10 travelers joined The Professor on a tour to France and London.

First of all, the weather was simply spectacular.   It was in the 70's and 80's in Paris and just a tad cooler in London.   Sunshine every single day except one.   What else could possibly be asked for?

I though our group of travelers were terrific.  They hailed from the Washington, DC, Philadelphia, and Chicago areas.   Our small group size let us move around quickly and efficiently.   I think our travelers like how customized the trip was and how they could go off on their own even though we had a programmed itinerary for each day.   For instance, Alex wanted to visited some of the historic sites of Alan Turing as featured in the movie, "The Imitation Game".   Instead of visiting the Normandy Invasion Beaches a 2nd day, some decided to explore the village of Bayeux, France, on their own.   Joe and Nancy took a side trip to Mount St. Michel.

Here are the highlights of our tour:

Paris:  Again the weather provided for a spectacular Seine River tour with a glittering Eiffel Tower in the background.   We were able to escape the massive crowds by going to the Louvre at night.   We took in the Orsay and Rodin museums as well as a tour of the Marais.   Our expert guide, Elyse, was able to give insight and explanations that simply cannot be found in audio guides or guide books.  We also visited the Arc de Triomphe, Orangerie Museum, Tuilleries Gardens, and Carnavalet were all packed into a 4-day itinerary.

Giverny:  On Thursday, our private limo driver picked us up at the hotel for the scenic drive to the countryside where we were deposited directly at the entrance of Giverny, the home of Monet.  The weather was just absolutely spectacular.   All the flowers seemed to be in full bloom and because of our early arrival, we avoided the big crowds.  For me, this was the best day of the trip.  And of course, the ease of being picked up in a private limo made it all the more wonderful.    After our visit, our limo driver took us over to Bayeux, our headquarters for our Normandy Invasion Beaches tour.

Normandy Invasion Beaches:  No matter how many times I do this tour, it remains a great, great tour every American should do.  To witness what obstacles these heroes faced to defeat the enemy evokes emotions that can hardly be described in words.  It was a rainy day on Omaha beach. the American Cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer, Utah Beach and the other sites we visited that day.  Our 2nd day was sunnier but no less amazing as we had the opportunity to go more in depth than most do in understanding the bravery of the Allied forces on that fateful day in 1944.   Our expertly guided tour made the difference.   We were able to get to places NO OTHER group goes to, every question we had was answered, and we were given expert insight by our knowledgeable guides. By the way, Bayeux is a charming and delightful French village where we all enjoyed touring and some great dining.

London:  This town is always fun.  We took the chunnel over to London and I cannot believe how much we did.  The Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, British Museum, Tate Modern, Victoria and Albert Museum, and side trips to the Cotswolds,