Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1534779
As the sun went down over Normandy in the late afternoon, the temperature dropped while the number of Christmas shoppers wandering the cobbled streets of Rouen rose. It was chillier than normal, even for December, but there was the perfect hand-warmer close at hand. Glowing invitingly in front of the magnificently carved Façade of Rouen's Gothic cathedral was a white wooden booth serving mugs of vin chaud hot wine. Cupping numbing fingers around my drink, I looked around at the 60 or so stalls that made up this small city's Christmas market, offering a range of edible treats such as Crêpes and candied fruit, and gifts including wooden figurines and candles. Handily, this charming festive scene was just five minutes' walk from where Viking Fjorgyn, my river-ship home for a week, was moored for the day. Rouen is one of the medieval gems of France, and we were halfway through Viking's seven-night Christmas on the Seine cruise. That morning I'd joined a walking tour, our guide pointing out the cathedral and the intricate 14th century Gros-Horloge astronomical clock that hovers above a pedestrian lane, the formidable Palace of Justice and the Place du Vieux-Marché. The latter, we discovered, is where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake in 1431 and it was here that I returned in the afternoon after lunch onboard, not just to inspect the modern church built in her honour but some of the most handsome buildings in the city. Classic half-timbered architecture is an emblem of Rouen. Although many homes and shops were severely damaged during World War II, they were lovingly restored, right down to the crooked wooden frames that make them so photogenic. As you would expect, our cruise had started in Paris, Viking Fjorgyn pointing straight at the Eiffel Tower from its city mooring. More than once I popped up to the top deck to take pictures of Paris's unmistakable landmark, both in the daytime and lit up at night. After 24 hours in the capital and an introductory tour - which included a very cute Christmas market - we were entertained by a trio of opera singers before sailing through the night down the Seine and waking up in Vernon. A peaceful riverside town, Vernon is also replete with old timber-framed homes and a Gothic cathedral, in which we were treated to a private recital on the 17th-century organ following a guided walk. Towards the end of our walk Guillaume, our guide, noticed a few participants rubbing their hands in the cool air. "I know just the place," he said, ushering us inside a traditional café where I had my first taste of Norman vin chaud. Another hot toddy was waiting in the atrium back onboard, served by the ever-jolly maître d', Stan, wearing festive conic spectacles. Viking does these small details with flair, as I found out that night during dinner where Marmite Dieppoise - a Normandy fish stew - was on the menu. One of the delights of river cruising is waking up in a new place almost every day and we were soon at Caudebec-en-Caux, the furthest stop from Paris. Tempted though I was by an optional trip to the festive celebrations of Le Havre on the coast, I tried something completely different. Seine SERENADE A delightful Christmas cruise from Paris to Normandy offers the chance to immerse oneself in France's rich & colourful history. Words By John Wilmott 8 VIKING 8