Floating back to Paris

June 25th marks the last day of our cruise. We stop in Les Andelys for the morning.  Gail, Ilyse and I decide to have a typical French breakfast of coffee and croissants in this quaint village.  Our "cafe creme" is deeply appreciated as the coffee on the ship leaves a lot to be desired and "cream" means 3% instead of 1% milk.

The cruise director informed us this was not a "shopping stop" as there is only one gift shop.  However the Abrams girls never back down from a challenge.  There were actually 2 shops and we found hidden gems in each, including scarves similar to the ones we bought the previous day that Mom admired.  So we pick up some for her to give as gifts when we return.  We also stopped to visit admire the local church.

Back on board, Ilyse takes a tour of the galley.  She is most impressed by the fact that there are only 2 people that wash all the dishes.  Mom, Gail and I go up to the sundeck to relax, get some sun, and watch the scenery drift by.  After days of rain, the sun comes out and we enjoy the blue sky and warmth.

Since it is the farewell dinner, we have 7 courses for dinner instead of the usual 5.  The dishwashers will be working overtime tonight!  Presentation is beautiful and the food delicious; probably the best we've had.  Each night there is a bottle of lemon flavored olive oil and the best balsamic vinegar I've ever tasted on the table.  It leads us all to eat more bread than we normally would.  Gail has been on a quest to find these treats to take home to Frank.  We've checked out every gourmet store in every town we've visited but to no avail.  Tonight I notice that they sell it on the ship!  Of course, we purchase a set for her.

Gail's accessory of the day is an eyeglass case.  We also give her a bag of gifts to help her get creative with beauty including make-up brushes, eye shadows, a nail file and mirror.