Flying on Air France to Paris!
Meal served on Air France was pretty good and the stewardess were very friendly.
Arrived in Paris at 11:20 am.
We started our Parisian experience by heading to the Montmartre district to admire the Sacré-Coeur Basilica Cathedral.
Sacré-Coeur Basilica Cathedral
Sacré-Coeur Basilica Cathedral
The Mosaic of the Sacré-Cœur in Montmartre, created by Lucien Bégule and inaugurated in 1923, spans about 5,100 square feet, making it one of the largest mosaics in the world.
The Mosaic of the Sacré-Cœur
Dinner was on our own for our first night in Paris. Our local guide's recommendation was a nearby seafood restaurant with all you can eat mussells for 20 Euros. Great recommendation, the food was excellent.
Staying at the Holiday Inn Express in Paris.
Full day to explore the sights of Paris.
All of the tour members signed up for the optional 1.5 hour tour of the Seine River Cruise.
The river cruises are provided by Bateaux Mouches.
They were just amazed at seeing all the iconic buildings and the weather was just perfect.
View of the Eiffel Tower on the Seine River Cruise.
Our welcome dinner with Image Tours at Les Noces de Jeannette.
Food was delicious and everyone bonding well.
We celebrated a birthday and 6th wedding anniversary during dinner!
Ballroom dancers Ed and Matilda entertained us after dinner.
After our welcome dinner, our guide Ms. Petra took us to view the Eiffel Tower that's lit up.
Spectacular view, this wasn't part of our itinerary, just a bonus from our guide.
Drove through the vineyard of the Burgundy Wine Region to Beaune (bone), France, one of the best-preserved medieval cities.
Our 1 night hotel at Ibis Beaune Centre. The room is small and very basic but sits in a great location.
Walked to nearby town visit shops and museum.
Restaurants open at 7pm for dinner but we found the Le Parisien Restaurant that was already serving dinner.
Great dinner appetizer, main course and dessert. The appetizer was escargot, main dish was boeuf bougougnion (beef dish from the region) and dessert was a variety sorbet.
Some went on an optional Swiss Mountain excursion featuring spectacular alpine views.
The views from the cable car were spectacular.
After our cold and windy weather at Swiss Mountain, we were blessed with beautiful weather at Lucerne for our optional excursion Swiss Boat Ride for a panoramic tour of beautiful mansions and chalet.
Lake Lucerne boat rides by Charles Bucher.
Free drinks served on board by Image Tour manager Ms Petra and NST tour manager Estrella Roznerski.
You can enjoy the top deck or stay in the 1st deck.
Beautiful day for a private boat cruise on Lake Lucerne with 39 tour members.
Gorgeous views around Lake Lucerne.
We visited the Lion of Lucerne: a powerful tribute to Swiss Guards who fell during the French Revolution. Carved into stone, the lion's pain and strength are etched forever in memory.
Took some fun pics by the souvenier shops.
Lunch was on our own and some of the tour members found a great restaurant named Cara Mia Restaorante.
Food was great the ambiance of eating outside was a great experience for everyone.
The Gutsch hotel, the Queen Victoria stayed there and no one staff knew that she was Queen Victoria. Audrey Hepburn and many celebrities stayed here.
Glass blowing demonstration in Murano in Venice, Italy.
We had Lila for our local tour guide. She talked about the history of the building, churches and the high tide, where the water comes up from the ground.
Group shot at St. Mark's Square (Piazza San Marco), Venice
The Basilica at Piazza San Marco
Beautiful sunset at St. Mark's Square (Piazza San Marco), Venice
Gondola ride in the canals of Venice.
If you have your heart set on a gondola ride, the cost is about €40 ($45) per person based on six persons sharing a gondola.
After our gondola ride and sightseeing, everyone joined the optional Venice dinner excursion. We celebrated Ronald's birthday.
Our dinner consisted of melon and proscuitto, green salad, vegan lasagna, and tiramisu, paired with carafes of red or white wine.
Our day ended with a group picture while waiting for our boat.
Long morning travel through the Swiss and Italian lake district and arrived in Lucca, Italy for lunch and free time.
Tavola Restaurant entrance
Big poster in the window signed by a Hawaii visitor so we decided to check it out.
The food was excellent, my first Pasta with truffle, delicious!
We made our Hawaii poster, Mr. Lee was our artist and we all signed our names. The owner will place it on the door.
We recommend this restaurant to all future NST travelers.
We were pleasantly surprised to see another Hawaii restaurant sign.
After our stop at Lucca, we took a 2 hour drive to Pisa to visit the Leaning Tower.
Piazza dei Miracoli, also known as the Square of Miracles, is the heart of Pisa and home to some of Italy's most famous landmarks. This UNESCO World Heritage site features four magnificent structures: the Leaning Tower, the Cattedrale di Pisa, the Baptistery, and the Camposanto Monumentale.
The Cattedrale di Pisa is a stunning Romanesque masterpiece at the heart of the Piazza dei Miracoli.
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