The ship left Vernon early this morning and we headed down to breakfast – today’s special was French toast – and, yes, the French DO know how to make excellent French toast. More nice scenery along the way.
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We went through a lock this morning, one of six on this stretch of river. This one was a bit different in that the gate came down like a guillotine while most of them come across from one side to let the water in or out. 
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We saw many barges along the river, many of them equipped with living quarters and alternate means of transportation. .
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Just in case we were getting a little hungry between meals, today at 10:15 there was a lecture, demonstration and tasting of “foie gras” and “Sauternes.” The foie gras is goose liver pate, served on little slices of French bread. Sauterne is a sweet wine, made in the Bordeaux region of France. We liked the wine. .
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As we approached the town of Les Andelys, we could see the Chateau Gaillard, a medieval fortress perched high on a limestone cliff overlooking the town and the river. .
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This castle was built in 1196 by Richard the Lion Heart, King of England and Duke of Normandy. He built the fortress to oversee the River Seine and to protect the town of Rouen. King Philip Augustus of France attacked the castle in 1203 and finally took control of it in 1204. From this time forward, the whole of Normandy has been part of France. .
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The town of Les Andelys sits on a bend in the river, with great white cliffs rising out of the nearby hillsides.
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The scene is dominated by the Chateau Gaillard ...
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As soon as we landed, we headed off with a group of fellow travelers, to climb the hill for a close-up look at this piece of ancient history. There were some nice displays to help understand the original design of the place, but only parts and pieces remain today. .
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It is still possible to see slits for arrows, the dungeon, part of the watchtower, and some of the walls.
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There also are some nice views of the town and the river valley.
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The town of Les Andelys is made up of two villages, separated by the River Gabon. Le Petit Andely is a small fishing village on the River’s edge. We admired quaint houses and shops, and stopped for a visit to Saint Sauveur’s Church, which was built in 1202 AD.
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And then … it was time for lunch on the ship. Here’s a photo of today’s lunch menu, showing the great variety of choices that we must endure at every meal. .
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After lunch we went off the ship again, this time to take the longer walk to Le Grand Andely – the larger village that was once a Roman town, as well as a cultural and religious center. We had a hard time getting very far since local folks wanted to talk with us. First, an older couple had questions about the ship – who we were, where we came from, where we were going, etc. Then an Asian woman (with a dog named Blum) bent our ears with stories of her life and now her retirement in this village – she’d been here for less than a week.
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We finally made our way to the town center and found the optical shop. The delightful young man working there fixed Fran’s glasses, refused any payment, and gave us some recommendations for what to see and do in Les Andelys. We didn’t have the heart to tell him that we’d be leaving in a few hours. .
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We did swing back through Le Petit Andelys to visit a bakery we spotted earlier. We brought back a chocoalte éclair for a midnight snack. .
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Back at the ship, we had some time to relax and then a chance to tour the galley with the Restaurant Manager (Karyl) and the Executive Chef (Stefan). They explained how the restaurant is set up and how the kitchen is divided into stations, each with a specific function. We got some recipes for a couple of outrageous desserts (apple tarts and bread pudding) and sampled some of the pastry chef’s handiwork.
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By then, the ship was underway again and it was time to rest up for dinner while watching the scenery go by. .
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Dinner was another gut-buster. Just check out this menu and you gain a couple of pounds just from reading about it..
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As we approached Rouen, we were ‘greeted’ by a local rowing team – as our ship passed their boat, the male rowers shed their clothes, stood up, and waved. Welcome to Rouen! .
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After dinner, we joined a bunch of our fellow travelers in the lounge for a meeting of the liars’ club. Our three program directors – Mirielle, Olivier, and Rita gave us definitions of selected (strange) words - two were lying and one was actually telling the truth. They did 8 words and we got only two of them correct – I guess they are all pretty good at fooling us!
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