The third day of our trip took us to the beautiful medieval town of Rouen about 2 hours northeast of Paris. I LOVED this town. It was small, quaint and old. Really,really old. Like, we're talking Vikings running around here in the year 841.
This is the home of the spectacular Rouen Cathedral whose massive form dominates the streets and buildings all around it.
It is the final resting place of Richard the Lion Hearted entombed in this crypt.
It is also the famed Cathedral painted by Monet 20 times in all kinds of light, weather, and atmospheres.
When I told my husband about this, he said "20 times? Couldn't he get it right the first time?" That's my husband :0)....
There is a fine museum in the town where I made a mad dash in the hopes of seeing a great collection of the Rouen Cathedral paintings, but to my sadness and surprise there was only one and also a surprisingly small collection of any Impressionist work.
The building which now houses the Tourism office sits directly across front the Cathedral. This is the building that Monet lived in upstairs and painted his famous masterpieces. What a thrill it was for me to stand on the same cobblestone streets and see what Monet saw and walk the town that he lived in.
If you know me, you aren't surprised by this :0)
Rouen is also the town where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake. The Cathedral which honors her, was surprisingly modern and unimpressive from the outside but inside, it was bathed in light and color from the stained glass windows.
A cross stands at the spot where she was burned at the stake. I was struck at the thought that when she died, she had already taken on armies and kings and her life ended at only 19 years old, one year older than my daughter.
A lovely outdoor market.
A restaurant that had been in business continually since the 1100's!
The chocolate shop whose specialty is what they call
larmes de Jeanne d’Arc (tears of Joan of Arc) which are a type of chocolate covered almonds. They are super delicious although a bit pricey.
Stay tuned for the next installment- Caen!!!
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