The art of living, on a Seine cruise
WE ARE standing at the very spot where the artist Van Gogh painted Wheatfield With Crows, held by many to be his last great work.
A lively guide tells us tales of Van Gogh’s life and possibly accidental death, as he speaks to our small group through headsets in charming Auvers-sur-Oise, a town the artist described to his brother Theo as ‘seriously beautiful’. It’s a moment that captures the imagination.
And there is much more to create memories on this Avalon Waterways’ eight-day Paris to Normandy cruise along the Seine, which has been an easy-going delight from the start, when a chauffeur arrived to take us to the airport, included in the price.
Embarking in beautiful Paris, early excursions have seen us at Claude Monet’s tranquil and charming waterlily garden at Giverny, while another group headed off to impressive Bizy Castle, known as Normandy’s Versailles.
And further options encompass the NormandyAbbeys route, the poignant Normandy Landing Beaches and a chance to sample calvados on A Taste of Normandy tour.
Throughout the cruise, there is the pleasure of being aboard our intimate yet spacious Avalon suite ship, a fabulous floating hotel where muted colours and modern design create an ambience of relaxed elegance. Even better, the sumptuous beds in the roomy staterooms are thoughtfully turned towards the river, so we never miss a thing as the ship glides past chocolate-box French villages and glorious pastoral scenes.
Sailing to Caudebec and back, we are treated to outstanding a la carte full-board cuisine, including a sevencourse gala evening.
During the meal, baked Alaskas are paraded by smiling crew members, who number one to every three passengers and offer excellent, personalised service. Further fun pastimes range from wine-tasting at family owned vineyards to learning to paint like Van Gogh, and from cycling along the towpath to simply relaxing on deck with a drink and barbecue lunch while watching the pastoral scenery go by.
Plus, there are talks, afternoon teas and varied evening entertainment to enjoy, all in the most soothing and serene surroundings.
Day five reveals Joan of Arc’s monumental cathedral at Rouen, famously painted by Claude Monet, and there’s a tour of the medieval quarter.
And Conflans brings the choice of that painterly excursion to Auverssur-Oise, with its Van Gogh trail, or a visit to Napoleon and Josephine’s striking Chateau de Malmaison.
Day seven sees us back in Paris, for a guided walk through the narrow streets of the historic Ile Saint-Louis and medieval Ile de la Cite, ending with a tour of Notre-Dame cathedral. Afterwards, there’s free time to do our own thing, so we take the Metro to Montmartre and walk up to the gleaming white Sacre-Coeur Basilica, then down to see the artists sketching on Place du Tertre, before sitting down to coffee and croissants in a square.
Ahead of us there is even the option of a night at the famous Moulin Rouge theatre, home of the can-can — a high-kicking way to end the perfect French river cruise.