Your day starts with breakfast onboard… sharing your favorite table by the window with the couple you became friends with at your welcome dinner… taking in the views along the banks of this iconic French river as you head away from Paris… enjoying your favorite buffet selections just the way you like them… and lighthearted conversation with your companions. The riverboat docks right around the time you’re finished with breakfast; you couldn’t have asked for better timing…
As you step off the riverboat, our local experts eagerly await to accompany you on an excursion to the seaside town they call home; soon it may feel like home to you as well. You’ll spend the morning exploring with your local guide, discovering stunning coastal cliffs and sleepy country roads, so different from those back home. You’ll visit a goat farm for an exclusive taste of its famous local cheeses, and meet folks who live on and work the land here. After time spent pleasantly poking around and having lunch in town, you’ll head back to the riverboat, waving farewell to the town and its people you just got to know… and love. If it’s a warm day, the ship’s staff will greet you with a cool towel and a cold drink upon your return (or hot towels and a hot drink if it’s a tad chilly). Maybe you’ll indulge in a glass of wine as the riverboat sets off for more adventures…
Back aboard, you’ll have some time to explore your “floating hotel.” You spot the couple from this morning about to take a dip in the Jacuzzi. “Like to join us?” they ask. You say you’d love to, and are soon relaxing and chatting as you bask in the sun, sipping a cool drink. Refreshed, you head into the lobby just in time to watch the riverboat dock; this afternoon, you might pay a poignant visit to the now-quiet beaches of Normandy… where you’ll hear stories of how, 70 years ago this summer, Allied troops landed here on “D-Day” to begin the process of freeing Western Europe from its conquerors…
Dinner tonight might be something you have never experienced before… like a private evening in an authentic French château on a sprawling country estate. Approaching the venue, your Tauck Director and local guide fill you in on the history that surrounds you. Your jaw drops as you enter the splendid château; the couple you had breakfast with joins you, bringing along some new friends. You’re transported back in time at a memorable reception and dinner, complete with music, in a sumptuous setting – a taste of what the aristocratic life might have been like centuries ago. You don’t want the evening to end, but alas, it must. As you and your companions make your way back to the riverboat, you notice the lights reflecting on the river, and choose a quiet spot for a few moments’ reflection of your own… another Tauck experience to check off on the “wow” list…
Returning to the riverboat with your companions, you notice the lights reflecting on the river, and engage in a few moments’ reflection of your own… taking in the magic of the riverscape one last time. Back on board, you take a moment to send a quick note about your day to the folks back home, then meet some friends for a little more camaraderie around the piano in the lounge before calling it a night. Later, drifting off to sleep, you smile… realizing that you’ll soon be waking up in another magical town… to embark on another perfect day of your Tauck river cruise…