Day Five

Wednesday November 7th, 2007

Today was one of the busiest days we had on this trip.  We were up, finished breakfast, and on the bus by 7:45.  Today was the day trip to the Normandy beaches of D-Day fame.

Our first stop was Arromanches, code name Gold Beach.  It was on the shores of  this tiny village that most of the British troops landed.  Today, the village has grown into a formidable tourist sight, with an over priced D-Day museum, and dozens of cafes, shops, galleries and souvenir shops. 

Now, had we visited in the spring or summer, it would be lovely to enjoy the towns sights and the pleasant weather.  However, it was November, and that means not only was it 28 degrees Fahrenheit, but the wind was blowing REALLY strongly.  All but two shops were closed, and there was only one café and, ironically, an ice cream parlor open.  The bus pulled up, we got off, and then they announced that the buses would be back in three and a half hours. 

We took pictures of the beach and of the remains of one of the famous temporary harbors that Churchill built out of scrap metal.  We thought that perhaps the museum was free or included, but it is not.  It cost 6.50 Euros to go in.  Although it was warm, it was really small, and not worth it to my mother and I.  We walked down the city streets, passing the closed shops.  We did a bit of shopping, including one souvenir shop that salvaged a number of items from D-Day.  They had everything from bullets to first aide kits, helmets to boots.  We visited the local church, which replaced the stained glass windows that had gotten blown out in the War with scenes of Americans, British, and Canadian soldiers liberating the village and all of France.

We had an interesting lunch at the one restaurant.  It was provided by Uniworld, and was some type of traditional meal.  We finally got to go back on the bus, and were on our way to the Normandy American Cemetery. 

The night before, Uniworld left the name and grave location of a solider buried in the cemetery.  When we arrived, be were given flowers to place on the grave.  It was very special, and a really nice touch.  We were then given 45 minutes to explore the grounds.  My mom and I had read an article earlier in the year about the new visitors center, and so we decided to spend our time there.

The center was great, and brand new.  It was set up to be savored, with a number of personal stories about soldiers who are buried in the cemetery.  I only wish I didn’t have to rush through it so quickly.  I was pretty disappointed that I did not get to make it to the chapel.

This was one part of our trip that made my mother and I really upset.  We spent three and a half hours in a closed town trying to entertain ourselves, and ended up with only 45 minutes in the American Cemetery and visitors center.  I felt cheated.  We got the impression that the only reason our stop in Arromanches was because Uniworld had some kind of agreement to pump money into the town.

After we were herded back into the bus, we went to Omaha beach.  It was quite an experience.  Although a little town had sprung up in response to the tourism, there was not a lot there.  Unlike at Gold Beach, there was nothing built upon the sand.  Our tour guide told us that it is protected under law, out of respect for the men who died there.  The memorial is simple, beautiful and haunting.  The sand was an eerie red color.  It was amazing to stand at a sight that is held in such regard by the French, German and American people alike.

However, we were only allowed 15 minutes to get out and walk around.  Again, this beach is one of the most famous beaches, and we felt robbed that our time was so short.

Our next stop was Pointe du Hoc.  I had never heard of this place until we got there, and it turned out to be my favorite Normandy Beach highlight.  This point, on the top of a cliff, had some of the largest and most powerful guns of the 1940s, plus several bunkers full of German reinforcements, supplies and weapons.  Pointe du Hoc sits between the Utah landing site and the Omaha site.  This strong hold was the biggest threat to the allied troops.

The most interesting part about this was place was the fact that most of the underground bunkers and above ground structures were still standing.  There were remains of several big guns, and even original barbed wire.  We explored all over this area, including inside the bunkers.  We also got some incredible pictures of the interior bunkers and different ruins.  There were some serious craters, which were created by the dropping of bombs to take the point out of commission on D-Day.  We spent a good two hours there, but the visitor’s center was closed. 

This was one of the busiest days that we had so far, but it was also the one day with my most complaints.  The time structure was really disappointing, and I felt that they were not as apt to what the travelers’ expectations were.  I think that this day on the itinerary could, and should, be reworked. 

