June 20th found us waking in Caen, France at the Hotel Crocus. We then hit the bus for a ride to Paris via Rouen. After two hours of riding through the french countryside, we arrived in Rouen, a city liberated by Allied troops in the battle for Normandy, and site of the execution of Joan of Arc as well. On the way, Tom gave us the skinny on why our fellow traveler, Matt, would be revered as a god in Ireland.
Tom, our tour director, gave us a brief orientation in the small city, including a medieval courtyard were plague dead were stored before burial. We also viewed Notre Dame de Rouen, the church were Joan of Arc was tried and the square where she was burned at the stake. The consumerists among us found some satisfaction in that we had an hour and a half of open time to find lunch and, of course, shop!
Then back to the bus for another short ride into Paris. Tom shared with us some popular contemporary music from Europe along the way. We arrived at our hotel about 3:00 PM, checked in quickly and re-boarded the bus to be dropped off at no other than Notre Dame cathedral in the heart of the Latin Quarter along the Seine. After about an hour of exploring time, we gathered for dinner at Escarole, where we were serenaded by musicians who were waiting to play for a wedding party.
Then, the majority of our group headed over to the Eiffel tower area for a cruise along the Seine and our trip up the Eiffel tower. The tower was very busy, as this is the height of the tourist season, but we made it up and took in the amazing view. When we met at the bottom, some of us had managed to secure crepes and other snacks and we viewed the tower in its twinkling phase, which happens at the top of every hour. We took the metro back to the hotel then for some much needed rest.
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