Paris, France - June 2019

~Viking River Cruise ~ Paris to Normandy ~ 
June 19 through June 27, 2019

Poster from 1889 World's Fair
I probably don't need to mention that is not my photo! 

Wednesday June 19, 2019

My current status:

We planned this trip over a year ago, 15 months ago actually.  I can hardly believe it's finally here.  Viking River Cruise ~ Paris to Normandy.
Traveling companions: 
The husband - Paul.  My sister - Diane, her B/F Jay.
Paul and Jay have not been to Europe.  Diane and I have although not together.  
Why Paris to Normandy?  First off, when my friend Connie and I went on Viking's Danube Waltz a couple of years ago, we met a retired couple who were on their SEVENTH Viking River Cruise! Holy Cruise Addicts, Batman.  I asked which one was their favorite.  She said they were all fantastic but Paris to Normandy was phenomenal.  *side note, I disagree, see recap*  
When Diane and I started researching destinations, limiting our trip to the cruise and not adding on the pre or post extensions, we narrowed it down to Paris to Normandy or The Rhine Getaway. We decided on France. Our Dear ole Dad and Paul's Father were both on the beaches of Normandy during WWII, so that day is bound to be super emotional.  
So there you have it.  The reason for this particular cruise.  

Viking's Map of our cruise

I went through my pre-departure checklist in my head and I think I have everything.  Passports - check; Boarding Passes - check; Monopoly Money (euro leftover from my last trip across the pond) - check.  What more could I need?  A checked bag, a carry-on bag, a tote bag, my scaled down handbag.  That's what else.  

Oh and... House/Dog sitter - check.  

We have a long @$$ flight.  We leave today, we arrive tomorrow morning.  Typical.  Paris is  nine hours ahead of Phoenix and I plan to snooze most of the flight.  No time for napping when we arrive.  Fingers crossed the Travel Gods are kind to us today. 
Au revoir for now. 

Well we got off to a rocky start.  Nightmare with the TSA.

Long story short Paul’s streamer for his hearing aids disappeared at TSA in Phoenix.  This is a horrible situation and he wanted to go back home, but he ultimately decided to go and make the best of a bad situation. This is absolute worst case scenario for his ability to hear during the trip.

Thursday June 20,2019

We arrived in Paris and waited about 15 minutes for our shuttle because there was an “incident” on the highway.  

Viking Welcoming Committee.
She made sure we stayed corralled until the driver arrived.

Good thing we travel light!
(Luggage for six. We had another couple on our shuttle)

Viking Kadlin - our home-away-from-home

We arrived at the ship about noon just in time for the lunch buffet prior to checking into our rooms.  Then off for a walking tour of St. Germain en Laye where we started off at a castle, then the castle gardens and the castle forest followed by an overlook of Paris. We passed a couple of bunkers along the way.  She said the Germans had brought 22 of them to St. Germain en Laye during WWII. There was a moat around the castle but she said it was never filled with water.  The castle was built up too high for them to get water to it.  
After the walking tour we had about 20 minutes of free time so we wondered through the church.  

Our guide du jour

Angels watching over the castle museum

Jay's pic of the front of the Castle

Jay's pic for the interior courtyard of the Castle

The Castle Garden

The Castle Forest

The Church Alter

Stained Glass Window in the Church

After the tour we walked across the street to the store.  They had a beautiful bakery.

Apparently Keto is not a "thing" in France!  

We had time to relax on deck until dinner. 
They had a Welcome Wine and Cheese Tasting on the Aquavit Terrace (lounge at the front of the ship).

Cheers!

Time for dinner

Appetizer - Escargot Baked with Garlic and Herbs
(classic "French" version)

Dinner Diane, Jay and I had the Ribeye served with fresh veggies pom frites. Paul had the Chef's Choice, Braised Reisling Chicken.  I forgot to take pictures of the entrees.  (That happened a lot during this trip.)

Orange Souffle au Grand Marnier - completely delicious  

Friday June 21, 2019

After breakfast we got on the motor coach and headed out for our 6.5 hour tour Panoramic Paris. 