The sights were all amazing, but we really were exhausted after all the places we went!

I did want to make a quick note about the attitude of the French people towards Americans, and the French in World War II.  Our tour guide, Dominique, made a point of mentioning this at the beginning of our tour.  Few people realize that World War I, which had happened just twenty years before, wiped out half of all males in the country.  The population could not support an army built by men.  Thus, they felt there was no choice but to surrender.

Dominique told us that the French people are eternally grateful for the liberation, and that the generation that remembers the war will never forget that they owe their current country to the Americans, British and Canadians.  This was really well illustrated in all the towns, which sported the American flag, the Union Jack, and the Maple Leaf right along with the French flag.  There were window paintings, fliers and billboards that proudly proclaimed in English and French “Welcome to our liberators!”  It made me feel really proud to be an American, and really welcome.

Day Four- Les Andelys and Rouen

Tuesday, November 6, 2007

Today, we woke up even earlier!  Last night, Emanuelle told us about this great castle built by Richard the Lion Heart in 1197.  The group was going to bus up, but if we wanted more time to explore, we should walk up earlier.  We were out the door by 7 am, which was pretty cold.  Luckily we had a LONG walk up very steep hill, which warmed us up considerably!  This is why Uniworld buses you up.

We reached the Chateau at about 8:15.  Called the Chateau-Gaillard, this castle and keep was one of the most strategically located strong holds in Normandy.  Richard the Lion Heart, the last English duke of Normandy, built the Chateau specifically to hold onto English claimed Norman lands, and protected the water way, the Seine, which leads into the English Channel.  It was built in only 12 months.

When Richard died, his brother John added two more toilets, which lead to the downfall of this Château.  King Philip II of France found that his troops could climb up the chute of this new toilet and thus gain entrance into the keep.  And with Philip taking this Château, he united all of France under one ruler.

The castle was dismantled after the 100 years war, nearly 400 years after its original building.  The keep still stands, and you can take tours of it.  There are several ruined walls and towers to poke around in, which we did extensively.

We returned from the Château and set in to sail through lunch.  Sebastian gave an interesting talk about the many locks we went through, and how they worked.  Emmanuelle gave a talk on French history and culture from its infancy to modern day.  Again, my mother was board and antsy, but I was really interested to hear about France and Paris from a native.  It was lovely to watch us dock in Rouen while we finished lunch.

An important note to remember for those of you who will go to France and Rouen:  Americans see the name Rouen and think to pronounce it Rue-en.  If you talk about Rue-en to a French person, they will look at you funny, and say they have never heard of this place.  The French pronounce it Woo-onh.  This entertained my mother and I to no end, and we proceeded to practice it constantly, as we never got it quite right.

I loved Rouen!  It was very much like Paris, but on a much smaller level.  Rouen was one of the most prosperous cities in the middle ages, and was the capital of Normandy.  Rouen has some of the oldest original wood buildings in all of France.  These wooded buildings were once homes on the second and third levels, and shops on the bottom.  We took a walking tour that highlighted these buildings, and the incredible Notre Dame, Rouen’s cathedral.  It is just one of hundreds of cathedrals and churches that share this name all over France.

The other fascinating thing that took place in Rouen was the execution of Joan of Arc.  Joan of Arc has been a long time hero of mine, and I was very excited to stand on the spot of her martyrdom.  My biggest disappointment was the church erected near the sight in her honor.  It was built in the 1970s and looked completely retro.

I also stopped by the Joan of Arc museum across the street.  Do not waste your time!  It was mostly posters of movies about Joan of Arc, and had bad wax figures depicting about 10 scenes from her life.  It was horribly armature, as was the narration in 5 different languages.  Did I mention that all this cost me 7.50 Euros?

It was in Rouen that we finally sat in a café among other French people.  Mom had a glass of white wine, and I had a hot chocolate.  We sat inside because it started to drizzle and was about 32 Fahrenheit.  Ironically enough, we found out when we left that the name of the café was the Café Big Ben.

