Eau zone

AN oilman from east Texas, who laid claim to sailing on nearly every cruise known to man, summed it up like this: “This one’s got real style.”

And, after eight days of soaking up the cultural delights and historic wonders dotted along the banks of the River Seine in Northern France, I wasn’t prepared to argue with him.

From Notre Dame and the Louvre in Paris, to the magical gardens at Giverny created by the artist Monet, then on to the great cathedral at Rouen and the Bayeux tapestry and finally to the battle-scarred beaches of Normandy, this cruise aboard the River Baroness captured it all.

Impressions of the Seine is just one of 500 river cruises operated by American travel company Uniworld in 20 countries worldwide.

It became something special from the moment we were picked up at home in Weardale, County Durham, by the VIP transport service operated by Uniworld’s UK agents, Titan HiTours.

Just under eight hours later, which included a two-hour journey on Eurostar from St Pancras, London, to Gare du Nord, Paris, we were settling down to a welcome cocktail in the lounge of the River Baroness as she slipped out of Paris.

The Eurostar trip, by the way, included an excellent Leisure Club lunch with complimentary wine or champagne.

Over our first dinner on board the Baroness that night, my wife, Tricia, and I first glimpsed some of the constantly changing images of the Seine.

The next morning we awoke to find the ship moored at Les Andelys, under towering white sandstone cliffs, not disimilar to those at Dover.

Above us, on a rocky spur, stood Le Chateau-Gaillard, built by Richard the Lionheart, of Normandy, later to become King of England, to repel military pressure from the French king, Phillippe-Auguste, in the late 12th Century.

Famously, during a six-month seige of this formidable fortress, Richard’s troops poured excrement on to the French. But to no avail. The French finally completed their conquest of Normandy in 1204.

All of which brought us nicely to our next port of call, Bayeux, and its world-famous tapestry.

At 200 metres long and somehow immaculately preserved over the centuries, this great work covers in minute detail events leading up to the demise of Harold at the Battle of Hastings, in 1066, and the ascent of William to the English throne.

An excellent audio guides you along the tapestry, which is truly awe-inspiring.

“Just extraordinary,” remarked a group of Americans in our party before they moved on to pay homage to their own countrymen who died in battle on the beaches of Normandy.

For many of them, visits to the immaculately-kept cemeteries near Utah and Omaha beaches, where the US forces helped launch Operation Overlord against the Germans in 1944, proved to be private and tearful affairs.

We, too, were handed a yellow rose to lay on the grave of a fallen soldier. We chose an artillery captain from Wisconsin.

By now, we were beginning to understand what makes river cruising so special. Simply, you get much more time to spend on shore.

Our stateroom on the River Baroness proved smaller than expected, but this was more than compensated for by its luxurious layout and an impeccable maid service.

Food in the ship’s superblyappointed restaurant proved near-impossible to fault, both in taste and variety.

For breakfast, you could plump for traditional English fare, but I preferred to follow in the footsteps of my US cousins by tucking into the special pancakes cooked next to your table. Scrumptious!

Portugese executive chef Claudio Sousa managed to tantalise the tastebuds at dinner with such dishes as pan-fried fillet of pike perch with a shrimp lobster sauce, or a roasted rack of lamb with sauce Paloise, vegetable tian and Parisienne potatoes.

Believe me, they tasted as good as they sound.

All of this came with impeccable waiter service under the watchful eye of Dutch restaurant manager Martijn Karman.

There was also the added attraction of dining, or simply enjoying a drink, on the sun deck of the RIver Baroness.

A memorable day’s stop came in the great Norman city of Rouen, dominated by its Notre Dame Cathedral, housing among other historical treasures, the tomb of Richard the Lionheart.

Not far from here is the Old Market Square, where Joan of Arc was burnt at the stake and her ashes were thrown into the Seine. The stake, surrounded by sunflowers, stands next to a church renovated in 1944 in St Joan’s memory.

NO visit to Normandy would be complete without a tour of the artist Monet’s gardens at Giverny. It’s easy to understand why the great beauty and tranquillity of this place, opened to the public in 1980, attracts half-a-million visitors a year.

Part of the artist’s house is devoted to a precious collection of Japanese prints.

I wonder what Monet would have thought of crowds of American and Japanese tourists mingling in harmony in his gardens on the 65th anniversary of the dropping by the US of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima.

That night, we were entertained in the ship’s lounge by a trio, including a Belgian guitarist playing the Rodrigo Guitar Concerto.

Time to reflect on another day sailing through an everchanging Seine landscape.

After a smooth overnight cruise, the next day we docked at our final port of call in Paris. During a bus tour, which took in most of the famous landmarks of this great city, we enjoyed a casual walk through the Luxembourg Gardens.

And it was here I stumbled across a thriving band of beekeepers. Apparently, the bees love buzzing among the chestnut trees of the Champs Elysees and flowers in the Tuileries gardens. Hives now abound on hotel roofs and their honey is sold at a posh store called Les Abeilles.

Next day, it was time to say farewell to the River Baroness and her more than able crew.

A taxi ride to Gare du Nord to board Eurostar. Then a Titan HiTours VIP driver waited for us at St Pancras to transport us home to Daddry Shield, in Weardale. The end of a truly memorable journey.

Travel Facts

TITAN HITOURS offers 2011 departures for eight-day cruises on the Seine from Paris to Normandy from £1,949 per person.

This includes direct flights from London, VIP home pick-up service, transfers, full board and excursions. There is a special price on offer if you book before September 30.

New to the Titan HiTours brochure next year is a ten-day Southern Musical Medley tour taking in Nashville and Memphis and including a visit to Elvis Presley’s Graceland mansion. This starts at £1,495 per person.

The company also offers a Best of Argentina tour, taking in Rio de Janeiro, at £3,395 per person.

For further information about all Titan HiTours holidays, or to make a booking, call free on 0800-988-5858 or visit titanhitours.co.uk