From Viking’s description:

See the major sights of the romantic “City of Light” with a knowledgeable local guide. Begin along the famed Champs-Élysées, viewing the Arc de Triomphe, commissioned by Napoleon in 1806 to commemorate his triumphs. Pass many of Paris’s classic highlights including the Palais Garnier opera house; the celebrated Louvre museum with its I.M. Pei–designed glass pyramid entrance; and the Paris Town Hall. Stop at the magnificent Notre Dame Cathedral to admire its Gothic spires and striking facade. After some free time for lunch on your own, continue into the Latin Quarter, then drive by St. Germain des Près, Luxembourg Gardens, Musée d’Orsay, Place de la Concorde and the beautiful and recently restored Grand Palais and Petit Palais. See the Les Invalides complex.

Palais Garnier Opera House

Who Let The Dogs Out?
Dog Walker Paris Style, we counted nine (half of them in the cart)
Jay's pic

Louvre Museum, Famous Pyramid

Notre Dame - Still Standing

We had some free time in the middle of the tour. Our guide warned us to be careful of the PickPocketLadies.  They are pros.  She pointed a couple of them out to us.  She said six of them had been arrested recently and they all had their hair up in buns.  The officers told them to take their hair down and the when they did, the stolen credit cards came tumbling down!  They tuck them up in their hair!

In the Latin Quarter - "Restaurant Row"

We weren't hungry for lunch but we stopped at a patisserie (bakery) and split an apricot croissant.  De-lish.  

I found a bank where I thought I could exchange American dollars for euro but they only had machines for credit/debit cards.  No humans like my last trip. Back on the coach to continued driving through history, our last stop was the Eiffel Tower. The Eiffel Tower was built for the Worlds Fair in 1889 as a “temporary structure”, now their most famous landmark.

• The 130 year old Eiffel Tower was the entrance to the World’s Fair in 1889.  It stands 1,063 feet tall (equivalent to an 81-story building) and is 410 feet wide at the base.  It was the tallest man made structure in the world for 41 years until the Chrysler Building was built in New York City in 1930. 
• The Eiffel Tower is most iconic symbol of Paris but #3 on the list of famous places.      #1 – Notre Dame Cathedral; #2 - Musee du Louvre. 

Quick stop for a photo op

Jay and Diane
I took this pic with his iPad

Back to the ship where we hung out on the Aquavit Terrace.

Strolling Appetizers - Spring Roll; Salmon Moose with Caviar

We ate on the Aquavit Terrace instead of the dining room.  I had thought they had a lighter menu on the Terrace but that’s only at breakfast and lunch.  Dinner menu is the same.

Diane, Jay and I started with the Crab Cake appetizer.  Paul had the Caesar Salad and Diane had a Parisian Salad.  

We all had the Chef's Choice Chateaubriand with Bearnaise Sauce

Diane and I had the Gateau au Chocolat (Chocolate Lava Cake)
Paul had the Vanilla Napoleon and Jay had the ice cream du jour

After dinner Paul went up on deck to enjoy his after dinner cigar and port wine. 

While on deck, Diane discovered I had my dress on inside-out the entire day!
She couldn't stop laughing

After a quick switcharoo (now outside-out) Diane, Jay and I went to the lounge for a presentation on CHEESE.  Our Program Director, Patricia, started off with a little lesson on speaking French, using a lot of body language to convey  your message.  Oui, Oui, Oui.  I was tired and decided to go to bed.  I went up on deck to let Paul know.  Lots of cigar smokers on this ship congregating in the designated smoking area.

Saturday June 22, 2019
We arrived in Vernon at 6 a.m.  

Vernon Welcoming Committee

Agenda today is a short walking tour of Vernon where Patricia said there is a flea market.  Later we tour the Monet Foundation Giverny. 

After breakfast we met our tour guide du jour for a walking tour of Vernon. 

