Scenic Gem: 11 day Gems of the Seine plus Normandy (hopefully live thread)

[robertmartha]

1 of 4

Thank you as well for taking us along on your trip

Definitely now have Scenic on my radar as a contender. Very informative information that you have shared and your photo's are amazing.

What's next for you? Another River Cruise in your future?

[notamermaid]

1of4,

Thank you very much for taking us along on your journey. I had not considered a Seine cruise before as I have seen quite a bit of Paris and are not interested in Monet's Garden or the WWII history excursion.

 

But the photos of Rouen and the sail through the estuary - that is one heck of a bridge - are stunning. I went across the Queensferry crossing over the Fifth of Forth a few weeks ago but the Normandy bridge looks even bigger!

 

Those food photos, my goodness a hole three-tier tray of macaroons!

 

The ship looks well designed, too.

 

Can I go on a Scenic river cruise please, PLEASE?

 

Thank you again.

 

notamermaid

 

[1of4]

1 hour ago, notamermaid said:

1of4,

Thank you very much for taking us along on your journey. I had not considered a Seine cruise before as I have seen quite a bit of Paris and are not interested in Monet's Garden or the WWII history excursion.

 

But the photos of Rouen and the sail through the estuary - that is one heck of a bridge - are stunning. I went across the Queensferry crossing over the Fifth of Forth a few weeks ago but the Normandy bridge looks even bigger!

 

Those food photos, my goodness a hole three-tier tray of macaroons!

 

The ship looks well designed, too.

 

Can I go on a Scenic river cruise please, PLEASE?

 

Thank you again.

 

notamermaid

 

 

We will definitely do another river cruise.  My medical condition has kept me off the water for 4+ years and I am not ready for the ocean...yet.  So this was a tentative step and it couldn’t have gone better.

 

we have actually talked about doing this one again in the future so we can do the other tours.  The choices were difficult to make!  Each evening Valerie, our cruise director, gave us a talk on the next day including the tours, the logistics and the weather.

 

On the second day in Rouen, when all but 12 of us went to The Somme battlefields, there was a guided excursion to the fine art gallery in Rouen.  I decided to not go, again not because I didn’t want to, but because I was tired and my walking over the cobblestones would hold others back and walking back would possibly have been the mile too far.  So I poked about Rouen and was very happy to do so.

 

There are e-bikes you can take too.  I am not allowed as my balance is compromised but instead of going into Monet’s gardens you could bike around Giverny and Vernon.  We also heard from people who did the walk with a Parisian in Paris on the last day as their tour option that it was fantastic.  DH and I went to Montmartre and the Marché St. Pierre area and did our own excursion...fabric shopping!  Came back to the boat and found out that others would have come with us lol.

 

so many choices!  I’m glad my review is adding a missing perspective.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 20, 2019 by 1of4

[notamermaid]

Thanks for the fabric photos. Heaven for those with the gift of sewing! I am not good at handicrafts but would certainly like to be in that shop to take in all the colours and feel the textures!

 

I can kind of feel what you mean with seeing what you can do and what might be too much. After an illness in 2016 I have had to hold back doing certain things. I love trains and cities, so after three years I finally went back to London and travelled on the Underground. It was a major step for me.

 

Hope you stay as healthy as can possibly be - and after this confidence boost perhaps even improve.

 

notamermaid

 

[1of4]

As I await for my 15 year old son to walk through the door after his epic canoeing adventures, I will continue with Honfleur. 

 

Honfleur can can be traced back to the 9th century and is mentioned in historical documents as early as the 11th century.  Its development coincides with the Viking invasions and their settlement.  The town grew steadily into the 14th century because of it’s excellent position as a maritime port and its access to the Seine estuary, the role of Honfleur was both to defend the royal river and to be the embarkation point of great maritime voyages. 

 

It it played a predominant role in the 100 years war and after recovering from that hardship, it played an active part in the voyages of discovery in the 16th and 17th centuries. 

 

Being from Montréal myself, I am very familiar with one of the famous names who was known as the father of New France, now the Province of Quebec: Samuel De Champlain. 

 

Our 2 hour walking tour began at 9:30 this Sunday morning. It was lovely just walking from our boat as we watched bus after bus later in the morning arrive from other riverboat companies. We had our walking tour done before the town got busy. 

 

This is was found during a restaurant renovation and has been covered to preserve it as it is from medieval time and carved into the limestone. It was behind a pillar located very close to the harbour and is now outside. 

 

 

Not accessible during our visit but the 16 - 17th century salt warehouse could store 10,000 tons of salt. With the rise of cod fishing off the Grand Banks of Newfoundland, salt played an important role in drying and preserving the fish. 

 

 

Calvados shop

 

 

 

 

Through the medieval passage to what was the butcher

 

 

 

Edited August 20, 2019 by 1of4

[1of4]

We continued our tour in relatively quiet. Apparently Honfleur is where the French come to vacation. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[1of4]

The building from the last set was dated in the mid 1600s, hard to conceive for this North American whose home “town” is just coming up to 400 years with nothing much left from that age. 