Day Three- Conflans St. Honorine, Auvers sur Oise, Vernon

Monday November 5, 2007

We woke up early this morning so we could walk around Conflans St. Honorine before we left for Auvers sur Oise.  Breakfast was an amazing buffet, as usual.  It was COLD, (well, at least for us California girls), coming to about 45 degrees Fahrenheit.  But the sun was shining on the beautiful River Seine, and the town was quaint and picturesque.  It looked like a story book town, which we found out later was common to French towns.

This town on the banks of the Seine was facing an immense forest that looked magical.  I would not be surprised to see a fairy or two.  The trees were covered in greens, reds, and golds, the perfect fall foliage.  There were several wild swans paddling down the river, and a fine, misty fog coming off the water.

At 9 am, a bus came to pick us up and take us for a tour of Auvers sur Oise.  Our tour guide, Guillen, was great.  She told us all about Auvers sur Oise, the town where Vincent Van Gogh painted several hundred paintings, and later killed himself.  They still have the bed where he died, and he is buried in the towns graveyard.  But Auvers sur Oise was home to a number of famous French artists, although Van Gogh was the most internationally known.

To be honest, I wasn’t too thrilled with this tour at first.  I really would have preferred to stay in Paris.  I like Van Gogh, but I didn’t feel the need to spend a three hour tour based on his death.  I was pleasantly surprised.  I really enjoyed this town.  First of all, this walking tour takes you to some of the sights Van Gogh painted.  Near these sights are reproductions, and you can see literally the same exact sight.  It is amazing how few things changed. 

After the tour, Guillen helped my mom and me pick out French wine.  She showed us what to look for on a good bottle of wine so we could do it on our own later.  We were really happy with what we picked, and it was really inexpensive.  And I bought one of the main souvenirs that I wanted from France:  champagne from Champagne!

We were bussed back to the boat and while we ate lunch, we sailed along to Vernon.  It was lovely to sail while we enjoyed another excellent lunch.  Though it was cold outside, the weather was sunny and bright.  We sailed for about 8 hours.  I liked this down time, because after all, it is suppose to be a vacation.  I had books to read, or I could watch a movie.  My mom had cabin fever, and walked the ship until she decided to take a nap.

Soon it was time to get ready for the Capitan’s dinner.  We fancied up, but I just wore nice slacks and a silk shirt.  No one got really dressed up, for which I was thankful for.  We were so lucky to get to dine with Emmanuelle, and second captain Jacky.  Emmanuelle is so sweet, as was Jacky, despite the fact that Jacky spoke very little English.  The dinner was seven full courses, with veal, mussels and more.

Mom had a bit of trouble falling asleep, but I did not.  We watched the Da Vinic Code for a while on our cabin’s flat screen TV on the boat’s private movie channel, but I pretty much fell asleep.

Thus ended day three!

Day Two- Arrival In Paris, Exploring Paris on Our Own

Sunday November 4, 2007

To our excitement, we woke up on the plane 45 minutes to landing in Charles de Gaul airport, Paris. The landing was extremely smooth. Customs was a breeze, and all of our luggage arrived safe and sound. The Uniworld representative was waiting for us. We met several nice peoples , including Debbie, who would be joining us on the River Baroness.

By the time we were transported to the ship, and our bags unloaded, it was 9:45 am. Most of the guests were in the lounge, but my mom and I decided to explore. The shipped was docked in a pretty good area, right across the street from the Metro station. Uniworld provided us with a map, metro tickets and off we went. Our first stop was the Eiffel Tower, which was only 4 metro stops away. We got off the metro, and were walking around cute buildings from the eighteen hundreds. There was a sudden gap in the buildings and there it was. It was so beautiful!

We got plenty of pictures with the Eiffel Tower. We really wanted to ride to the top, but the lines just to buy tickets were three hours long. We decided to skip it and go somewhere else…like Notre Dame!