From Viking’s description:

Enjoy a leisurely walking tour through inviting, provincial Vernon. The small town suffered much damage in the wars of the last century, but it still boasts many charming corners and interesting buildings. You will see the small parish church, built in the 11th century and rebuilt in 1600 in a rich Gothic style. The rose window above the main portal, too, is a remarkable example of the flamboyant French high Gothic. Adjacent to the church on the Place Barette, you will see the Maison du Temps Jadis, or House of Past Times. This is Vernon’s oldest house, a typical half-timbered gem dating to the 15th century. Then, walk past the old mill built on the ruins of a medieval bridge; its house perches precariously over the river. After, you may explore the town’s artisanal market, where a bounty of fruits and vegetables from the surrounding countryside is on full display.

The Parish Church

The tour ended at the Market which was like swap meet collides with farmer’s market. 

The "Farmer's Market" side

The "Swap Meet/Flea Market" side

A butcher shop in town - nice meat!

Paul and I went into a little bar so he could have a beer but really to use the restroom.  He is not impressed with the lack of public restrooms in France. He has decided the French must have bladders of steel.  The public pay toilets were closed off because of the farmer’s market. Seriously?  That's when you would think they would be open. So to the bar where you have to buy a beverage in order to use the restrooms in businesses.  As we got back to the ship there was a WWII memorial ceremony going on in the park right in front of the ship.  The 75th Anniversary of D-Day was June 6th but they are celebrating all month. 

Patricia, our Program Director, said there is a woman in her 90's who sits in her window waving the American Flag at the tourist as they go by to show her appreciation to the Americans.  We didn't see her.  

After lunch they had a 6.5 hour tour of Monet’s Gardens in Giverny.  

Visit the enchanting gardens and estate that inspired one of history’s great painters, founder of Impressionism Claude Monet. Drive with your guide into the countryside to Giverny, the village that Monet called home from 1883 until his death in 1926. At the Monet Foundation, you will explore the artist’s home and gardens, now a museum dedicated to the great painter. The house with its pink, crushed-brick facade and green shutters is furnished as it was when he lived here, and contains his precious collection of Japanese engravings. Stroll the gardens to see firsthand the landscapes that grace Monet’s paintings, including the Japanese bridge and water garden shaded by weeping willows and teeming with water lilies. 

The gardens are beautiful but.. too crowded, too hot, tour was too long.  Interesting tidbits were: he was obsessed with the water lily pond so much that he would get in a rowboat and paint surrounded by the tranquil scenery. He built the Japanese Gardens because he was inspired by their trees, plants and flowers. The neighbors were worried he would contaminate the water with the foreign plantings that it took him three years to be able to build the Japanese garden.  He died with no heirs.  His step-son donated the (then) un-kept property to the architectural society.  An investor resurrected the gardens to their former glory. 

Finally back to the ship where we relaxed in the lounge before dinner.

Dinner was the Taste of France which was all local cuisine and the only buffet style dinner of the trip.  

Cheeses, Pates, Soup

Muscles, Pork, Croque Madame, Sausage, etc. etc. etc.

Dessert Table with Chocolate Fountain

Sunday 6-23-19

This morning was sleep in day since we didn’t have to be anywhere early.  I still was up at 5 but didn’t get out of bed until 5:45 when I felt the ship sail away from Vernon heading for Rouen, a medieval town and capital of Normandy.  We had breakfast about 9 then relaxed on deck for awhile.  In the afternoon we took the walking tour of the City.  

Known as the “Ville Aux Cent Clochers” or “City of a Hundred Spires,” Rouen’s most magnificent steeple rises from the Notre Dame Cathedral, a favorite subject of Claude Monet. Visit its breathtaking interior, burial place of Richard the Lionheart, English king and Norman duke. You will also pause to admire the ornate gold face of the Renaissance-style Gros Horloge Astronomical Clock. Admire the Bourgtheroulde Mansion and several beautiful half-timbered houses, and see the 14th-century abbey where Joan of Arc was sentenced to death and the Place du Vieux Marché, where she was burned at the stake. A statue of Joan marks the place of the pyre.

