Waking up several times during the short night, both Kay and I got up about 4:30 AM Tuesday morning (9:30 PM Monday, Central Standard Time), put the luggage outside the door to be picked up, had breakfast, and boarded the bus to the airport. No problems were encountered at either Charles de Gaulle Airport or Chicago Ohare; in fact, both were quite efficient, including immigration and customs. Each of the flights arrived early. Many thanks to Dana Connally at Vacation Valet in Hot Springs Village. She went above and beyond attempting to solve our first day trip disruption. 

The area of France we toured, Normandy and Paris, were delightful to say the least. The rural French countryside was breathtaking, especially with peaking leaf colors—about two weeks behind us. We especially liked the small villages, towns, and cities along the River Seine, with their quaintness and medieval architecture. People were courteous, but not unfriendly. Little English is spoken, but pointing and hand signs worked. Prices for foods, tea, and coffee were much less expensive than in large US cities, and were very, very tasty. The weather during the trip was typical Arkansas winter weather—temperatures in the 40s, cloudy, and some rain—though it did not impede us. The parts of France we saw were really clean. Our guides were especially good, and experts in the the things we saw. Viking was great as usual, once we were on the ship. ALL staff and services were above average, as was the food and drink. We will definitely sail with them again, Lord willing.

We took way too many clothes, but we did have the right layers. Thus, the cool, wet weather did not adversely impact our various excursions. 

We are scheduled to tour England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland for 24 days in September 2020. Want to join us? 

Depending on health, family, etc. the Balkans (Eastern Europe), Mediterranean, and New Zealand are high on the list, too. At our age international travel becomes more challenging each trip!