Lunch in Polaris lounge before boarding plane for overnight to London. We arrive in London only long enough to take train to Paris tomorrow morning.

Bon voyage. See you in London.

See you in Paris

Well the train is heading back to London as there is a track failure. \240Will post update. \240Hour and half late to Paris but we are here. Tomorrow starts our fun.

Our jacket class

Sally’s dot jacket. She made the dot pattern at home and brought it.

Our first stop on Champagne tasting

One of their well known customers was Napoleon Bonaparte and his family. Part of the Moët collection of artifacts

Napoleon’s hat

Napolean visited Jean-Remy Moët 5 times between 1807 and 1814.

The champagne tower invented by Moet & Chandon.

Moët & Chandon cellar consists of chalk which retains the water and temperature.

28 kilometers of champagne. The oldest bottle here is from 1837.

A gift from Napoleon oak barrel

Gardens at Moët & Chandon

Third stop

They produce approx 550,000 bottles per year

Grape press from 18th century

Original grape press from 17th century. Everything operated manually.

Louis Vuitton store was an experience

Sacre-Couer

Did anyone ever think you could be sick of chocolate?

First stop of 8 on chocolate tour. Macaroons were first created in Italy as a single cookie then the French added the second cookie and filling.

Eclairs in France have to have the same filling flavor as topping to be considered eclairs. Such as chocolate frosted eclairs have chocolate cream.

Chocolate and Plum

This shop is owned by 2 Korean women that studied for years and have now opened a chocolate shop.

Cream puffs. In France the cream filling is not added until cream puff ordered.

Alain Ducasse has 28 Michelin Stars. He is the most famous chef in France and has now started making chocolates.

The smallest creperie in Paris.

Moulin Rouge

Le Cave at Galeries Lafayette. A large wine shop.

Christmas tree outside Galeries Lafayette

Christmas windows at Galeries Lafayette

Christmas tree at center of Galeries Lafayette

Colorful leaves. Changing of the colors.

Between the Eiffel Tower and original Statue of Liberty

Fall in Paris

So as we were taking pictures of us, I became the unofficial photographer for Christmas cards for families.

Hot air balloon over Paris

Paris bridges

Galerie Lafayette Christmas tree

Eiffel Tower

Then we went on to foie gras

Then gingerbread and mulled wine.

The timber and mud houses

The Catholic Church

The dungeon

This is how wealthy families showed everyone they were wealthy

A beautiful day and scene along the Seine

Lunch

Dessert

The Normandy bridge. A cable bridge 180 meters above the Seine.

The Chateau of Tancarville. . \240A large corporation bought the chateau but are being prosecuted criminally. They believe the chateau will crumble before the trial is over.

This is mistletoe but mistletoe kills the trees. As one tree is infected birds take the seeds from that tree and infect the other trees around it.

Renault factory where they produce trucks and high-end Renault cars.

Honfleur is so beautiful. Right at the mouth of the Seine. Most of the buildings date to the late 1800’s early 1900’s.

Usual population is 7,000. During April through October, the population can rise to 3.2 million total visitors.

Wealthy Parisians have second homes in Honfleur.

Narrow streets

Calavas

Old butcher building

Seat in the courtyard

Limestone, flint and blue slate the cut stone showed the wealth of the family.

Bell tower. Constructed separately from church because the wooden church could not support the weight of the bells.

St Catherine’s Church built after the war and constructed of wood as Honfleur was a very poor village.

The salt buildings where salt was stored for the region

Apple tart and hot chocolate

Omaha Beach and Normandy US Cemetary

There are over 10,000 American men and women buried here. They performed a ceremony where a wreath was laid at the feet of the sculpture and taps was played.

Omaha Beach

A bunker along the beach which still has the artillery in it

A monument to the Bedford Boys. A group of boys from Bedford, Virginia who most perished as they were one of the first boats to land

A second bunker high above Omaha Beach

The remains of the artificial ports

Christmas market in Rouen, France

Les Andelys has one Main Street but a church right out of the films

Chateau Gaillard ruins in Les Andelys

A surprise. I was recognized as having done the most Viking cruises at 18 tonight. Next year will put me at 20.

Jeannie Rocco, my travel agent, and I celebrating.

The Christmas tree outside Dior

Pegasus at Hermes

The windows at Laduree patisserie

Sally’s bag

My bag

The entrance to Highclere Castle.

The main salon with 23 foot tree.

View from stables to Highclere

The South Entrance to Highclere.

The grounds

Stonehenge

You can’t go to London without visiting Harrod’s

Peat clogs

Bride’s clogs. This is how men propose to women and if they accept then they wear them and they wear them during wedding. The men hand carve the clogs.

Label for traditional made Gouda meaning made with raw milk is barrel shaped. Round labels mean made with pasteurized milk.

The Schoolmeester Paper Mill

Shredding the fabric into strips

Pulverizing the fabric

The bins where mixed and cut to consistency

The hanging room where paper was hung to dry

Finished and drying paper

The plates for embossing

Finished embossed paper

Center town hall of Derijp

Locks

Dutch pancake for lunch

Dogsleds slow

Dog sleds were the mode of transport in the early days

I’ve skate display

Our last stop before heading to gate