Cathedral Notre Dame was beautiful. 
I seriously had no idea so many churches and cathedrals are named Notre Dame.  Mr. Google says there 19 Notre Dames in France. 
They starting building this one in the 12^th Century and finished in the 15^th Century so the architectural style is different from the left side where they started to the right side where they finished.  They had a fire two hundred years ago and the steeple burned.  The steeple was rebuilt of steel.  Lesson learned.

Yes, I'm obsessed with stained glass church windows!

We went by a building where the wood trim was painted brick red.  

She said they used to use the blood of animals as paint to keep the bugs out and preserve the wood.  They don’t do that anymore!  Jeanne De Arch (or Joan as we Americans call her) was murdered in Rouen.  She was burned at the stake…twice…just to be sure. Correction, the tour guide was incorrect.  Three times. 

Gargoyles were used to divert rain water away from the building

The tour ended at Market Square but being Sunday everything was closed including the public toilets!  Bars, restaurants, tobacco store were the only things open.  We stopped at Jeanne De Arch Bar for beverages before heading  back to the ship with time to relax before dinner. 

Cheese Souffle Appetizer  - yummy cheesy deliciousness 

Rack of Lamb with Scallop Potatoes - super tender and flavorful

Lemon Meringue "Simple Cake" 

Diane had the Cheese and Fruit Plate for dessert

After dinner I went to the cigar bar with Paul (smoking area on the deck), then to the lounge where Diane and Jay has settled in for the evening entertainment.  A duo from Paris singing and playing musical instruments.  Meh  I decided to go bed.  Diane and Jay waited up to walk into town to see the “must see” light show at 11 p.m.  
We have a super long day Monday for the Beaches of Normandy.  We’ll be gone 11 hours.  Four of those hours are travel time (2 hours each way).  

Monday June 24, 2019 

Up early for breakfast then off to the coach for our day on the beaches of Normandy.

Ponder the courage of the Allied troops who changed the course of World War II during this moving visit to the legendary D-Day Beaches. Travel with your guide to the Normandy Coast, passing through the key town of Courseulles-sur-Mer, where Canadian troops unloaded countless tons of supplies after D-Day, and two of the beaches, Juno and Gold, where troops came ashore. Stop to visit the small Arromanches Debarkment D-Day Museum, chronicling the genius of the portable, temporary Mulberry Harbor that moved a huge volume of troops. After lunch, follow the coast to the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial in Colleville-sur-Mer. Located high on a cliff over Omaha Beach, it is the final resting place of nearly 9,400 American service men and women. 

We drove through the areas where the British alias invaded but didn’t stop.  That was an alternate tour of the Commonwealth.  We stopped at Juno Beach where you could walk along the bunkers and read the history on giant signs.  

Back on the bus to a golf club where we had lunch.  They were very efficient getting about 170 people fed and out without feeling rushed.  They had salad at each place setting in mason jars.  Lunch was Riblet of Pig (bone in pork chop) with ratatouille and potato cake.  It was very good.  Dessert was pear tart tartan with a whipped topping.  It was also good.  
Back on the bus to the feature of the day, Normandy. It was a little rainy but not too bad. It’s a quaint little town with a nice museum and little shops.  We had plenty of time to wonder around and soak in the history.  

Jay's pic

Back on the bus to the American Cemetery which was every bit as emotional as everyone says it is.  They did a little ceremony in the Memorial Garden, played the American National Anthem and thanked us for our relatives who fought there and so many who gave their lives to free the French (and ultimately north west Europe from German occupation).  They played taps and laid a wreath at the base of the monument, then gave us time to walk around the cemetery and along the path with the beaches below. 

Purposely off center to capture the American Flag in the background

Over 9,000 American military are buried at the American Cemetery

Back on the bus to another memorial monument at Utah Beach. 

Back on the bus and arrived at the ship just in time for dinner.  I don't remember what we had that night but I'm sure it was delicious!  [Thinking back this was the night I had the poached salmon garnished with caviar - little beads of salty silkiness.]
After dinner we walked into town for the light show.  It starts at 11 p.m. because sunset isn’t until 10 p.m.  They project light onto the Cathedral Notre Dame.  It tells a story with its constantly changing and sometimes three dimensional scenes. I must have taken 100 photos!  If you are ever in Rouen I definitely recommend it. 

