Bonjour Odessa!

Part 2 of the continuing series of the adventures of Gerald and Barbara Greenwalt seeing Paris by riverboat tour.

Day two in Paris: After another wonderful breakfast with Gerald having the buffet, of course, and me, the puff pancakes with powdered sugar and fresh fruit. The coffee was stout, so we had no need for an espresso. The service was again impeccable, with Bridgette, the ship's concierge, and Gilliano, the program director, often checking in to see if there was anything else we needed for the day.

The second day's schedule included the walking tour known as "An American in Paris" – in honor of Ernest Hemingway. Our tour highlights the 1926 book by Hemingway, "The Sun Also Rises," written in the Roaring '20s, at a local jazz bar, the Closerie at 171 Boulevard du Mont. This bar is also where F. Scott Fitzgerald read "The Great Gatsby" to him. Another place Hemingway liked to hang out was Harry's New York Bar Daunou. It's famous for the invention of the Bloody Mary and the Sidecar cocktails. Downstairs in the piano bar is where George Gershwin composed "An American in Paris."

Our tour moved on to the flat were Hemingway lived – 74 rue de Cardinal Lemone. The plaque outside read, "In the early days when we were very poor and very happy."

A fun fact – in 1944, with Paris liberated, Hemingway drove down the Rue des Grands Augustin's in his army jeep to the home of his old friend Pablo Picasso. He left a case of hand grenades marked "From Hemingway to Picasso" – le grand geste between two masters of a time the French, to this day, call les annes follies or "the crazy days." What era would you describe as the American "crazy days?"

We went back to the boat for lunch, and then on to our afternoon excursion to the famous Louvre Museum. Our bus arrived outside the Louvre and wow, was it impressive! I haven't, up until this point, been a history buff, but many times throughout life I've heard the words, the Louvre. As the French describe it, "A work of art, a revered piece of French history, the Louvre was built in the late twelfth century as a fortress to oversee traffic on the Seine River. After many elaborate additions, Louis XIV declared it his palace. It wasn't until the French Revolution that the people decreed it a museum for the nation's masterpieces. Since then it has become one of the world's most renowned artistic and cultural repositories, its 34,000 displayed works of art drawing more visitors than any other museum on the planet. Incredibly impressive, the outside courtyard encompasses two to four city blocks showcasing a giant wire pyramid created by American architect I.M. Pei. Down the steps on the side of the Museum is a garden somewhat similar to that at the base of the Washington Monument.

Each tour included a very knowledgeable guide. Ours was excellent, having majored in the arts in college. We strolled by various well-known pieces, including Napoleon's Crown and many classical statues, leading us up to the Mona Lisa, which left us speechless.

We went back to the ship to visit with the other guests in the lounge, library and foyer, while the crew director answered questions over coffee, cookies and, of course, French pastries and cheese. Next, we listened to the music of Blondie, performed by the onboard piano player.

Next installment – Vincent Van Gogh, the towns of Conflans and Vernon and Monet's Garden.