The next destination country on our current voyage is France. Only two ports in France this time, but each one is a multi-day stop. Two days in Bordeaux to kick things off after a long sail up the Gironde Estuary. Following our stay in Bordeaux we spent another two days at sea on our way towards Rouen. Getting to Rouen required another river approach up the Seine from the English Channel. The itinerary provided three days in Rouen, offering time to take a train into Paris if desired. With neither of us having been to Paris before that was definitely the plan. Cruising onward to France resulted in three incredible new destinations for us to experience together.
Bordeaux
After leaving Spain we sailed up the Gironde Estuary from the Bay of Biscay. The entrance to the estuary is notoriously rough, so the pilot joining the cruise ship for the trip up river came and went via helicopter. While that may sound cool, it is actually pretty dangerous so Dragon had to be up in the early morning hours with a safety team in case things went sideways. All was well however and the Garonne estuary/river cruise was a fun change after cruising across so much open ocean. It was exciting having so much to see on both sides of the ship. The landscape was a lush green consisting of vineyards, occasional ruins, and a mixture of old and modern buildings. To reach Bordeaux the ship passed under a long suspension bridge, the Pont d’Aquitaine, followed by a massive concrete and steel vertical lift bridge, the Pont Jacques Chaban Delmas; just two of Bordeaux’s many notable bridges. After spinning 180 degrees the ship made port just steps away from downtown Bordeaux.
The section of Bordeaux along the banks of the river Garonne, called the Quays, is one of the most celebrated riverfronts in all of Europe. Grand neoclassical 18th century buildings loom over a long public promenade stretching kilometers along the river. This riverfront promenade is wide, tree lined, pedestrian and bike friendly, filled with flower gardens, and grassy spaces that become a living picnic ground seemingly every afternoon and evening. Separating the promenade from the buildings was not only a road, but train tracks for the metro feeding the area. This entire section of town is so bustling with activity it takes your breath away to see a city so alive, unified, and harmonious. All this led to Bordeaux being designated in the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2007.
We spent two days enjoying the promenade, exploring the historical districts within walking distance of the waterfront, and of course sampling many local restaurants. There was just so much to see in Bordeaux. Our wanderings included visiting many notable sights of Bordeaux, including the Monument aux Girondins, Le Miroir D’eau, the Pont de Pierre, the Basilique Saint-Michel, Flèche de la Basilique Saint-Michel, the Église Saint-Louis-des-Chartrons de Bordeaux, Porte de Bourgogne, Porte Cailhau, and the Jardin public just to name a few. Of course we sampled a little Bordeaux wine, tried frog legs for the first time, enjoyed a delicious local pastry called canelés, and spent plenty of time people watching in the delightful squares and plazas. Despite having traveled so much of the Mediterranean with so many lively cities, we were amazed at the truly thriving social culture of Bordeaux. It was notable that even on a Thursday afternoon, the cafes and plazas of Bordeaux were literally packed with people. Bordeaux is simply remarkable and we recommend you find a way to experience this lively French city.
Paris
The voyage to Rouen set the stage for our stay there, as it began with a many hours journey up the Seine from the English Channel. Neither of us realized we would have two river cruises as part of this contract. That ended up being a very nice surprise. The journey up the Seine was made even more interesting as it was occasionally shrouded in fog only to suddenly switch to the incredibly scenic French countryside. We were treated to a series of green fields, forests with a wide variety of tall trees, sheer white limestone cliffs, expansive manor homes, and small villages with architecture seemingly emerging like a fairy tale. At the end of our river cruise was the charming city of Rouen, where we were scheduled for two overnights and the better part of three days. It turns out that two overnights in Rouen on a cruise ship is really designed as an opportunity to visit Paris. So of course we jumped on that opportunity to experience Paris for the first time!