Photos of the light show do not do it justice

Tuesday June 25, 2019

Today we sail in the morning to Les Andelys.  

Explore one of the most fantastic fortresses of Normandy while admiring sweeping views of the Seine as it winds its way through the countryside. You will accompany your Program Director to the remarkable Château Gaillard, which seems to beckon from atop its high hill. The stronghold was built in the 12th century by Richard the Lionheart of England, who was also Duke of Normandy. His structure is considered the most dramatic sight anywhere along the Seine between the coast and Paris. The strongest and most magnificent castle of its age, it guarded the Seine River Valley and was the key structure in a vast system that defended Normandy during the Wars of Religion.

Richard the Lionheart lived the last year of his life there. While we are sailing they will have the Disembarkation Details, then a live demo on how to make Tarte au Citron in the lounge with Chef Joszef.  When we dock there is a walking tour of Chateau Gaillard.

While we were sailing guess who got to do the live demo with Chef?   Added bonus, souvenir Viking Apron.  They don't even sell them. 

With Chef Robert on the left; with Chef Joszef on the right

French Countryside while sailing

We arrived and docked during lunch then set out for the walking tour of Chauteau Gaillard.  Les Andelys is a quaint little town with cobblestone streets (typical) and more historic buildings dating back to the 12^th Century.  There is a dome building that our guide told us was originally a church then the monks turned it into a hospital and how it’s a nursing home.  

This town was not bombed during the War.  Most of the buildings were made of stone from the ruins of the castle in the 14^th Century.  Half way through the tour was the starting point to hike up to the castle.  Our Cruise Director said it’s a difficult hike with a mix for stairs and gravel but the view from the top is amazing.  Paul and Jay went on the hike, Diane and I stayed in town to do a little shopping.  I went into a leather and scarf shop and bought a red leather handbag :swoon:.  I asked if it was Italian or French leather.  She said the leather is from France but it's made in Italy.  Okey dokey then.  Diane and I both bought a few things from a nice little store with quilts, household items, jewelry, etc.  We couldn’t find the guys and a lot of people had already come back down so we went back to the ship to see if they were there.  Nope.  Diane stood at the street by the ship and I walked up to the main street thinking we could pass them and wouldn’t know it.  Sure enough Diane saw them coming down the opposite street I was walking up. 

Sisters on the Street

Jay's pic - approaching the Castle

Jay's pic - view from the top

Tonight about dinner time we sail to Mantes-la-Jolie and arrive at 11:45 p.m. Our Program Director said to stay up if you can because sailing into Mantes-la-Jolie is beautiful at night.  

Wednesday June 26, 2019

Before dinner was the VES Cocktail Party.  VES is Viking Explorer Society.  It was for people who have traveled with Viking before.  They had cocktails and appetizers and the Hotel Manager thanked us for traveling with them again.  Boris, our favorite bartender, made Diane and I special cocktails which were completely delicious.  I think it was called Aperol Spritzer (something like that).  It was an orange liquor with champagne and club soda.

After dinner (I don't remember what was on the menu but this was the night I skipped the entree and had appetizer, soup, salad, dessert) we went to the upper deck with Paul.  Diane and Jay went to the lounge to check out the dancing game.  I joined them a little later and it was hoppin’ to New York New York, then YMCA which ended with a conga line.  The competition was each group had to pick three songs from a list that they thought everyone would dance to.  The group whose selections attracted the most dancers won a bottle of champagne.  It was fun.  Several of the staff members participated and danced with the passengers.  We danced with our favorite bartender Boris and our Chef Joszef.  They actually have 9 other chefs behind the scenes but Joszef is the Head Chef in Charge.  

After dancing Diane and I got to do something that’s not allowed but we’re not allowed to talk about it.  That was the deal.  No pictures, no telling.   It was pretty cool.   

