Seine River Cruise - featuring Giverny and the Gardens of Normandy and Versaille 10151

We depart from London St Pancras International on the morning Eurostar service through the Channel Tunnel to Paris Gare du Nord. (First Class upgrades and regional connections also available on request). On arrival we will be met by our comfortable local coach and transfer to Musée de l’Orangerie des Tuileries, which is home to the series of 2-metre high murals entitled Les Nymphéas, a sequence of impressions such as clouds, reflections and sunsets which Claude Monet installed between 1914 and 1918, when he was at the height of his extraordinary powers. Later, we transfer to our ship on the banks of the River Seine.

As we sit down to breakfast this morning the ship will sail towards Rouen. After lunch on board, we depart for a visit to the Jardin de Plume. Since 1997, Sylvie and Patrick Quibel have been creating this natural yet structured contemporary garden in a typical Normandy orchard. Making generous use of grasses and perennials, the four-acre garden includes seasonal plantings, a central square mirror pool and a kitchen garden.We return to the ship in time for dinner and moor in Rouen overnight.

After breakfast we depart by coach for the first of two garden visits today, Château de Miromesnil, which represents four centuries of harmonious architectural styles including a rare example of Louis XIII monumental style. Of particular interest will be the kitchen garden which was restored forty years ago by the Comtesse de Vogüé, grandmother of the present owners. Separated by alleys made of grass, the squares are ordered with vegetables and flowers that contrast with the profusion of annual flowers on the sides. The surrounding park is dominated by a cedar of Lebanon, several centuries old, and there are also fruit trees, magnolias and a huge collection of clematis. A packed lunch is included today.
We continue to the nearby garden of Le Vasterival. In 1957 Princess Sturdza, a talented plantswoman, started to create this magnificent garden in a natural style covering 7 hectares of acid soil, a kilometre from the sea. Princess Sturdza died in 2009 but the garden continues to thrive, with a huge range of plants which grow to perfection in its composted earth. Its informal design with paths, woodlands, glades and immaculate grass walks leading temptingly in all directions, contains a richness of flora in a variety of settings all year round. A guided tour is included here.
We will rejoin the ship at Rouen before sailing Caudebec.

After breakfast we depart for a visit to the Pegasus Bridge Memorial Museum, which pays tribute to the Anglo-Canadian 6th Airborne Division who captured and liberated the bridge here during the D-Day Landings of June 1944.
We then continue to the garden at Château de Canon at Mezidon-Canon, which was redesigned by a barrister who knew Horace Walpole. The layout is best understood as a French interpretation of the Augustan Style. Like Chiswick Park, it has an axis leading from the house across a grass parterre and an axial woodland ornamented with small temples, including The Temple de la Pleureuse and a Chinese pavilion.
We conclude today in Pont L’Evêque at the famous Calvados house of Père Magloire.  Welcomed by the hostesses who will accompany us to the Museum of Calvados and Old Trades, we will be guided by the Cellar Master with the aid of the audio-visual presentation, and have a visit to the cellars followed by a tasting in the shop. A packed lunch is included today.
Dinner is served on board is the evening as the ship sails for Les Andelys.

Today this morning is free to explore at your leisure as the ship is docked in the town of Les Andelys. During the early afternoon the ship sails to Vernon. On arrival, we depart for nearby Giverny and the world-famous house and gardens of Claude Monet.  Both the house and gardens have been lovingly and accurately restored – one would believe that the family have just gone out to walk in the garden. You will have plenty of time to explore this marvellous garden at your leisure, followed by an opportunity to visit the little church where Monet is buried.We return to our ship in time for dinner.

Today is spent cruising the Seine enjoying the panoramic scenery and the on-board facilities of our ship. We arrive in Paris early evening.

Today after breakfast we depart for arguably one of France’s most iconic palaces, the Château de Versailles. We have a full day to explore the Royal Apartments, the Hall of Mirrors with 357 mirrors, where courtiers and illustrious guests were received at the time of Louis XIV; the Chapel, the Royal Opera and the Museum of the History of France. Outside, the world-famous gardens, which were again designed by André le Nôtre, are also the largest museum of outdoor sculptures in the world, with a total of 221 pieces. The waterbed comprises two large pools which reflect light and illuminate the façade of the Hall of Mirrors. The Northern Parterre is divided into two, each side centred around a circular pool.We later return to the ship for our final evening on board.

After breakfast on board, we disembark and transfer to the Gare du Nord for our Eurostar train back to London where we expect to arrive in the evening.