2013-8-3 - 8-4 - Rouen, France

 

 

8/3  6:30 am, the boat left Vernon for Rouen. Here are some sights along the way.

 

 

It was sunny, warm in the mid-80s. We had a lovely breakfast while cruising the river . The boat docked in Rouen at noon while we were having lunch. We went on a walking tour of this sweet, little town.

"Rouen in northern France on the River Seine, is the capital of the Haute-Normandie (Upper Normandy with about 400,000 inhabitants) region & the historic capital city of Normandy. It marks the half-way point between Paris & the sea. Once one of the largest & most prosperous cities of medieval Europe, it 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 11th to the 15th centuries. It was here that Joan of Arc was executed in 1431. People from Rouen are called Rouennais...The city was heavily damaged during World War II - approximately 45% was destroyed. In June 1940 the area between the Notre-Dame Cathedral and the Seine river burned for 48 hours because the Germans did not allow firemen access to the fire. Other areas were destroyed between March and August 1944 just before & during the Battle of Normandy, which ended on the left bank of the Seine with the destruction of several regiments belonging to the German 7th Army. Rouen's cathedral & several significant monuments were damaged by Allied bombing. During the German occupation, the German Navy had its headquarters located in a chateau on what is now the Rouen Business School." 

Rouen Cathedral

 

 

 

 Interesting town, lots of history. We stumbled upon this multi-level, very quaint & old restaurant. Let let us walk around & take pictures. I should have taken pictures of the hundreds of pictures lining every inch of the walls...so many famous people - movie starts & even from centuries ago. 



  

leaning, timbered house

 

 Beautiful & interesting town

 



Beautiful La Couronne restaurant in Rouen

 

"Joan of Arc...Whenever young Joan of Arc heard the church bells toll in her small home village of Domremy-la Pucelle, she would drop to her knees. So go the stories of her youthful piety. It was the 15th century, & the Hundred Years' War between her native France & Britain had already lasted on & off for more than 8 decades. When she was just 13 years-old, Joan started hearing voices.  She believed that God was speaking directly to her & His message filled her with divine purpose. Drive the British out of France, He told her. And, so at 17, she told her parents that she was going to visit her aunt & uncle & rode off to change history. It was a 400-mile journey to the Loire Valley where she met French monarch Charles VII. Dressed as a young man, Joan convinced him to let her lead several attacks on the British at Orleans. She was victorious, turning the tide of war in favor of the French, instigating a truce & earning the kingship for Charles VII. He was crowned at Reims Cathedral, leaving Joan with little to do. So she turned her attention to the Hussites, a subversive group that had turned its back on her beloved Catholic Church. Before she could follow through on threats to defeat them, the truce between France & Britain ended abruptly. To defend her homeland once again, she rode to Margny where the English had assembled. A battle ended in her capture by the Burgundians.  Charles VII did not come to her rescue. She attempted several escapes, even jumping 70 feet from a prison tower.  Eventually the English bought her from the Burgundians & the Duke of Bedford proceeded to use her as a political tool, condemning her because she had bestowed onto Charles the crown that he coveted. Her heresy trial was set to take place in Rouen, which the English still occupied at the time.  Her trial did not follow ecclesiastical law. No evidence pointed to her culpability & she was not allowed a legal advisor. Nevertheless, in 1431, she was sentenced to death by burning at the stake at Rouen's Vieux-Marche. Unlike her ruthless accusers, the public showed sympathy for her as she was tied to a tall pillar.  One English soldier made a small cross that he laid at her feet. After her death, her body was burned twice more, reduced to ash, & brought to the bank of the Seine to be cast away into its waters."

Very modern building is a tribute to Joan located next to the site where she was burned at the stake

 

 

 

 

The cross marks the spot where she was burned at the stake

 

Another tribute to Joan

 No visit to Rouen is complete without seeing the The Gros Horloge an astronomical clock dating back to the 16th century ( though the movement is considerably older - 1389 ) located suprisingly in Gros Horloge street.

 

 

 

 

 As usual, we met with our Program Director, Sam to find out about the next days' excursions & events & after dinner, met with Captain Dario Weber who monitored a Q&A about the boat.

By word of mouth, we learned there would be a light show ON the cathedral - ? had to go check it out. It was magnificent!!!!  (sacrilegious??) A movie would have been able to capture the essence of this show better my stills.

 

  

 

Pictures of people were all over the cathedral & changed every second or so

 

 

House of cards

 

 



The boat stayed overnight in Rouen because the next morning we were taking a bus to Normandy.  We were told the boat can't go up the river that far ? or could it be there wasn't enough time ?? can't remember..