About the Ship
Cruise for seven nights aboard
the intimate 75-cabin MV Viking
Spirit. Each of the vessel’s spacious
staterooms features a picture window
(which opens in the upper categories),
as well as en-suite bath, writing desk,
TV, telephone, safe, hair dryer, a
roomy closet, and individual climate
control. MV Viking Spirit is operated
according to the highest standards
of Swiss hotel management.
Public
areas include an attractive, split-level
lobby lounge, a separate observation
lounge for lectures and group events,
a library, and restaurant with
panoramic views. The restaurant
seats all guests in one open seating,
and features a casual but elegant
atmosphere, with high-quality table
linens, china, cutlery and glassware;
house wine is included with all dinners
aboard. An outdoor promenade wraps
around the observation lounge and
reception areas. From the sundeck,
enjoy 360-degree views of passing
scenery. The flat-bottomed shape
of this state-of-the-art vessel, built
for river cruising, ensures a safe and
smooth ride.
Our Study Leaders
Colonel Kevin J. Weddle
USA, Retired, Professor
of Military Theory and
Strategy at the United
States Army War
College, will serve as
study leader for this
program. A professor
of military strategy,
planning and operations, and veteran of
Operations Desert Storm and Enduring
Freedom, Col. Weddle has led groups of
students to the battlefields and beaches near
Normandy and has also led groups to World
War I battlefield sites, as well as the battlefields
of Waterloo, Agincourt, and Dunkirk. He
received his Ph.D. from Princeton in history
in 2003 and is the author of Lincoln’s Tragic
Admiral: The Life of Samuel Francis Du Pont.
Linda Paulson
Associate Dean and
Director of the Master
of Liberal Arts Program
and Lecturer in English,
has taught at Stanford
since 1985. In 1989
she received Stanford’s
Dinkelspiel Award for
distinguished teaching
and service to the university. She has her Ph.D.
in Comparative Literature from UCLA, where
she worked in British, French and German
literature, particularly in the novels of Dickens
and Balzac. Dr. Paulson has lived in Europe
and has traveled extensively, spending a part
of each year in Great Britain and, when she’s
lucky, in France.
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D-Day and Beyond
Visit the moving location of the historic events of WWII's D-Day and the weeks following the landings, viewing the battlefields, studying the strategies and hearing the personal account of a veteran. Also visit the famed Bayeux Tapestry and the cathedral of Mont Saint-Michel, then cruise from Paris down the Seine to Monet's home and garden at Giverny, the ancient city of Rouen where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake, and stop at the age-old Norman village of Honfleur. On the return journey to Paris, visit the 12th-century Chateau Gaillard, built by Richard the Lionhart, and village of Auvers-sur-Oise where Van Gogh lived his last 100 days.
Highlights
- Relive the turning point of WWII, the D-Day Invasion, and explore the landing beaches with a local Frenchman who fought in the French Resistance.
- Discover painter Claude Monet’s hideaway at Giverny and visit the tiny garret in the little-known village of Auvers-sur-Oise, where Vincent Van Gogh feverishly completed 100 canvasses right before his death.
- Stand among the ruins of Richard the Lionheart’s hilltop castle, Chateau Gaillard, and take in some of the most dramatic scenery to be found along the Seine.
- Balance the weight of history with the beauty and light of France in springtime, including a guided tour of Paris.
Itinerary
Depart Home — May 4
Depart independently on flights to Paris.
(meals aloft)
Paris/Bayeux — May 5
After a morning arrival at Charles de Gaulle
Airport, board a motor coach for the journey
to Normandy. Enjoy a light lunch en route to
your chateau hotel near Bayeux. Meet fellow
travelers at tonight’s welcome reception and
dinner.
Chateau de la Cheneviere (L,R,D)
Caen/Normandy Beaches — May 6
Visit Caen, a city nearly leveled by the 50-
day battle that followed the D-Day landings
in 1944. Call at the Peace Memorial whose
superb exhibits eloquently recount the events
of D-Day and the Battle of Normandy.
In the afternoon, visit Omaha Beach, site
of America’s greatest sacrifice. Observe the
landing sectors from the overlook and walk
the shores of Omaha along bluffs once riddled
with German batteries. Then spend quiet
time among the fallen at the American
Military Cemetery.
Chateau de la Cheneviere (B,L,D)
Mont Saint-Michel or Normandy Battle Sites — May 7
Today choose between a visit to the Abbey of
Mont Saint-Michel or continued exploration of
Normandy’s D-Day sites. Mont Saint-Michel’s
spires soar high above its rocky perch a few
hundred yards off the coast. Built over a 500-
year period, the abbey is one of the greatest
religious buildings in all of Europe, and has
been a pilgrimage site since the eighth century.