Dragon was on call the first day, so Dog was commissioned by Senior Nurse to take her to the Eiffel Tower. Rouen and Paris are connected by rail that takes about 1.5 hours depending on the stops. By the time we got to Paris that first day there was time to get to the Eiffel Tower, take the elevator to the top, snap some photos, gawk at the amazing setting, and head back. It was a bit of a whirlwind, but the views of Paris from the Tower are staggering and the Tower itself is almost beyond description in its scale. It is truly breathtaking! Senior Nurse and Dog had an awesome trip there and back, in what turned out to be a somewhat complex series of buses, metros, and trains.
On day two, it was Dragon’s turn. Senior Doctor and Senior Nurse let Dragon skip both clinics that day and head to Paris early. We were able to get an early start and arrived in Paris much earlier in the day. In fact, we got to Paris earlier in the day than we had even been able to get off the ship the day before. Score!
Dragon was not as interested in spending the time to go up the Tower, so we opted for an open top hop on hop off city tour called the Toot Bus, that would take us to all the major sights around Paris in just a few hours. It was perfect! We were able to see Notre Dame Cathedral, the Arc de Triumph, the Louvre Museum, the Place de la Concorde, the Champs-Élysées, the Palais Garnier, the Grand Palais and Petit Palais, the Place du Trocadéro, the Pont Alexandre III, and of course, the Eiffel Tower. Honestly, the hop on hop off bus concept is a super convenient way to see the sights of a big city like Paris in a short window of time. We’ve used this approach in Buenos Aires and in Cape Town as well and swear by it, especially when you only have a few hours like is the case for us when Dragon is working. Paris is a huge city. While we would love to spend days walking Paris it just isn’t feasible on a trip like this.
Rouen
Our Toot Bus tour, aside from having a fantastic name and being perfect for our purposes that day, also allowed us the opportunity to catch an earlier train back to Rouen. We decided to head back to Rouen in the early afternoon, check out Rouen a bit, and enjoy a nice meal there to cap an excellent day. While everyone knows of Paris, not everyone will have heard of or know anything about Rouen.
It is difficult to summarize Rouen in a few brief passages. The capital of Normandy, Rouen is renowned for its incredible Gothic architecture as well as its historical significance that includes the Romans, Vikings, Anglo-French Kings, and is also the site where Joan of Arc was tragically burned at the stake after being captured during the Hundred Years’ War. Rouen’s virtues have been extolled by famous artists like Claude Monet in his paintings of the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Rouen and equally famous writers like Victor Hugo who called it the “city of 100 spires”. We absolutely loved exploring the medieval old city that we found to be truly jaw dropping at every turn: cobblestone streets, half-timber houses, gothic buildings, and a lively, vibrant atmosphere. In addition to the aforementioned cathedral, there are more awe inspiring churches every few streets such as the Saint-Ouen Abbey, the Temple Saint-Éloi, and the modern Église Sainte-Jeanne-d’Arc de Rouen. In addition to churches there are so many other sites to marvel at. Places like the Rue Massacre, the Gros Horloge astronomical clock, the Palais du Justice, and the Historial Jeanne d’Arc museum to name just a few.
In the shadow of the Eglise Saint-Maclou, yet another beautiful cathedral hiding in plain sight, we stumbled upon the Antico Caffè where we relaxed with a Saint-Germain Spritz. The Saint-Germain Spritz is essentially a Hugo Spritz, which recently made our list of top travel inspired tasty beverages. We also sampled an interesting concoction called the Cynar Spritz, which is an artichoke spritz described by Food & Wine as the ugly duckling of summer. Dragon would agree with that assessment, having given it her classic bitter beer face and leaving it for Dog to “enjoy”.
New French Experiences
We’ve had some cool adventures in France in the past, from the gorgeous beaches of the French Riviera to the impressive harbor of La Havre. Despite having visited 10 different French cities previously we were unprepared for the exciting results of this voyage. After the delight of the river cruises we were rewarded with one incredible experience after another. The impressive 18th century façades of Bordeaux. The staggering magnificence of all that Paris has to offer. Finally, the surprisingly awe inspiring discoveries of medieval Rouen. Honestly, I was perhaps a little indifferent to this leg of the itinerary when I first saw it. Boy was I wrong. Cruising onward to France was wonderful and leaves us wanting to discover more.
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