The retirement cruise continues with a visit into Rouen. I got my miles in this morning, stumbling over the cobblestones around the medieval town square. I was the tempted to stop at The Joan de Arc tavern for a drink, one of many establishments capitalizing on her saintly fame. She was only nineteen when burned at the stake, not even old enough to drink let alone run her own tavern!
A crypt in the near-by Notre Dame cathedral memorializes her accomplishments with a statue and stained glass window. Her ashes were supposedly cast into the Seine to prevent this very type of star-worship. Monet created at least 20 different famous paintings of this ornate church, each with a slight variation in color. Claude and Joan are the reason so many tourists “flock” to Rouen – so do the pigeons!
The next few days we’ll be visiting cities along the English Channel. This afternoon we’re in Honfleur, where several of the “Impressionists” got their inspiration. It’s where the Seine meets the Channel, and features a row of six-story homes near the inlet. The lower levels are now shops and restaurants. The upper levels provide a clear view of marine traffic in and out of the “old dock.”
I don’t speak French and have even more trouble understanding the British accent. Couple that with the fact that my wife thinks I need a hearing aid, and I’ve experienced some communication difficulties. Our tour guides have primarily been French, but they speak with a British accent, so I can’t follow their chatter. I prefer plain English. Much to my disappointment, the English Channel turned out to be a body of water separating England and France, not a new Cable Network with French subtitles. I’m clearly cursed with an American attitude!
Our tour guide struggles with herding us “cats.” We’re all plugged in to his commentary, but not making adequate progress, with less than an hour to see the entire city. Eventually, many of us drift away to tour at a faster pace. My wife collects Limoges boxes. She left us long before to exercise our credit cards.
Earlier, we were in Deauville, a playground for the rich, with a long beach-front and several Casinos. There was not a Limoges box to be found. The most intriguing point of interest was the row of changing rooms that lined the beach, each named for an American Film star. The American Film Festival is held annually each September in this area. Tomorrow we’ll travel to Normandy and Omaha Beach, destined to be a sobering experience.
As a result of the tour and long bus ride, I was tragically without wine for nearly 5 hours. My low alcohol light was definitely glowing brightly as we finally got back to the boat. Once again, we were held captive by Viking, with only a narrow gang plank between us and the shore!
Anticipating a 6 a.m. wake-up call; food, wine, and early to bed were our top priorities. Wine Time at last! We then somehow got stuck listening to a boring question and answer session with our captain, and some awkward-sounding karaoke in the lounge. Finally, after a nightcap, we were able to graciously escape to our stateroom for the night.
It was a magical day with you! Your #1 fan