I had to get up very early for a quick breakfast and airport transfer. As on my departure, the flights were uneventful. I arrived early in the evening, giving me enough time to get re-settled at home. Overall, I had a wonderful cultural, culinary and cruising experience in France, one I’ll never forget.
The grand finale of our tour was a visit to Monet’s Home and Gardens in Giverny. The weather was overcast and cool but dry. I was surprised to see so many flowers in bloom this late in the season (October).
Our guide gave an amusing narration of Monet’s private life and romantic entanglements. Monet’s collection of impressionist artists’ paintings are on display throughout the home.
We also visited the nearby Impressionist Museum.
The rest of the day was spent back at the ship where we had a presentation on the life of French fashion designer Coco Chanel, followed in the evening by our farewell reception and dinner.
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I chose the city tour option for today’s excursion. We saw many city landmarks and had photo stops at the Eiffel Tower and Les Invalides.
The Seine River and the Eiffel Tower in the early morning light
Eiffel Tower
Paris Opera House
Giant teddy bears enjoying breakfast at an outdoor cafe
Napoleon Bonaparte is buried under the dome of Les InvalidesWe toured the Panthéon, which is the burial site for not only military leaders but also writers and philosophers.
Our tour guide gave us 20 euros for lunch of our choosing in the Latin Quarter before returning to the ship.
We drove past the Arch of Triumph, but it was covered in scaffolding as an exhibit by Cristo was being removed, so the photo is less than ideal. Notre Dame Cathedral, still under renovation following the 2019 fire, was also off limits.
Arch of Triumph
Notre Dame Cathedral
We returned to the ship and had a wonderful see bass dinner followed by great entertainment in the lounge with a French jazz trio featuring Cynthia Queenton.
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My day started with breakfast in the hotel brasserie followed by a meeting with one of our tour guides in the lobby for joining instructions.
Our group (49 people total) left by bus mid-afternoon, and we boarded our ship, the MS Sapphire, around 3 PM. The ship was both cozy and elegant with friendly courteous staff, and my cabin was small but comfortable. We moved quickly from orientation to a buffet dinner and then back on the bus for a private tour of the Louvre.
We had an excellent guide who described the museum’s history and its collections. As it would take a month to view the entire museum, we focused on the most famous masterpieces – the Mona Lisa, Winged Victory and Venus de Milo, I managed to take quite a few pictures of the paintings and sculptures as we walked through the galleries.
Inside the Louvre Pyramid
Our group had fun with this sculpture, which we christened “Apollo Taking a Selfie”
Mona Lisa
Winged Victory
Venus de Milo
Old Centaur Teased by Eros (apparently Eros has never heard of the consequences of “poking the bear”)When we got back to the ship, there was a surprise dessert waiting for us in the lounge – crepes suzettes! I had chocolate ice cream and chocolate sauce with mine and enjoyed a musical performance by a pianist and singer.
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“Day 0” was the day of my arrival in Paris, one day before my tour started. My flights were uneventful, but there was a bit of drama when I discovered my transfer driver had left the airport without me and my (supposedly) updated phone did not work. With the kind assistance of several airport security people I was able to contact my tour company, and the driver came to pick me up within 10-15 minutes.
My small but elegant hotel, the Hotel Du Louvre, is appropriately named as it is next door to the Louvre museum. After a 3-hour nap, I was awakened by a brass band playing outside my window that had attracted a small crowd.
I decided to go outside and explore. The streets were lined with cafes, bookstores, and shops, and there were people dancing in the plaza across the street from my hotel. The Louvre had some interesting outdoor art/photo exhibits on civil disobedience and climate change. I did not go into the museum itself as our group would be going on a private tour the next day.
Conseil d’Etat – the highest court in France
My day concluded with dinner in the hotel bar, where I enjoyed Croque Monsieur, Chablis, and a delicious hazelnut and chocolate mousse.