 

 

 

 

 

You can tell by the stone of this house a prominent figure lived here. Even more so when you learn Honfleur was a slave port and the centre item in the swag under each window is a cocoa pod. 

 

 

 

[cruiseryyc]

Love your pictures, love your commentary - makes me want to go again!

 

FYI regarding the "for cost" liquor, makes friend with a bartender then when you want the Johnny Walker you might not get charged for it.  My friend had one every night and she was expecting to get a bill at the end of the trip, but none appeared!

 

 

[Host Jazzbeau]

9 hours ago, 1of4 said:

 

We will definitely do another river cruise.  My medical condition has kept me off the water for 4+ years and I am not ready for the ocean...yet.  So this was a tentative step and it couldn’t have gone better.

...

DH and I went to Montmartre and the Marché St. Pierre area and did our own excursion...fabric shopping!  Came back to the boat and found out that others would have come with us lol.

 

As you consider a second river cruise, based on the above I highly recommend the Rhône.  Spend several days in Lyon at the beginning or end and you will find shops and ateliers making/selling the most wonderful silk!

 

[1of4]

Continuing on our walk, we crossed the lift bridge separating the inner harbour/old port with its colourful slate frontages and found ourselves beside the Lieutenancy building which is at the old port entrance. Built (rebuilt and just renovated) in the 18th century, it was the former home of the Governor of Honfleur. One side of the building is the old gate to the city. 

 

 

 

Plaque to Samuel De Champlain 

 

 

 

 

Another medieval fire break

 

 

 

[1of4]

16 minutes ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

 

As you consider a second river cruise, based on the above I highly recommend the Rhône.  Spend several days in Lyon at the beginning or end and you will find shops and ateliers making/selling the most wonderful silk!

 

 

Oh wow!  Thanks!

[1of4]

I’m trying a video. Not sure it will work but we ended up right outside saint-Catherine’s Church on Sunday just as the bells started ringing to announce the call to worship. The went on for 15 minutes which proved too long for my condition so I buried my head in DH’s chest and just hung on as I just shut down.

 

This is the largest wooden church in France. It dates back to the mid 15th century just after the 100 years war. The bell tower was built separate from the church invade of lightning strikes causing fire. 

[1of4]

Since the church service was just starting we walked back later and went in. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

we we lit a poppy candle 

 

[1of4]

I’ll wrap up our walking tour in what is now a peaceful park but used to be the site of a cotton mill and dying facility. It then was known as the bad area of town where prostitution was common. It was my favourite area we toured. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The site of the old dye pots

 

 

The old toilet hanging out over the stream

 

 

 

[cat shepard]

Great pictures, and your video worked perfectly. Thank you!

[1of4]

Our final off boat activity on Sunday was our Sundowner excursion to Manoir d’Apreval which was after our port talk but before dinner. 

 

This excursion was all about apples: juice, cider and Calvados production. We were greeted with glasses of either juice or cider but all stages of production could be sampled. They explained how the apples are harvested and pressed, the fermentation process, distilling and aging Calvados, among others. 

 

For those that just wanted to nibble on locally produced hors d’oeuvres by neighbouring farms you could do that then either watch a magician or walk around the property. 

 

We walked after DH sampled. The roses were spectacular!

 

 

 

There are a variety of buildings on the property

 

 

We were told irises are planed in a bed of clay on top of thatch buildings to absorb humidity and extend the life of the thatch. 

 

 

 

 

Along with the cow pastures and apple orchards we found pears and noticed the English Channel just beyond the trees. 

 

 

 

 

And we were greeted by the kitchen and dining staff as we returned!

 

[1of4]

 

Monday. The day I had been both looking forward to but a bit afraid of at the same time. I didn’t know how I would feel being confronted with the sites w had been brought up hearing and learning about since my father’s 3 brothers landed on Juno that day. My dad was the youngest and too young to enlist but he had to leave school after grade 8 to find work to support the family. 

 

 

I fell in love with the Normandy landscape. Please excuse the window reflection. 

 

 

 

As as we drove along the coast the memorials are a common sight. 

 

 

 

 

The white chalk cliffs was our first destination for the day; the D-Day museum in Arromanches which is located off Gold Beach, one of the two British landing beaches. 

 

 

The remnants of the Mulberry harbour are still visible. 

 

 

 

[1of4]

After a bathroom break we went into the museum to view a movie about the temporary portable harbours towed over from Great Britain on June 6 to facilitate offloading cargo onto the beaches. We then had the opportunity to walk through the museum itself. 

 

It was overwhelming. But my desire was to see, and hopefully walk on, the beach itself. And I did. 

