A little piece of Inland France

River cruising is becoming increasingly popular as a way of seeing culture and scenery of several cities and even countries, without having to pack and unpack your suitcase many times.

I was very lucky to be one of the Travel Counsellors to be invited on board the new Tapestry ll to cruise the first four nights of their Paris to Normandy landing beaches cruise at the end of September.

We flew from our regional airports to be met and transferred to a central Paris hotel where refreshments are available and an optional excursion to the Eiffel Tower was also available and most of our group took the advantage of seeing Paris from this iconic landmark.

We transferred to the beautiful Tapestry ll after this and what a beautiful vessel she is. After the safety drill and a welcome talk given by the amazing Cruise Director Jean Loup.

We had our first dinner on board and what a culinary delight. I'm pleased that there were plenty of included excursions to walk off the excesses of the restaurant and with wine included was a very pleasant start to the first evening.

Up bright and early the following morning we had arrived in Vernon, a lovely little town. We had a choice of included excursions to either visit Monet's Garden at Giverny or the Chateau de Bizy also called small Versailles. In the afternoon we set sail bound for Andelys where we could walk uphill to the Chateau Gaillard or a walking tour of Andelys. Or of course you can just do your own thing.

The next day we awoke in Caudebec and had a choice of included trips to visit the 'Abbey' Road or the Thatched Cottage road and in the afternoon there was an additional excursion to Honfleur if you wished. In the late afternoon was an in depth talk about the Norman Beaches where two excursions were heading the following day. One to the British and Canadian beaches and the other to the American beaches, or there was an alternative to take in the tastes of Normandy which included visiting the Bayeux Tapestry, lunch at a traditional Norman restaurant and finishing with a tasting at a Calvados Distillery.

Unfortunately our trip had come to an end and the following morning after time to have a look round Rouen, we had to leave our newfound friends to finish their cruise as we all went back to Paris to catch our various means of transport back home.

I would like to say that the cabins on board were absolutely fabulous and for those of us with larger pockets, the two Royal suites were unbelievable. The food and staff were second to none and I can recommend this cruise to anyone who fancies a change of holiday.