Rouen

Rouen. What do I know about Rouen? There are half-timbered houses there! How beautiful. ❤️
That's what I know when I roll into town, and it's exactly what is immediately and irretrievably destroyed.
Rouen is like any big city: confusing for cyclists. This is reflected in the fact that I choose the wrong side of the river for a break and then need 15 minutes to correct this mistake. Annoyed, I ride to the outskirts of town to do some shopping.

Hungry as I am, I leave the supermarket with supplies for a three-man picnic. I meet an elderly gentleman with whom I talk about cycling, Tour de France, football, doping, Formula 1, Michael Schumacher and finally about German and French culture. We say goodbye with various greetings in each other's language. The day is saved.

The next day I drive into town again - there must be nice places here too... and indeed I get exactly the ambience I had wished for in the old town quarter. It's dreamlike: narrow streets, half-timbered houses. Aesthetics.
When I leave the city, I even like the districts with new architecture.Read more