Notre Dame was only two metro stops after the Eiffel Towers, so onward we went. What a sight! It was Sunday, so when we entered at about 12:30 pm, high mass was going on. There was a full choir singing while mass was said in beautiful French. The sounds of the choir reverberated in the cathedral. It gave me chills all the way to my soul. We walked around the cathedral, taking in the impressive sculpture and art. The stained glass windows were also amazing, especially the famous rose window. After the first mass ended, we snagged front row seats for the next mass, which was just as beautiful.

After the mass, we tried to get into the catacombs, which were closed for renovation. Then we wanted to climb to the top of the bell towers, but the line was several hours. Instead, we walked across the street to explore the small and turning streets that make up Paris. They were full of cafes, markets, artists selling prints and canvases. There were street performs and venders. We bought crepes with natella (similar to hazelnut, but more like sweet milk chocolate) and peach jam. Suddenly, at about 4 pm, it hit us. We were exhausted!

We made our way back to the River Baroness and were escorted to our rooms. Awaiting us in our suite was a bottle of wine and fresh fruit. We unpacked and freshened up. At
6 pm local time, all the passengers were invited for a welcome drink, and let me tell you that Uniworld has some AMAZING champagne! We met our cruise director, the fabulous Emmanuelle and the sweet Hotel Manager Sebastian.

And on to dinner! Let me preface the rest of these posts with how incredible the food was. There are no words. Every meal, from breakfast to dinner, was a parade of gourmet delicacies. And if you were allergic to any thing, or the menu didn’t float your boat, they would make you ANYTHING you requested! The service was always impeccable, and the staff really got to know you well.

While we were feasting on the incredible spread laid before us, the boat left port. We sailed past the Eiffel Tower during the light show, and viewed the night lights of Paris. The best part of the sailing was that we could not even feel the movement. It was so smooth. Not only that, but it was extremely quite. The engines made some noise pulling away from the shoreline, but once we were moving down the Seine, it was silent.

After the great dinner, we collapsed into bed, hit hard with the day’s activities and jet lag. Awaiting us was a folder telling us what was to follow the next day, along with some history notes about Paris, and different things to see. The most exciting addition was a personal invitation to join the Captains table for the Captain’s Welcome dinner. My mother found the beds extremely comfortable, where as I did not. I chalk it up to my difficulties sleeping anywhere not my own bed.

Thus ended our second day!

Hello all! I am back from my amazing river cruise aboard Uniworld’s River Baroness. This cruise started and ended in Paris, with a large portion of our time spent cruising the Seine river. I am going to give you a blow by blow blog of my experience, with one blog for every day, plus a recap of the over all experience with Uniworld, and my suggestions as a travel agent. So stay tuned for more.

Day One- Departure from Los Angles, arrival the next day in Paris

Saturday November 3, 2007

This morning was surprisingly relaxed. With all of our packing done the night before, all my mother and I had to do was wake up, take a shower and jump in the car. Our flight was departing on American Airlines at 11:25 am, and we arrived at the airport at 9:45 am. The lovely people at the Ontario American Airlines desk were very helpful, even recommending places to see in Paris.

We got our boarding pass and made it through security in record time, and walked up to our departure gate at 10 am. It was about that time that my mother realized she forgot her French phrase book and her novels at home. But that was the only real glitch.

We left Ontario and arrived at our connection in Dallas on time. The only problem on the Paris flight was that all the overhead bins were full. My mother, despite my warning, had decided to buy tickets on Orbitz.com. Thus, we were in the last row of our section up against the smelly toilet. Our chairs barely reclined and there was even less leg room, because the overhead bins were full and our carry-ons were shoved in front of our feet. We managed to get some sleep, thankfully, as the movies were so terrible!

We were so excited to know that in just a few hours, it would be tomorrow, and we would be in Paris!

Everyone interested in travel, wether it is for a family vacation or a honeymoon, fears hurricanes in tropical destinatons. In responce to my clients many concerns, I wrote this article about travel and hurricanes. Enjoy!

