Tour members meet for our flight to Paris. After dinner is served, it’s time to sit back, relax, and enjoy the on-board entertainment to prepare for this exciting adventure of a lifetime.

Upon arrival in Paris, we proceed through customs and security and meet our agent who assists us to our motor coach. Then we’ll explore some must-see sights and areas of Paris, including Le Marais – the city’s Jewish quarter in the 18th century, and now a very fashionable area with many specialty shops and many eateries. We’ll visit the historic Place de la Bastille, where the formidable prison used to stand, and the very elegant Place des Vosges – once home to many illustrious figures such as Victor Hugo. Later, we’ll visit the Lutheran Church (Église Protestante Lutherans Saint-Jean) before going to Trocadéro Gardens for a front-row view of the Eiffel Tower. Then, finally, we’ll board our cruise ship, home for the next few days.

Our first port of call is the town of Les Andelys, founded in the 6th century, where we can enjoy a view of the dramatic white cliffs and visit the ruins of Château Gaillard, built in 1196 by Richard the Lionheart. We will then continue to visit the 15thcentury Castle Vascoeuil, nestled in the heart of the Norman countryside, surrounded by one of the most beautiful forests in France (Forêt de Lyons). Today, it is a fascinating center for culture, art, and history. Finally, we’ll visit a cheese factory and sample some of the best French cheeses before we return to the ship and sail to Rouen.

This morning, after breakfast, we’ll go on a walking tour of Rouen, one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe, and where Joan of Arc was tried and burned alive on 30 May 1431. Today, this beautiful town of half-timbered houses boasts a magnificent Gothic Cathedral and a grand clock tower (Gros-Horloge), a 14th-century astronomical clock. We’ll also visit the Old Market Square and hear the story of Joan of Arc in front of the modern church built in her name and completed in 1979. Next, we’ll visit the Aitre Saint Maclou, a plague cemetery dating back to the Black Death of 1348, which decimated 3/4 of the local population, before we head on to the Protestant Church, Temple SaintÉloi, then back to the ship for the rest of the day.

Today will be dedicated to D-Day sites. We’ll visit the landing beaches of the largest invasion in world history at the height of World War II. We will reach Pointe Du Hoc, part of Hitler’s Atlantic Wall, and see the German bunkers overlooking Omaha Beach, one of the five Allied landing beaches. We’ll visit the famous American cemetery, the last resting place for thousands of American soldiers who gave their lives to free Europe from Nazi Germany. Next, we’ll head on to Arromanches-les-Bains for a lunch break and a visit to the museum built on the very site of the British artificial port to commemorate D-Day and the Battle of Normandy. On our way back to the ship, anchored in Le Havre, we’ll have some time to visit this major port city and UNESCO World Heritage Site at the mouth of the River Seine.

After yesterday’s gut-wrenching day, we’ll enjoy the charming resort town of Étretat, overlooking some impressive chalkwhite cliffs and a major source of inspiration for many painters and writers. It’s easy to see what the fuss is about when we visit Étretat Gardens, a cliff-top experimental garden with beautifully manicured living sculptures. After lunch, we’ll cross the Seine to the old fishing town of Honfleur, sitting on the river estuary. It, too, was painted by generations of artists, and rightly so. The picturesque Old Port and unique Church of St. Catherine, the largest wooden church in France, are simply postcard-perfect. To cap off the day, we’ll taste some Calvados, the local apple or pear brandy, then return to the ship for the night.

Vernon is an excellent example of rural and romantic France. The town was first mentioned in 750 AD by Pepin the Short, and it’s as ancient as they get. However, it was partially destroyed in WWII and rebuilt in Medieval style. Today, we’ll see the Old Mill, the Gothic Notre Dame Cathedral, built in the 11th to 16th century, and some half-timbered houses close to the 19th century Town Hall. However, the area’s biggest draw is Giverny, where we’ll visit the house and gardens of the illustrious impressionist painter Claude Monet - including the small Japanese Bridge, the water lily ponds, and other stunning landscapes he painted in this Garden of Eden. Towards evening, we’ll return to the ship and sail back to Paris.

Back in the City of Love, we will visit the Musée d’Orsay, set in a Beaux-Arts train station and home to the most extensive collection of Impressionist and post- Impressionist masterpieces in the world. After a tour of this world-famous museum, we’ll ride the elevator to the observation deck of the Montparnasse Tower for a birds-eye view of the city. Then we head to one of the most famous corners of the city, Montmartre, once a small village on the outskirts of Paris, where monks used to produce wine, while painters and other Bohemian types came to drink, paint and hang out. We will also visit the white Sacré-Coeur Basilica overlooking the city before we return to the ship for a final dinner.

Come morning, we’ll disembark the ship and drive to the airport for our flight back home. We arrive home the same day.