Rouen turned out to be quite magical. At least the old section of town. The old section is trapped in time with narrow, windy, cobblestone streets and half-timbered buildings everywhere.
There were magnificent buildings,
lots of flowers,
flags,
and whimsy.
The plain end of this building was transformed with a massive mural.
We headed out to find the old market. There isn’t a lot here anymore but there were a few shops.
And the market was immediately adjacent to the St. Joan of Arc Church. The church is actually very modern in appearance. Turns out it was completed in 1979. Very new for Europe.
The church had a wood and lot of stained glass…
and an interesting statue of St. Joan of Arc in one corner.
Nearby was a small merry-go-round for children.
From this square we headed towards the cathedral. On the way there were more windy streets and some shopping. Paul decided to get a pair of dressier shoes (instead of his athletic shoes) for the cruise on the Queen Mary that we will be taking home in September. The shopping was successful.
The route took
us to a very large clock in a tower.
And then we found the cathedral…the Cathedral Notre-Dame of Rouen. The cathedral was built and rebuilt over a period of 800 years and is a mix of styles. It has three towers, all of differing architectural styles. The building was badly damaged during the bombings of World War II and was subsequently restored.
This cathedral was the subject of many impressionist painters and Claude Monet was known for a series of paintings he did of the cathedral.
The beautiful stained-glass windows had been removed during the war to store them safely from bombings. Beautiful building,
statues,
and stained-glass.
A glimpse of the cathedral gardens.
There were a number of restaurants in the area so we went looking, found one we like and had lunch. We were both doing very good and passed on the dessert menu. Unfortunately, just as we were getting ready to leave the table next to us had their desserts delivered. And they looked incredible. So we both broke down and got dessert.
We found by the Palace of Justice but it wasn’t open.
We also found the Saint Maclou Church. This was a pretty little church dating from the 15th century. It is known for its flamboyant Gothic style.
And a wedding was just finishing in the church.
Nearby was the Aitre Saint Maclou. It is a pretty, half-timbered courtyard that covers the remains of a massive grave filled with victims of the Black Plague that swept Europe in the 14th century. It is estimated that 50% of the population of Europe died from the plague. So, Rouen had a lot of bodies to be buried.
We then headed over to Saint Ouen's Abbey. Unfortunately it was closed. But the exterior was pretty magnificent.
Right next door was the city hall. It was also quite a sight.
 |
| City Hall and Saint Ouen's |
And we saw more wedding couples…some leaving the building and others just arriving.
We stopped to see the Galerie of Wrought Iron Art that is housed in an old church. There was a lot of interesting old ironwork as well as new pieces.
Church of Saint Godard.
And the Joan of Arc Tower and statue right beside our hotel.
*************************************
More Rouen
*************************************
We ended the day by dining at an Indian restaurant just around the corner from our hotel.
Previous
Next
No comments:
Post a Comment