewing the traditional houses before arriving at the superb modern church dedicated to Joan of Arc.
​Along the way, there was a range of street art to enjoy in this fascinating city.

For several years now we have wanted to explore this area of France and going on a river cruise seemed an ideal way of doing this. After a short flight to Paris, we were soon on the coach to the boat. 
Having been on many ocean cruise ships, we were slightly nervous about sailing on a river cruise. As it was the company's 40th anniversary, there were lots of upgrades, including being moved to the top deck. We soon settled in and unpacked. The room seemed slightly smaller than we were used to but we soon became accustomed to it.
Leaving Paris in the evening, we watched the Eiffel town light show. Our holiday had begun.

Early morning was spent sailing down the Seine. We soon arrived at Les Andelys, an historic small town. After lunch we had a coach trip up to see the ruins of Chateau Gaillard and a scenic view over the valley. 

After admiring the view, we had a choice of visiting the ruins followed by a short walk back to the boat or being dropped off from the coach at the end of town. This meant there was a forty minute walk to the boat.
Deciding to explore further, we decided to walk through the town. There were lots of impressive buildings to admire and the more modern flats in one area had large murals on the walls.
An interesting idea and one which we would encourage in our country.

Finally arriving in the centre, we decided to explore the small shops. Unfortunately, several of these were closed and the cafes were crowded. There were a couple of galleries with one being run by a local artist: 
'The magical places that Daniel Sellier found in Normandy soon became and still remain his chief sources of inspiration for his compositions, which he tirelessly and in all seasons paints outdoors, capturing them on site. His appreciation of peaceful landscapes, which he appropriates in order to transform into enchanting sites, has allowed him to study nature’s transformations under the effects of light.'
​His artwork certainly captured the beauty of the area.

Arriving back at the ship we had a chance to relax, and prepare for an evening meal, after an enjoyable introduction to river sailing and a small, traditional French town.