I arrived in Warsaw in the early morning and after a two hour nap at my hotel, located right on the border of old town, I headed out to explore the city.This monument was erected to commemorate the 1944 Polish uprising. The uprising was preceded by the 1939 uprising in the Warsaw Ghetto from which there were few survivors. The POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews should be appreciated by walking around its circumference. The interior is equally impressive. The core exhibition documents the arrival of the Jews of Poland and continues through the Holocaust to modern times. Because Warsaw was reduced to rubble at the end of WWII , much of the written history was destroyed.The next day I took a tour of the Royal Castle. It has taken decades to restore it to its previous splendor. This throne room is just one example of the opulence evident here. All of the tapestries, sculptures and paintings in the Castle were hidden before Warsaw was invaded. This Rembrandt survived and I found it so intriguing. Check out the hand positioned on the outside of the frame.This organ from 1640 can still be played.I walked all over Old Town and dined at Delicja Polska. This appetizer was smoked salmon on top of potato pancakes and was as scrumptious as the mushroom soup that followed. I took pictures of many of my meals but am not posting as it would just make you hungry.I flew to Paris and signed myself up for a two hour walking tour of the Louvre. I had been before but the guide included many things I had never seen. I was amazed at the medieval fortress that was underneath the buildings you see now. I also enjoyed seeing the only other two paintings in the Louvre (other than the “Mona Lisa”) by Leonardo da VinciAnn met me outside of the Louvre and we grabbed lunch in the Tuileries Gardens. Evidence of the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics is everywhere. The Rodin Museum was only four blocks from our hotel and was new to me. There are beautiful lawns and gardens to display many of the sculptures. Inside I saw “Ixelles Idyll” which was new to me. Rodin had purchased this Van Gogh and it now resides in this museum. It was painted when Van Gogh was living in Paris. “The Old Courtesan” was cast as a stand alone sculpture and as a figure in “The Gates of Hell ” which is featured in the garden.The next day we visited the Musee d’Orsay and I was overwhelmed by the crowds and the size of the collection. In a less crowded room, I enjoyed this painting by Odilon RedonWe walked over to see the reconstruction of Notre Dame. It is a herculean effort to be sure. Nine o’clock reservations at Le Souffle! I had been here for the first time in 1970 and the menu has not changed. Most of the restaurants do not open until 7PM and at 9, Paris is just coming alive.Walking back to our hotel , one can easily see why so many people love Paris. It is magical at night.We joined our Backroads group in Caen and after a quick lunch in Trevieres, we hopped on our bikes. We rode about 20 miles through beautiful farmland to reach our first hotel, Chateau Saint Gilles.On our next ride, we stopped at Les Jardins de Castillon and walked with and talked to the 91 year old owner. He was a small boy when the German’s occupied the town and moved into his house. His mother was caught trying to help downed airmen escape to Spain and died in Bergin Belsen concentration camp He was particularly proud of this “Handkerchief Tree.” The leaves even feel like a soft handkerchief.We continued riding to Omaha Beach and were joined by a guide to navigate the surroundingsWe scrambled around the bunkers and could better understand why it was so difficult for our troops to safely come ashore. In preparation for this trip, I read Stephen Ambrose’s ” D-Day” which added so much to my visit. The American Cemetery is a beautiful tribute to the American soldiers who lost their lives on D-Day.This beautiful mosaic on the ceiling of the chapel provides a solemn reminder of the loss of life that is witnessed on the grounds. The next day we rode through fields of flax and barley (thank Ann for all plant identification) and visited Juno Beach. We stopped in Courseulles-sur-Mer for lunch and I devoured the Sole de Meuniere.Our next stop was Mont-Saint-Michel. We hiked up to the monastery with an agile guide and she explained the ancient rooms and their many uses over time. Ann took this photo of a visiting priest which added a touch of realism to the place.We rode further along the coast to Saint Malo and climbed up to look out from the fortress. The next day we crossed the river and rode to the town of Dinan through beautiful countryside on small roads and bike path.We had lunch outside at L’Absinthe (seen in this poster hanging on their wall) After more fabulous French food, I sat back in my chair, closed my eyes and listened to the doves cooing in the trees and French being spoken all around me. What a beautiful moment in time!The sky was spectacular as we rode back into St. Malo that afternoonIt was 70 degrees and we were hot after our ride. What could be better than a post-ride dip in the Atlantic Ocean?Our last bike ride was to the oyster capital of France, CancaleWe celebrated our final ride and headed back to the Paris airport by train. It was a trip with the perfect combination of good biking, beautiful countryside, sobering historic landmarks, incredible French cuisine and good company. Who could ask for more? My grandson, Ben Van Eekeren, graduated from St. Ignatius high school last week. He will be on his way to University of Colorado, Boulder in August. He is a kind, considerate and thoughtful young man who will excel in this next chapter. We are all so very proud of him. My grandson, Ryan Van Eekeren, graduated from St. Clements and will begin St. Ignatius high school in the fall. He is interested in playing football for the school and will continue playing baseball. He is already thinking about what it will take to get into the best universities! Go Ryan !
