We head to Paris for another river cruise

Since we were already in Europe, having finished the Rhine and Mosel River cruise, we wanted to make the most of finally being able to travel.  So, we had another river cruise booked.

Leaving Switzerland, we fly to Paris to embark on a river cruise on the Seine River.

We sail from cosmopolitan Paris to the heartland of France, passing through the region that inspired the impressionist artists like Van Gogh and Monet.  We end the cruise in Normandy and experience the D-Day beaches and museums.

 

 

Our ship is the M/S Bizet.  There are 38 passengers plus a full crew of about 38.  We are divided into 2 groups of 19 travelers each.

After an orientation and safety meeting, and a chance to meet our fellow travelers, we go outside of the ship to see our first glimpse of the Eiffel Tower all lit up at night.  Tomorrow we will get a closer look.

The next morning we are off on a guided tour of the city of Paris. 

Our first stop is at the Eiffel Tower.  We are about a block away, but it is the closest we have been to the tower from our previous two day visits to Paris.  We will get even closer later today.

Here's our Program Director, Balwinder, and our local guide, Andre.

The tour is mostly a panoramic bus tour, driving by the city's classic highlights.  Paris is huge and our time is limited so at least this is the way to see a lot in a short time.  Hard to take photos, though, through the coach bus windows.

We drive by the Les Invalides Church.  This was originally a veterans' retirement home built by Louis XIV.  

Buried beneath the dome is the tomb of Napoleon Bonaparte.

We drive through quiet neighborhoods.

And past the statue of the Thinker, by Auguste Rodin, the greatest sculptor since Michelangelo.

Since we only saw the backside from the bus, I found this photo on the internet.

Monument on the Pont Alexandre III bridge--THE bridge to see in Paris. Built in 1900, the bridge is famous for its gilded statues,

nymph reliefs,

and the overall intricate design.

Considered the most stunning bridge over the Seine River.

In the center of one of the most well-known traffic circles in the world stands an Egyptian obelisk from the Luxor temple.  It is one of two obelisks erected in Luxor, Egypt by Ramses II.

Both obelisks in Luxor were given as a gift to France.  The cost of relocating this one to Paris was 2.5 million Francs.  This proved too costly to move the second obelisk, so President Mitterand retracted French claims to it and it still stands in Luxor.

Also on the Place de la Concorde is the Hotel de la Marine.  It was built in 1774 and originally was the furniture store for the crown and then the Ministry of the Navy until 2015. It was here that the decree for the abolition of slavery was signed on 27 April 1848.

 

A quick look at the Arc de Triomphe as we pass by...I was surprised we didn't stop there.  Luckily we have on previous visits to Paris.

Crossing another bridge with a look at the Pont Alexandre III bridge and the Eiffel Tower.

 And then we drive by Notre Dame Cathedral.  Despite the 2019 fire, the main body of the church is still pretty much intact.  Reconstruction is in progress with hopes that it will reopen in 2024.

The tall spire has yet to be replaced.

We then had some time to wander down a street filled with market vendors and cafes.

The Grand Palais, is a large historic site, exhibition hall and museum.

We head back to the ship where we have the afternoon to explore on our own.  Our plan is to walk to the Eiffel Tower for some close-up looks.  The ship is docked only about 3/4 mile from it.

First we walk by the Statue of Liberty!   Statue de la Liberte, as it is known in French, is located on an island on the Seine River right by the Pont de Grenelle bridge.

The tower is straight ahead.

But we detour to go half-way across a bridge for a photo.  That's a dining ship doing a lunch cruise on the Seine.  We did that on our first visit to Paris several years ago.

And we take a selfie!

We had hoped to climb the Eiffel Tower but with covid, timed-entry tickets had to be secured prior to visiting.  Not knowing exactly what our "window" of free time would be, I didn't buy tickets.  We are content to just walk around and under the base of the tower.

The tower is stripped and repainted every 7 years.  It takes 1.5 years to repaint it.  The original color was red, then yellow gold, then brown.  They will bring it back to yellow gold in honor of the 2024 Olympics which will take place in Paris.

It seems always one of us has our sunglasses on...
Try again....

One more time...

Got it!!

That evening the ship cruised up the river for a close-up look at the Eiffel Tower all lit up.

We stayed overnight in Paris and had another guided tour of Montmartre, Paris' highest hill, the next day.  

Off we go on the coach bus,

 

 

Driving over the bridge, we see our river ship down below.

 

 

We drive by the memorial to Princess Diana.  The Flame of Liberty became the unofficial memorial to Diana after her 1997 death in the tunnel just below the flame.  The man in the photo was laying a flower bouquet at the memorial.

And then we drive by the Arc de Triomphe! We actually circle it twice.  Terry's on the correct side of the bus for a photo.

And on one of the passes, he gets it!

Napoleon had this magnificent arch built to commemorate his victory at the 1850 battle of Austerlitz.  Over the last two centuries the arch has seen the history of Paris--from Napoleon's funeral to the arrival of the Nazis through the arch to the triumphant return of Charles de Gaulle after the Allied liberation.

The carvings on the pillars feature Napoleon and Lady Liberty.

And minutes later we are told to "have your cameras ready as we pass the next intersection.  On the right, (my side of the bus), down the street, you will see the beautiful Russian Cathedral".

Got it!!

 

We leave the bus at the famous Moulin Rouge, a French Cabaret that opened in Paris in 1889.  It has offered different kinds of shows over the years . At first the Moulin Rouge was a music-hall where people discovered the dance Cancan.

The Moulin Rouge is located at the bottom of Montmarte Hill, Paris' highest hill.  We travel up the hill on a Petit Train.

 

On top of the hill we have a view of Paris

And on the very top is the impressive looking  Sacre-Coeur (Sacred Heart) Basilica.

 

It looks Byzantine with the white onion domes.  The exterior is laced with gypsum from the mines in the ground below, which whitens with age.

Inside the basilica, the three stained glass windows are dedicated to Joan of Arc.

We have some free time to roam the streets, view the paintings of street artists, and sit outside a cafe with a cappuccino, and people watch.

Vincent Van Gogh and his brother lived in Montmarte for a while.  We will learn more about Van Gogh on this trip.

 

On the bus ride back to the ship, we passed the Palais Garnier, the opera house.  It was built for Napoleon III in 1875.  

We had a few hours free in the afternoon and chose to take a walk along the river toward the Eiffel Tower again.

On the walk back to the ship we encountered a large group of protestors. 

Never could find out exactly what the protest was about.

We enjoyed our two days in Paris.  There is so much to see and so many museums we would have liked to have toured.  This time we really wanted to experience the Eiffel Tower.  Next time?  Maybe the Louvre or  the Orangerie Museum, but then there is also nearby Versailles.  We'll see...

In late afternoon, the ship sails on the Seine River with our first stop being in Conflans, where we will walk in the steps of Vincent Van Gogh.

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