Photo Scrapbook: Giverney

About 300 people lived in Giverney in 1883 when Monet discovered it. He bought the Press House, a farmhouse with an orchard now known as The Clos Normand, which he changed into gardens of beautiful flowers. He later diverted the Epte River so he could create a pond - this very pond, which was the subject of his famous paintings of water lilies.


A series of oil painting featured his Japanese foot bridge over the lily pond in Giverney.


No one seemed to mind waiting to enter Monet's House because the gardens were so lovely. He lived there from 1883 until his death in 1926.


After touring Monet's house and seeing his grand collection of Japanese engravings, Doug and I couldn't pass up a photo with these glorious Morning Glories. Monet's son Michael in 1966 bequeathed the house to a group now responsible for its preservation. The Claude Monet Foundation opened the house, gardens and pond to the public in 1980 after major restoration.


The gardens were lovely - everywhere!

(blog entries by Heidi Hutson)

Photo Scrapbook: Afternoon in Caudebec

After lunch on the River Baroness, Doug and I decided to explore Caudebec, which is about 27 miles from Rouen. We started in the town square and planned to work our way to the gothic church from the 15th and 16th centuries.


The flowers were lovely and drew us deeper into the quiet town.



The main architectural tourist attraction in Caudebec is the gothic church from the 15th and 16th centuries. Its decorative spire of the tower and stained glass make it one of the finest churches in the Rouen diocese. So, when a light drizzle started, Doug and I decided it was a perfect time to visit the church.




(blog entries by Heidi Hutson)

Photo Scrapbook: Morning in Honfleur

Doug and I found Honfleur a charming harbor town rich in history and filled with unique shops and galleries.


Honfleur was generally a significant transit point for goods and its maritime trading made it prosperous yet picturesque. In fact, Honfleur, frequently called the City of Painters, was a favorite subject of Claude Monet.


Many of the houses in this charming French harbor town have slate-covered frontages.


Lovely hotel overlooking the safe, quiet harbor.


A beautifully preserved carousel on the marina boardwalk.

(blog entries by Heidi Hutson)

Photo Scrapbook: Normandy Beaches

Because nearly a third of the 128 passengers on the Royal Baroness were Canadian, our Uniworld tour director, Tony Jenkins, arranged for a bus to make a stop at the Juno Beach Centre, a museum informing people about Canada's military and civilian efforts in WWII. Built mostly through private and corporate donations, it opened at Courseulles-sur-Mer, France on June 6, 2003.


Later, when touring the Omaha Beach site, our Uniworld tour director provided each of us with a fresh rose to place on a white Lasa marble headstone in one of the cemetery's ten grave plots, directly down from The Memorial.


In the center of The Memorial stands a 22-foot statue, "The Spirit of American Youth Rising from the Waves."


Bonnie (right) and I at the Normandy invasion wall inside The Memorial, which faces west toward the headstones of nearly 10,000 servicemen who gave their lives during the Normandy invasion. Their average age was 22.


One could easily spend days looking at WWII displays, documents, films, etc. at the new Visitor Center, opened in 2007 by the American Battle Monuments Commission. The story about Ruperts was extremely interesting. The stuffed burlap paradummies were apparently first used in 1940 war efforts to make an invasion by air seem larger than it actually was.

The paradummy drop over Normandy is the best known operation of its kind. 500 dummies were dropped in 4 separate locations along the coastal interior. Each was equipped with an explosive charge that burned away the clothing after landing to prevent the discovery of their true nature, thus explaining why so few can be found today.


One of a number of German bunkers still standing on Omaha Beach, with its guns long since removed.


Doug, George and Jim on Omaha Beach.


Sails & Waves of Omaha Beach by Elf Evans is a poignant symbol of the lives lost during the massive Allied assault on the Normandy coastline on June 6, 1944.

(blog entries by Heidi Hutson)

Photo Scrapbook: Rouen

Rouen, the capital of Normandy, was heavily bombed during WWII, but sections of the old city were spared and the half-timbered, glazed-tile houses have been meticulously preserved. It's a lovely city, known for its famous citizens, such as Claude Monet, Gustave Flaubert, and Joan of Arc.


Le Cathedrale de Notre Dame dates back to the 11th century. It houses the tomb of Richard the Lionheart and contains his heart. His effigy is on top of the tomb and his name inscribed in Latin on the side.


Interior of the imposing gothic-style cathedral, also the subject for a series of paintings by Claude Monet. He painted the same exterior scene at different times of the day; two of the paintings are at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.


After visiting the tomb of Richard the Lionheart in Le Cathedrale de Notre Dame, it's a short walk to the Gros Horloge, an astronomical clock dating from the 16th century.


This small flowerbed and inscribed marker commemorates the site where Joan of Arc, age 19, was burned at the stake on May 30, 1431 following her trial as a heretic. In the background is the St. Joan of Arc Church, located in the Old Market Square. It's a large, modern structure which dominates the square and is famed for its collection of stained glass windows, especially those from the 16th century from St. Vincent's Church.


We had a busy morning sightseeing in Rouen Sept. 22, and before going back to the River Baroness, we wanted another photo of historic half-timbered, glazed-tile houses. We took a break across the street from the St. Joan of Arc Church, located in the center of the Old Market Square. (front, l-r) Heidi, Bonnie, Doug, Carla, (back, l-r) George and Jim.

(blog entries by Heidi Hutson)

Photo Scrapbook: Les Andelys, France

The past few years Doug and I have taken a 2-3 week trip in the fall; for our 2009 vacation we decided on an 18-day river cruise throughout France - the first segment was Paris north to Normandy/the second meandered from Paris down through Burgundy and Provence.  

It was a wonderful trip, and we'd like to share some highlights.

The first morning on board the 128-passenger River Baroness we were docked in quiet, lovely Les Andelys.


We got an early start seeing the town - there was barely any traffic on the cobble-stone streets, the shops and cafes were still closed and the church was quietly solemn. In the summer months - even early in the day, no doubt - it would have been quite different because Les Andelys is only 60 miles from Paris and 25 miles from Rouen. In addition, many river cruise itineraries include a stop in Les Andelys so passengers can tour Chateau-Gaillard, built high above the Seine River's white cliffs.







After the steep climb up to the remains of Chateau-Gaillard, we appreciated the picturesque view of the Seine and our ship, the River Baroness, docked at Les Andelys.


Chateau-Gaillard was built to protect Rouen and Richard the Lionheart's duchy of Normandy from the armies of the French kings. The project, ordered in 1197, lasted a little more than 12 months and involved nearly 6,000 workers. Unfortunately, Richard died before the fortress was complete; construction was then taken over by his brother John. After a long siege, however, Chateau-Gaillard was captured by the French in 1203.


The castle's interior.


With its 128 passengers on board, the River Baroness left historic Les Andelys bound for Rouen.


Cruising the Seine River past the late-12th century Chateau-Gaillard commissioned by Richard the Lionheart.


After sightseeing in Les Andelys Sept. 21, we gathered with friends on the River Baroness for the Captain's Welcome dinner : (from left) Gary and Libby from Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Bonnie and George from Orange Beach, Alabama; Jim and Carla from Lenexa, Kansas; Heidi and Doug.

(blog entries by Heidi Hutson)

Fan Expo Canada 2009 - The Last Books!

Carol Zara from Brazil.

After Doug finished personalizing Unpublished Sneyd, a gift to "Cliff and Betty," he couldn't resist trying on the fan's pith helmet!

(blog entries by Heidi Hutson)