Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1540310
Frances Marcellan discovers the history and architectural gems of Paris to the gentle Normandy countryside, as the River Seine carries you on a journey through the ages. Paris in Spring & the MAJESTIC RIVER SEINE Sun rays were twinkling on water dimples and birdsong sweetened the air as the Viking Radgrid glided up the Seine. Witnessing such wonders from the retreat of my private balcony, I felt a rising sense of calm and joy, like floating colours inside. I sipped my coffee, at once lost and fulfilled, soaking up the warmth, quiet serenity, and gentle afternoon breeze. I was on my way to Normandy from Paris on a taster of the Paris & the Heart of Normandy itinerary. The mini cruise followed the naming ceremony of eight Viking Longships—four of which (including the Viking Radgrid) had been designed especially for the Seine. They are 125 m instead of 135 m, with customised hulls and engines, and have an exclusive mooring in the Port de Grenelle. From this vantage point, I could see the Eiffel Tower from my stateroom just a ten-minute stroll away. Guy Maupassant used to lunch daily at the Eiffel Tower—he said it was the only place he could sit where Gustave's iron icon wasn't in view. But I never tire of it. For Paris lovers on a river cruise, this privileged position is a dream – famous French landmarks are on your "moor-step" ramping up time for discovery and exploration. Viking's tour of the Louvre left me in no doubt that after years of avoiding official guided visits it is the only way to do museums. I was high on the rapid fire of fast knowledge in the hands of Frédéric Huette, a French historian who knew the Louvre like the back of his hand. We were whisked around the Arc de Triomphe de Carousel, past architect I.M. Pei's legendary pyramid, through a queue-less side entrance and to an almost-secret cloakroom Left to right: Marie Antoinette painting in the Versailles; Old Mill house on bridge, Vernon, Normandy. "Sun rays were twinkling on water dimples and birdsong sweetened the air as Viking Radgrid glided up the Seine." Petit Palais, Paris viking.com | 20 S P R I N G I S S U E 2 7