The enormous Apotheosis of Hercules by
François Lemoyne, who, it is said, wanted to
rival the decorative work of Charles Le Brun in
the Hall of Mirrors, shows over 100 gods and
goddesses of Olympus. Jupiter sits on clouds
trying to marry his daughter to Hercules, who
stands club in hand. It took Lemoyne three
years to produce and at 480 square metres it
is the largest ceiling painted on canvas.
Versailles was always going to be tough to
top, but later that evening we were picked up
after dark by a Parisian river boat to catch the
twinkling Eiffel Tower. For five minutes every
hour after dusk the lights sparkle and on the
clearest nights the rays can be seen up to
80km away.
What a way to end the trip: chocolate-
covered strawberries, chilled champagne, and
staff who were as excited as we were to see
the Eiffel Tower shining in all her golden glory.
Yet for all the delicious delicacies, bucket
list locations and five-star service, my warmest
memory is from Viking Radgrid's beautiful
balcony watching glittering sun beams dance
on the surface of the Seine as we serenely
glided away from Paris.
GETTING THERE: An 8-day Paris & the
Heart of Normandy journey sails
roundtrip from Paris
SEINE
La Roche-Guyon
Les Andelys
Rouen
Le Pecq
Paris
Omaha Beach
Gold Beach
Juno Beach
Brussels
Oxford
Vernon
ENGLAND
FRANCE
BELGIUM
C r ui s e
O ve r night in Po r t
VIEW
VOYAGE
Images Clockwise: Royal Chapel Altar Organ, Versailles; Claude Monet's Home, Giverny; Gardens of the
orangerie, Versailles Palace, Paris.
"My warmest memory is from Viking Radgrid's
beautiful balcony watching glittering sun beams
dance on the surface of the Seine as we serenely
glided away from Paris."
viking.com | 22
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