Follow our journey on this map.

Day 52 continued the great weather we’re having. Not too hot; not too cold. Lots of sunshine.

We pulled out of the slip in Rouen before sunrise and leisurely headed for Les Andelys. It was so relaxing to just sit and watch the landscape float by. Here's a snippet:

We pulled into Le Petit Andely about 1PM and all that was on our calendar was a walking tour of the city and the castle. Seeing the height of the climb we both opted for an “energy bowl” for lunch.

Our guide took us down a few streets where we continued to see old timber houses and centuries old construction. We stopped at the church of St Sauveur which dates from the end of the 12th century. During the siege of Château-Gaillard (the fortress) in 1203, the village was burned but the church was spared following the order of King Philippe Auguste. The stained glass windows were damaged during WWII. They were replaced in 1953 with the theme of the Stations of the Cross. In 1973, a tornado hit the church causing the 47-meter slate spire to crash into the roof, the sacristy and the square. Repairs were completed in 1978.

From there we began the climb to Château-Gaillard. It was about a 250-foot vertical difference and a good workout to get there. The castle was built by Richard the Lionheart as a defensive point for the area. It was unique for French construction in that they had an inner wall and an outer wall. The outer wall was a series of curved faces which made it difficult to scale.

The ship departed shortly before dinner and it was so relaxing to sit on the deck and dine while the sun was setting.

Tomorrow is our last day on the ship—and last day of this journey—before heading to the airport on Wednesday.