When is hurricane season? Depending on who you ask, the answer is usually different. Some will say that for the Atlantic Ocean and North Pacific, it’s from August until October, while others say June to November. Some say the South Pacific is prone to hurricanes from November to May, while others say it is year round. Basically, there is not certain way to predict any type of weather, and these “seasons” are mostly based on when past years data. The problem is, each year is different, and sometimes drastically so. The reality is that a hurricane can happen at any time in any month at any sea side destination!

Hurricanes could happen in any costal region in the world at any time of the year. Without trying to sound harsh, there is no way to be able to avoid a hurricane other than traveling to a land locked destination. But this does not mean you should never travel. You could step outside your door tomorrow and be struck by lightning, but that does not mean you should become a recluse. Fear should not drive most of decisions you must make in life. So if you want to take a vacation, honeymoon or destination wedding to a costal region during one of the supposed “hurricane seasons”, do it.

And what if, of all the 365 days out of the year, out of all the islands and coastal regions in the world, a hurricane hits your destination during one of your luxury vacations? Take actions to protect yourself. When you purchase your vacation, simply purchase travelers insurance. Most insurance protects you and the money you invested in your vacation in cases of a natural disaster. The best recommendation is to book your trip through American Express Vacations and add American Express’ Cancel For Any Reason Plan. This insurance runs from $89.00 to $129.00 per person, and must be purchased at the time of deposit. It covers the complete cost of your trip, including air, plus medical protection, baggage loss and emergency evacuation costs. And you can cancel for any reason, so that if a hurricane hit the week before and your reconsider, you will not be stuck with the bill. Seize the day, but protect yourself just incase!

There is no reason to get into a fuss about hurricanes. Your travel could be affected by the break out of wars, famine, illness, terrorism and other natural disasters. The fact is, these variables could suddenly come into play at any time. Its the same story with hurricanes. The best you can do is not to panic. Do not let fear of the “what ifs” dictate they way you live or travel. Purchase travelers insurance for those what if situations, take a deep breath and enjoy!

For years, people have been applying themes to their weddings.  From Star Trek to Fariy Tale themed, each wedding has certain foods and garments to incorporate whatever appeals to the couple.  I came across one such option on Mother’s Day, when I took my mom to the Renaissance Pleasure Faire.  Sure enough, you can be married there, overlooking the beautifully scenic lake, in a decorated gazebo.  The Faire has a number of packages to choose from to create the perfect Renaissance themed wedding, but has several add-ons to make it comprehensive.  At first, I thought that a wedding here would be cheesy.  But the Pleasure Faire really works hard to give their weddings an elegant look, with touches like rich brocade table cloths covering other wise simple stone benches, and even a historically accurate “bridal chamber” where the bridal party can prepare themselves.  Anyone who has ever been to the Renaissance Pleasure Faire knows that anyone in attendance will be warmly welcomed an encouraged to join in the fun of the Faire!  No doubt that any weddings held at the Faire will have an energetic and exciting atmosphere.  One of the bonuses of having your wedding here is the Faire Wedding Coordinator.  Included with your wedding package, the Faire wedding coordinator can put brides in touch with special costumers, florists, entertainers, photographers and more.  You even get private “privies” aka outhouses, that are not used by the public.  There can be a lot of perks to such a wedding.  Talk about the event of the year!  Who would forget such an innovative way to say I do?  The Faire can even get you a minister who will marry you in traditional Elizabethan english!  For couples who really want to immerse themselves in a theme that is not only fun, but as historically accurate as possible, the Renaissance Pleasure Faire seems the way to go! 

Let the Blogging Begin!

Ok, I love the look of my blog!  Oh yeah, I am one of those girlie girls who love pink…and butterflies…and flowers!  Call me a hopeless romantic!

So, here is how it’s going to work.  I am going to update a few times a week with bits from my own mind.  If any of you guys have questions about weddings or travel, in specific or in general, feel free to email me at georgia@georgiahoneymoonblog.com