Gros-Horloge

Today we stopped at a patisserie and had the best croissant that I’ve had since I was here in 2019! It’s on my radar for tomorrow, too! We decided to do a self guided audio tour with a more comprehensive deep dive of the highlights in old Rouen. We covered about 6 miles! There were so many half-timbered houses throughout the old town. I guess there are about 2,000 with some of them dating back to the early 1400’s!

Besides the spectacular Cathédrale Nôtre Dame there are others that dated as far back as the 1200’s. I couldn’t keep track of all of them. Victor Hugo called Rouen the city of 100 bells because of the number of churches. Monet loved this cathedral so much that he painted 30 different paintings of the intricately decorated Gothic facade at different times of the day to capture “impressions”. The facade looks like very delicate lace…beauty beyond words. We saw one of his paintings at the Musée des Beaux Arts. In the Cathédrale Nôtre Dame was the tomb of Richard the Lionhearted whose tomb contains only his heart because he wanted to show his love of Rouen!

The square Place du Vieux Marché has a cross that marks the spot where Rouen publicly punished and executed people. Joan of Arc was convicted of heresy in Rouen and burned at the stake by the English in this square. Heavenly voices from saints had told Joan of Arc to rally the French and save it from the English. She was canonized in 1920 and is the patron saint of France.

So much history and so many stories…my head is spinning tonight. Or is it from the wine that Elizabeth is making me drink! We stayed in tonight and had an Elizabeth-created charcuterie dinner since we had a late lunch at the boulangerie/patisserie named “Yvonne” which included the best cream puffs I’ve ever had! I also made a stop for “to die for” caramels! Tomorrow we’re on the train to Chartres.Read more