We’ve been in Paris for three days, but now it’s time to leave. We’re going to get on board a boat that will take us through Normandy on a Seine river cruise. We’ll go all the way to the Atlantic ocean, making stops along the way, and then turn around and come back to Paris. Our bags are packed, so let’s go!
We took a taxi out to an area near the Eiffel Tower, where the boat was supposed to be waiting for us. Sure enough, there it was, along with several other boats that all looked similar. It took a little bit of effort to make sure we were arriving at the right place, but we made it.
The Boat! The Boat!
We were early, but quite a few people had already “checked in.” No one could go to their rooms yet, so everyone was hanging out in the ship’s lounge. We joined the hanger-outers, and met some people who we liked instantly.
Most people there had flown in from some far-off place, then taxied directly to the boat from the airport. They were understandably wiped out. All we had to do that morning was to make a 30-minute taxi ride, so we had energy to burn. We had time, too, so we decided to leave our bags on board, get a taxi, and go get something to eat.
Rue Cler
We went to a neighborhood nearby where there was a walk-street with lots of places to eat. The street is Rue Cler, in the 7th arrondissement. This is a really nice part of town, and because of Rue Cler, it’s an especially nice neighborhood to stay in. We found a restaurant there, had another great Parisien lunch, and made our way back to the boat.
By the time we got back, the “OK” had been given for people to check into their rooms. We found ours – a nice room on the third deck. This would be our home for the next seven days.
We’re on an Amawaterways river cruise. We’ve traveled with “Ama” before, (on the Mekong river, for instance), and we like the way they do things. On river cruises like this, you cruise from one place to the next, and at each destination, there’s an optional shore excursion of some sort.
I don’t know about other cruise lines, but Ama seems to be able to find really good local guides for their shore excursions. Life on board isn’t too shabby, either. I wouldn’t call it “hotsy-totsy,” or “over-the-top,” but it’s pretty nice!
Our Accommodations
The boat we’re on is the “Amalyra.” Like all of these river-cruising boats, it’s shaped like a pop-sickle stick – long and skinny. In fact, it’s 360 feet long and only 38 feet wide. It can accommodate 144 passengers.
There are three decks, plus a sun deck on top. All meals are served in a dining room that’s located in the forward part of the second deck. The main place for hanging out is the bar/lounge that occupies the forward area of the third deck. If the ship is moving, you can watch the world go by from the dining room, lounge, or sun deck. Or from your room.
Our room was just like a hotel room, but smaller. (It’s a boat, after all. Space is at a premium). It was roomy enough for us. It had what they call a “French balcony.” It’s not a balcony that you can walk out on, but when you slide open the balcony doors all the way, it’s very much like you’re outside on a balcony.
The only thing that’s going to happen today, cruise-wise, is that everyone is going to get checked in, hang out for a while, and have dinner on board. We won’t be going anywhere until sometime late tonight.
By tomorrow morning, we’ll be about sixty miles up-river, at a place called Les Andelys. What’s at Les Andelys? We shall see!
To be continued…
Note: the map at the top of the post is from Amawaterways.
