Les Andelys and the River Seine

Today we pulled anchor and headed back towards Paris. The weather was cool and overcast, but mostly pleasant enough to sit on deck reading or just watching the countryside flow by. It was interesting watching the terrain change from flat and rolling farmlands, to chalky cliffs filled with caves and crevices...

A little after 1 pm, the boat docked at a place called Les Andelys, "Les" because it was actually two villages that had grown together. Overlooking them is one of the most dramatic sights anywhere along the Seine: Richard the Lionheart's Château Gaillard. Completed in 1198, it was constructed in a position of impregnable power, high above a sharp bend in the Seine, giving it a dominate view for miles in either direction and controlling any movement on the river at the frontier of the English king's domains.

We were allowed about 2-1/2 hours on dry land, and offered two choices of activities: one was a walk through the town and it's shopping district, and the other was a steep climb up the hill to see inside one of the most famous French Castles of the middle ages. Kurt, Kara and I chose the hike.

The castle lies at the end of a steep lane that led up from the town center, eventually turning to dirt road. While not a strenuous hike, it was rather steep, and caused the various members of our group, ages ranging from 16 to 70+, to slowly spread out as we wound our way up the narrow road. Upon reaching the castle proper, we were met with the partial remains of the outer casements, a closed off Castle Keep, and a spectacular view of miles of the winding Seine River.

Kurt, Kara and I climbed up and around the various portions of the accessible castle, seeing what remained, and trying to imagine what life would have been like living in this ancient structure "back in the day." Apparently it was completed just one year before the death of it's creator, and then was used by his son. Unfortunately the French decided to take back Normandy about that time, and the Castle was set siege to by Phillip II, and finally captured in 1204. By 1573, Château Gaillard was uninhabited and in a ruinous state, but it was still believed to posed a threat to the local population if it was repaired. Therefore, King Henry IV ordered the demolition of Château Gaillard in 1599. Some of the building material was reused by Capuchin monks who were granted permission to use the stone for maintaining their monasteries. It must have been incredibly taxing to pry these massive stones from the thick walls and cart them down the hill to whatever monestary they were working on.

In 1611, the demolition of Château Gaillard came to an end. The site was left as a ruin, and in 1862 was classified as a Monument historique.

After a few pictures and a tour of the Keep's moat, we headed back down the hill to try and tour the little town before we had to set sail again. The town of Les Andelys was built about the same time as the castle, so is rich in history and interesting buildings. They even have a miniature version of the Notre Dame Cathedral, complete with flying buttresses. I didn't get a chance to go inside, but apparently the stained glass windows are gorgeous. I met up with Laura and Jill, who had toured the town with Pat, Stew and Patti. They were totally enamored of the small village, it's quaint shops and clean streets. I'm fairly certain a number of souvenirs made their way onto the boat from our family's extensive tour of the town. We definitely do our best to help support the local economies!

At exactly 3 pm, the Captain pulled way from the river bank and continued our journey. Apparently there is a set schedule of times that the boat had meet to transit the six locks between Rouen and Paris. I was impressed that with 140+ passengers with untold number of personal agendas, we had no problem making any of our scheduled events, either coming or going. That says a lot about both the crew/staff and the passengers themselves.

One of the highlights of the afternoon cruise was passing the estate Field Marshall Irwin Rommel used as his headquarters during his tenure as Commander of the forces protecting the "Atlantic Wall," including the period of the D-Day landings. It is a huge place cut into a cliffside, and if our tour director was correct, had tunnels cut into the stone cliffs that led up to an ancient castle situated on the hill above it. Good place to take refuge from allied bombing attacks.

For dinner our waiter Joey, who has taken superb care of us all week long, arranged for us to have a large table together in celebration of Pat & Stew’s 50^th Anniversary. The main course was Beef Tenderloin in a Foie Gras sauce, which I never expected to be as wonderful as it was. Again, one more dish that literally melted in your mouth! We had brought along some decorations for some type of 50^th celebration, and the wait staff was kind enough to hang them up around the table, and bring out a cake with sparklers as desert was being served. It was a nice little moment to celebrate a true milestone.

After dinner we strolled the decks as we continued our trip along the river. The weather was gorgeous and made for a great end to a very relaxing day. Tomorrow we stop in Conflans, and visit Versailles.