Our alarm went off at 6:50 am so we could roll our suitcases into the hall for pickup. We then went down to the restaurant for our final Parisian breakfast.
After breakfast we gathered in the lobby and boarded our bus to the train station. Danny, our travel host, was at the front door to wave goodbye as we pulled away. She turned us over to Lance whose job was to get us safely from the bus to our train.
There are 20 boarding platforms on two levels at this station. As soon as one train pulls out another one takes it's place. There are a lot of people coming and going from this facility every day. It even includes a shopping mall with dozens of shops and restaurants.
Alice joined the rest of our group boarding the high speed train to Bordeaux.
We were assigned seats in first class. They were much the same as our first class airline seats with electric recliners, foot rests, and big tray tables. Strange thing about them, we went the whole trip facing backwards. They do not reverse the train at each end of the run. It has engines at both ends and it simply reverses direction. There were a few opposing seats. One woman complained that she could not travel facing backwards, so someone traded seats with her. As it turns out, she would have been one of the very few actually facing forward had she kept her original seat 🤣.
The train reached 200 mph on one section of the route. We were able to monitor the speed and progress on an app (there was great wi-fi on the train). Going so fast meant your ears plugged up every time you went through a tunnel, and it sounded like two spaceships having laser wars when high speed trains closely passed us. Other than that, it did not feel much different from flying. The ride was smooth and quiet.
The countryside was beautiful with lots of green fields and small towns of rustic, French homes and farm buildings.
At our destination we arrived at the Bordeaux station where our travel host Elaine was waiting to meet us and escort us to our waiting bus. The station is a huge, historical building.
We were brought to our ship, the Viking Forseti, which is docked right in the middle of the historic district along side the city's waterfront park. Our room is the same as the rooms we have had on prior cruises (as all Viking ships are nearly identical). It is definitely not spacious, but it is very functional.
For a ship, the bathroom is a nice size with a reasonably sized shower and heated floors.
The veranda (which comes at a significant price premium) can seat two people comfortably. It is especially nice to sit on as we are cruising down the river.
Shortly after arriving at the ship and having a light lunch, we went on a guided tour of the nearby community. Victoria, our guide (from England), pointed out many of the architectural features of the buildings. We went in to a large church that too was beautiful in its 1869 own way.
Dinner took the better part of two hours (see menu below). As long as they kept bringing bread and wine we were content to wait. We had a table to ourselves (nice). I think they were backed up being the first night of the cruise. It was worth the wait as the food was very good. Our waiter Rodrigo was from Portugal so we will be pumping him for advice for our visit there next week. After dinner we went up on the sun deck to take pictures of the town. This is one of the best things about river cruising, that you are parked right in the middle of the historic district within easy walking distance.
Bordeaux is a beautiful, historic city that we are excited to visit. The weather is more favorable than when we were in Paris (70 degrees versus 50's, clear skies versus clouds).
Tonight's diner menu: Escargots, Boeuf Filet with Béarnaise, Gateau Basque (a lemon cake), Wine: Chai de Bordes Rouge, Cheval Quancard, Bordeaux
Daily Step Count: 9,199 steps walking around the train station in Paris, walking to the bus in Bordeaux, walking tour of Bordeaux
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