The beautiful view sailing into Mantes-la-Jolie was anti-climatic and not worth staying up until midnight. There were about a dozen or so of us on the upper deck and everybody said “that’s it?”  There was a beautiful church on the hill all lit up which WAS beautiful but that was it.  No city lights like we were expecting. My pictures didn't turn out but Jay's came out okay so I'll come back and add a photo when get his photos (done).

Jay's pic 

Today our tour is of Napoleon’s Chateau de Malmaison.  

Visit the historic château where Napoleon Bonaparte spent his final days in France. Along with the Tuileries, this elegant manor house, purchased by the emperor’s wife Josephine in 1799, served as the seat of Napoleon’s French government from 1800 to 1802. After the couple’s divorce, she collected an annual pension of 5 million francs and kept the house, which she called home until her death in 1814. The emperor returned the following year after his defeat at Waterloo and received news here of his exile to the island of Saint Helena.

As an alternative they have a shuttle going to Paris at 9:30 a.m. which Diane and Jay were considering however the shuttle back isn’t until 5:30 p.m. so they decided against it. 

After breakfast it was all aboard the coach for a 45 minute ride to Chateau de Malmaison.  Napoleon’s wife Josephine was previously married and had two children. Her and her husband had been sentenced to the guillotine.  They killed her husband but she was spared and released from prison 107 days later. A little discrepancy from history that says they divorced.  Who knows? She needed to find a husband and married Napoleon. His mother was not pleased due to her reputation of several affairs while looking for a husband.  He needed an male heir but they were unable to have a child. Years later his mistress gave birth to a boy so he divorced Josephine.  She died at 51.  She got home from a party a didn’t feel well and the next morning she was dead from tonsillitis. History says pneumonia. Others say she died of a broken heart.  Who knows? Josephine had a bad spending habit and they estimate the debt at her time of death was 300 million euro!  The room I called the Dish Room, had plates valued at $100,000 euro EACH. Upon her death they discovered she had over 1,000 dresses, 500 pairs of shoes and 400 pairs of gloves.  She never wore the same gloves twice.  I like her!   
Napoleon had a son plus other children after they divorced but none of them were legitimate heirs.  Josephine’s children had children who had children who had children who all became rulers of eastern European countries.  Tour guide said that’s Josephine’s revenge for him leaving her for not being able to have a child.  Touché.  And that is your history lesson of the day.

The beds were so small they slept sitting up with lots of pillows

What I called the Dish Room.  Dishes valued at $100,000.00 EACH

Jay's pic for the Dish Room

Jay's pic of Josephine's Family Tree
(and our amazing tour guide that day)

The Garden

Back to the ship where we had lunch and sailed away back to Le Perc.

Farewell dinner is tonight.
Here's a story about how fantastic Chef Joszef is.  Night before we asked Norman (favorite server) if Chef would be making tomato bisque because we've been watching for it all week and we only have one more dinner.  He said he would ask.  Soup on the menu said Thai Basil.  When Norman came to take our order and Diane and I ordered Caesar Salad, Norman said "and the tomato bisque?"  Sure enough Chef made tomato bisque just for the two of us! Thank you Viking for employing such amazing and accommodating staff.   

This was the ONLY picture of the four of us together.
Unfortunately it's fuzzy and Paul's eyes are closed. 

Beef Bourguigon with homemade Pappardelle Pasta
M-M-Good

Apple Beignets with Vanilla Bean Sauce

Carrot Cake

Super fantastic wait staff, Norman and Kasif

Favorite Bartender Boris

Crazy (in a fun way) Program Director Patrica

Thursday June 27, 2019
We have to have our bags packed and out the door at 6 a.m. for our 7 a.m. shuttle to the airport. A quick breakfast in between time. 

Here’s hoping the Travel Gods are more kind to us on the journey back to home-sweet-home.