The exploration of D-Day sites continues at
Ouistreham, a key battleground during the
Invasion. At Benouville see the original Pegasus
Bridge, captured at dawn on June 6, 1944 in
a daring raid by the Allies. At Courseulles-sur-
Mer view a restored amphibious D-Day tank
recovered from the sea, and at Arromanches,
see the Mulberry Harbour, an engineering
marvel that assisted in landing the Invasion
forces. The Battery of Longues-sur-Mer is one
of the rare sites untouched since the battle,
its military equipment still in place.
Chateau de la Cheneviere (B,L,D)
Normandy Beaches — May 8
Celebrate Victory Day, commemorating the
day Charles de Gaulle announced the end of
World War II and the liberation of France in
1945. Visit Ste Mère-Eglise, the first town to
be liberated by American airborne divisions.
At the Airborne Museum, the story of the
amazing paratrooper landing is recounted
through genuine battle artifacts: a full-size
glider, parachutes, uniforms, and weapons.
Continue to Pointe du Hoc, site of a daring
attack by Army Rangers who scaled a
300-foot cliff to knock out deadly German
cannons.
Chateau de la Cheneviere (B,L,D)
Bayeux/Paris — May 9
Immerse yourself in the beauty of the exquisite
900-year-old Bayeux Tapestry, depicting the
conquest of England by the Norman King,
William the Conqueror, in 1066. Then, at
the Battle of Normandy Memorial Museum,
retrace the full arc of battle from June 6
to Paris’ liberation on August 25, 1944.
After lunch on your own, drive to Paris
and board the Viking Spirit. Tonight, meet
the crew at a Captain’s reception and dinner.
Viking Spirit (B,D)
Paris — May 10
A morning coach tour of Paris introduces
the great monuments of France’s capital
on the River Seine, concluding at the Musee
de l’Orangerie, featuring Monet’s landmark
water lily paintings in a gallery he designed
specifically for their display as “a gift to the
French Nation.” Continue to the Louvre for
a guided tour of the collection’s highlights,
followed by time at leisure for independent
exploration. Return to the vessel for lunch
or stay in the city to explore on your own.
Viking Spirit (B,L,D)
Vernon (Giverny) — May 11
Docking at Vernon, drive to Giverny and the
house where Claude Monet lived most of his
life. Walk through his restored gardens, and
admire water lilies, willows and rhododendrons,
and the Japanese bridge made famous in many
of his canvasses. Also visit the new Giverny
Museum of Impressionism, dedicated to the
history and development of the different forms
of Impressionism. Enjoy free time in Vernon
after lunch.
Viking Spirit (B,L,D)
Scenic Cruising/Rouen — May 12
Enjoy a morning of scenic cruising on
the Seine before arriving in Rouen.
Originally a Roman settlement, Rouen
was later the seat of the Duchy of
Normandy. Take a walking tour to the
Place du Vieux Marché, the ancient
market square where Joan of Arc was
burned at the stake for heresy in 1431.
Then stand in awe of the Cathedral
of Rouen, a masterpiece of Gothic
architecture and the subject of a
famous series of paintings by Monet.
Viking Spirit (B,L,D)
Rouen (Honfleur) — May 13
This morning visit Honfleur, perhaps
the most picturesque of the Norman
villages. Stroll through this charming
medieval town filled with cafés and
half-timbered houses, and visit a
lovely small museum dedicated to
pre-Impressionist Eugene Boudin.
Return to Rouen for an afternoon
at leisure.
Viking Spirit (B,L,D)
Les Andelys (Chateau Gaillard) — May 14
Perched high above Les Andelys is the
12th-century ruin of Chateau Gaillard,
built by Richard the Lionheart, king
of England, to block the French army’s
route to Rouen. The château, now
in ruins, is a masterpiece of medieval
military architecture, and holds a
commanding view over one of the most
beautiful stretches of the River Seine.
Explore Les Andelys on your own
and enjoy your last day of the cruise
in this delightful small town.
Viking Spirit (B,L,D)
Conflans/Paris — May 15
Arrive early at Conflans, the gateway
for a morning visit to the pretty town
of Auvers-sur-Oise, where Van Gogh
lived his last 100 days, feverishly
painting a hundred canvasses—among
them his most famous—before taking
his own life. Re-embark and enjoy
lunch and an afternoon of cruising,
arriving Paris this evening. Celebrate
with fellow travelers at this evening’s
farewell dinner.
Westin Miyako Hotel (B,L,D)
Paris/Home — May 16
After breakfast, transfer to Charles de
Gaulle Airport for return flights home.
(B)
For more information call 1.888.328.2089.
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