A Day Trip to Rouen

My French teacher suggested that a trip to Rouen would be fun, and she was right.  It takes just a few minutes over an hour to get there by train.  All I knew about Rouen was that Monet had done a series of paintings of the cathedral and that Joan of Arc was put to death there.

The cathedral is very impressive, both inside and out.

There's also a beautifully restored clock tower, which looked a little too steep for us, so we didn't take the tour.









We had lunch at Pascaline, a place recommended by our son.  It was a great meal.  I had oysters for an appetizer and scallops with rice for my main dish.  Bill had marinated scallops for his appetizer and pot au feu (a boiled dinner served in a cast iron pot) for his main dish.  We both liked our meals a lot.














































We saw the spot where Joan of Arc was put to death, but it's marked only by a garden in the old market.  This neighborhood also has the oldest auberge (inn) in France.  There are lots of half-timbered buildings in Rouen, some of which are probably authentic.  It's a very picturesque town.













We did climb the tower (124 steps) of the old chateau where Joan of Arc was held and tried by the British.

I was a little disappointed that we didn't have time to see the Flaubert museum because I think Flaubert is among the best novelists of all time.

Oh, and to top it off, Bill bought a very nice piece of Camembert at the market in Rouen, and when we stopped at the boulangerie on the way home from the Métro, the bread was still warm!

All in all, a very pleasant day.