Travel time: We thought we were going to miss our connecting flight but it all worked out.  
Our flight was a little late leaving Paris.  Coming into the country at DFW was not too horrible.  As soon as we got off the plane there was a lady with a PHOENIX sign that had orange speed passes and new boarding passes for us.  We scanned our passports (with the help of a nice attendant) and got in the line they directed us too which at first glance appeared to be shorter but ended up taking longer.  When we finally got to the window the agent said "why did they send you here? This is for people going from foreign country to foreign country, not going to or from their home country".  I was holding the orange cards and said "maybe because our flight was late and they though this line would be shorter".  He said "the questions here are totally different".  I said "does that mean we have to go wait in the other line".  He looked at our passports and looked up at us looked at our passports again. Then he said "Did you bring any fruits, vegetables or meats?"  No. "Okay."  :stamp::stamp::stamp::stamp:  Thank you nice man.  Next stop - retrieve luggage.  Walk through customs area but nobody was checking bags so we zoomed right to baggage re-check where they whisked away our luggage.  Then TSA security check again.  This time they had a security dog at work that was kind of cool to watch.  They had a sectioned off area in the line.  Two people walked side by side and the dog walked behind them with his handler.  When they reached the end of the area, the next two people went side by side and the dog swept behind them. Only two people at a time are allowed through the corded area. Over and over and over again. It went pretty quick though.  Security scanning went okay.  We went to the sky tram to Gate A20 only to find out our gate was changed to B9.  Back on the sky tram to B gates.  Our flight was boarding as we walked up.  Whew.  That was close. 

Here's some random photos of cruising the beautiful French Countryside:

  

The only French Sunset I saw the entire trip

Jay's Sunset Pic

Jay's French Countryside Pic

RECAP
Accommodations 
Once again Viking was top notch.  
The ship is well laid out and comfortable. We had a Veranda Stateroom (room with a balcony). As typical of cruise ship staterooms they are not spacious but they are efficient with room to put everything away.  
The staff was phenomenal. The staff was super friendly and helpful, the ship is squeaky clean.
I didn't take pictures of the ship because it's exactly the same as the one I was on last time (pictures in my Danube Blog). Sans the Christmas decor! 

Food
The food was good and plentiful.  Chef Joszef was awesome.

Activities
The tours every day are very well organized.  We did all the daily included tours and did not partake in any of the optional tours.   
There are not tons of activities on board like an ocean cruise (no casino, spa, etc), but there are things to do every night after dinner if you wish to participate. 

On the Downside
This trip was very difficult for Paul.  Viking does not have amenities for someone with profound hearing loss like his.  The TV in our room did not have closed caption capability.  They have a simple remote with volume and channel change options only.  I asked at the front desk if they had a master remote so they could turn on the closed caption feature and they do not. The Hotel Manager apologized and said he would make a note of that for Corporate.  It's not like he would have spent a lot of time watching TV but he does like to watch the news everyday.
Their daily presentations are also not printed or presented on Power Point with captions so he could not follow those.
Their audio devices for tours were not compatible with his hearing aids and they do not have printed material that you could take into town to follow along. 
If his streamer had not been lost at the beginning of the trip that may have helped.  That being said he did enjoy a lot of things about the trip when he wasn't overwhelmed with frustration. He went on every tour with us. The staff really DID try to make it up to him with their amazing service. 

*Side note from above* I disagree with the woman who said Paris to Normandy was phenomenal.  Don't get me wrong, it was good, Viking was phenomenal, French Countryside was beautiful and the Medieval towns were interesting.  The history and emotional connection with the Beaches of Normandy was like none other that I have experienced. I just did not fall in love with Paris like some people do.  Like I did with Rome or like my fascination with  everyplace we went on the Danube. That being said, everybody enjoys different things so we continue to explore.   

Special Thanks to Sue for taking such good care of my munchkins while were were gone.  

Next Stop
Viking's Rhine Getaway for the CHRISTMAS MARKETS with Connie, Lisa and Denise.  We leave the day after Thanksgiving and we are doing the post-extension in Amsterdam after the cruise.   

Almost done updating
Jay took tons more photos than I did and his tablet has a much better camera than my old Cyber-Shot. I need to get with him to transfer from his devise to mine and add a couple more of his gems. Done.
I may need a new camera before my next vacay.