 

A front moved in making the experience even more poignant. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A segment of the bridge

 

 

Edited August 21, 2019 by 1of4

[1of4]

Our next stop was the Canadian war cemetery of Bény-sur-Mer. Here 2,049 headstones are enclosed by pines and 6 majestic maples. The cemetery is actually in the town of Reviers and is taken great care of by the townspeople. 

 

As our bus travelled the narrow streets from town to town my mind traveled back in time as it doesn’t look like much has changed. Then I began to notice homes flying Canadian and/or British flags.  That was humbling. But nothing could prepare me for the overwhelming emotions of being in that cemetery, seeing the 6 huge maple trees standing on sentry duty then row after row of headstones. Each and everyone impeccably cared for. 

 

 

 

 

 

We left one of our Canadian flags bought from the Canadian Legion here. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As incredible as it sounds, the rain stopped as our bus pulled into the parking area and the sun stayed out until we got back on the bus. 

[puppycanducruise]

The pictures of the cemetery bring tears to my eyes.

Thank you for sharing them.  It's an honour.

[pully8]

beautiful pictures and thread.

we have been fortunate to visit the area in spring and autumn.

prefer spring, but lovely and so interesting at anytime. 

[*Miss G*]

Thank you so much for the beautiful pictures and commentary.  I truly appreciate you doing this review.  Great job 1of4.

[cruiseryyc]

The time spent at Juno beach and the Beny-sur-Mer cemetery stand out as one of the most moving experiences of my life. Every Canadian should pay this sacred spot a visit. We shall remember them.

[1of4]

Thank you for your kind words. It is still difficult to document so I appreciate all your comments. 

 

I had 2 appointments this morning then had to take DD to shop for dorm-room linens. Move in is Sunday!

 

Now to continue. 

 

After leaving Bény-sur-Mer we drove through more stunning Normandy countryside to our pre-arranged lunch. It was in a beautiful hotel with stunning gardens. We had preselected either meat (beef), fish (sea bass) or vegetarian. Our cruise director had distributed cards to put in front of our plates so staff would know our preferences. I also had a card that said no cream. Scenic took care of everything for me ahead of time. It was lovely. 

 

 

After lunch we drove to The Juno Beach Centre.  The Centre was conceived in the 1990s by Canadian veterans and is a result of grassroots fundraising. The building itself was inaugurated on 6 June 2003. 

 

All guides at the centre are young Canadian students experiencing life in Normandy while sharing canada’s military history.

 

 

The first exhibit in the museum is a standing movie simulation of a landing craft. One of my uncles spent 3 days bobbing on the English Channel waiting for orders to proceed to the beach. This was very moving as we heard letters from/to home read aloud during the movie. It really puts you in the mindset of these young Canadians about to see battle for the first time for many of them. 

 

The movie room opens into the museum which was interesting but once again I just wanted/needed to get outside and onto the beach. The museum is segmented into rooms:

 

- Canada in the 1930s

- Canada goes to war

- Road to Victory 

- Some came back, others did not

- They walk with you

 

They walk with you is a 15 minute movie. DH went but I did not as I knew I just couldn’t as it is very emotional. 

 

I passed through the obligatory gift shop (nothing I hadn’t seen in Canada, unfortunately) on my way outside. 

 

 

This land saw intense combat on June 6, 1944. There are still many remnants of German defences that were part of the Atlantic Wall. 

 

R666 bunker was uncovered and its access cleared as part of building the Centre. 

 

 

 

 

Hard to to tell it had started to pour rain as I walked towards the beach. That was okay, it hid my tears. 

 

 

 

Statue entitled Rembrandt and Renewal. 

 

 

You our can visit the centre’s website at junobeach.org  

[1of4]

From the Juno Beach Centre we travelled to the the village of Bénouville and the Caen Canal, the site of the Pegasus Bridge.   The original bridge was built in 1934 and was replaced in 1994 when the canal needed to be widened. 

 

 

 

On the night of June 5, 1944, 181 men in 6 gliders took off from Dorset in England to capture this plus Horsa Bridge a few hundred yards to the east and land, 3 gliders by each bridge, to take both bridges intact and hold them until relieved by the main British invasion forces. The successful capture of the bridges played an important role in limiting the effectiveness of a German counter-attack. 

 

5 of the gliders landed within 47 yards of their respective bridge at 16 minutes past midnight completely surprising the Germans and captured the bridges within 10 minutes.   2 men were lost in the process.   1 glider landed 7 miles off target at a bridge over the river Dives. Most of these soldiers were able to move through German lines and eventually rejoin the British forces. 

 

 

Wouldn’t you know it, as soon as we were ready to cross by foot a boat caused the bridge to lift. What a treat to get to see in action!

 

 

The owner of this (now) cafe was liberated by the British and to this day will not serve German tourists. 

 

 

On the other side of the canal the actual glider landing sites are marked and commemorated. 

 

 

 

A short walk brings us to another plaque commemorating the bridge. 

 

 

And the museum holding the original bridge.