When In Rouen…

Today we are in Rouen, the capital city of Normandie. Once one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe, Rouen was the seat of the Exchequer of Normandy in the Middle Ages. It was one of the capitals of the Anglo-Norman dynasties, which ruled both England and large parts of modern France from the eleventh century to the 15th century. It was also where Joan of Arc was burnt in 1431.

We sailed north from Vernon all morning, and pulled into Rouen, just after lunch, parking beneath a large bridge topped with a river-wide piece of modern art made of orange and tan 2 x 4s.

Our activity for the day consisted of a guided walking tour of the city including the famed Cathedral of Rouen, which sits just blocks from the river. Highlights of the city tour included seeing the old houses, narrow streets, and the burial grounds for victims of the Plague. The Cathedral was another breathtaking experience. The soaring towers and detailed stonework that adorned the exterior of the church is topped off by stone and iron steeples visible for miles in every direction, and made it the tallest structure in the world from 1876 to 1880.

Inside, the building is filled with huge stained-glass windows, many surviving since the middle ages including numerous bombings during WWII. One of the interesting things for me was stumbling across the sarcophagus containing the heart of Richard I (Richard the Lionhearted). Apparently, whenever he wasn’t on a Crusade, he spent most of his life in Rouen, ruling his vast kingdom of Normandy and England.

After her victory in Orleans, Joan of Arc was captured and handed over to the English. She ended up in Rouen, where she was eventually burned at the stake for wearing men’s clothing, definitely the worst punishment ever for bad fashion sense. There is now a modern church located on the site in the town square, dedicated to her as the patron saint of France.

The tour left us off in the middle of the town square, obviously providing the opportunity for shopping and sampling of the local fare. We stopped at a patisserie with a line much longer than any other in the neighborhood and stocked up on chocolate croissants. They were so good, they practically melted in your mouth!

The evening was spent with another wonderful dinner and lounging around the boat, relaxing before our big trip to the D-Day landing beaches in the morning. I think everyone is truly excited about that upcoming part of the trip.