Shot of the Day # 44 – Along the River Seine

Petit-Andely from Chateau Gaillard (13 April 2023)

My apologies for the protracted absence. From late February to the middle of March, I was sick. Illness is not conducive to writing, creative or otherwise. Once recovered, we flew to France for our fifth European river cruise...this one up the Seine from Normandy to Paris.

On this perfect spring day, we docked in what the French refer to as the commune of Les Andelys...the smaller Petit-Andely town on the river and Grand-Andely further inland. This image was taken from the landmark for which the place is known, the imposing Château Gaillard, high on a hill that overlooks the town and river. Completed in 1198 by Richard the Lionheart, when he was both King of England and Duke of Normandy, the castle fell to the French forces in 1204. It is a popular site to visit and appreciate the views...after a strenuous hike uphill. After a week of rich food and little compensating exercise, the trip diary read, “Today, they tried to kill me.”
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I want this lull in posting to be followed by, dare I say, a flurry of new posts. Next month, we will take an Inside Passage cruise that will get me to Juneau, Alaska. The visit to the state capitol there will complete the State House Odyssey. With only 23 capitols posted here, there are plenty more to present.

In July, there will be another road trip to Wisconsin. The circuitous path there will include visits to a few more vice presidents’ graves but more importantly, two more Chief Justice graves. That will leave only one more to complete that quest, and given that I have presented just one, there are many more ready to go.

Finally, for pleasant images and travel stories, there are these river cruises and we have posted only one (and part of another) so there are more stories there.

Maybe if I openly say it here (to my devoted three readers), it will actually happen.

Glad to be back.