We sailed away from Rouen late last night, en route to Vernon for our afternoon excursion.
The scene outside our stateroom window first thing this morningFall colorsLimestone cliffs
We sailed past our first port of call, Les Andelys, and got to see the town and Château Galliard (Richard the Lionheart’s fortress) from the river.
Château GalliardPetit-Andely and Château GalliardAdieu, Petit-Andely
We reached Vernon during lunch; Diane and I took a quick walk into town and saw The Old Mill at Vernon that Monet painted in 1883, as well as Vernon’s Liberation monument.
The Old Mill of VernonLiberation monument
Our afternoon excursion took us to Château de Bizy, a not-so-modest castle about 2km out of town (they call it “Little Versailles”). The owner, a sixth-generation descendent of Suchet, Marshal of the Empire and 1st Duke of Albufera, still lives there (she’s 92 years old); the castle hosts lots of visitors and events throughout the year (there’s a bridal show next weekend if you happen to be in the neighborhood), and they are currently decorating the castle for Christmas.
In the carriageway at Château de BizyPetit-égayoir (pond to wash horses’ legs and hooves)Decorating for Christmas
We were greeted by King Louis XV and his consort, who taught us how to curtsey in proper style.
Learning to curtseyBidding farewell
They also had cider, apple, and cheese tastings for us, but they weren’t very photogenic. :-)
We are back on the ship, sailing to Paris for one more day of sightseeing.
We woke up in Rouen this morning after an overnight sailing from Le Havre. Our first excursion was a walking tour of Medieval Rouen; we returned in the afternoon instead of taking the “Legends of Château Bonnemare” tour that we’d originally planned (the idea of spending 90 minutes on a bus did not appeal as much as we thought it would when we originally chose our excursions).
Only a few 19th Century buildings along the main boulevard survived WWIIPierre Corneille Birthplace (Author of El Cid)
The church is on the Place du Vieux-Marché, which is where Joan of Arc was burnt at the stake after she was found guilty of heresy. According to our guide, the French actually bought Joan from the English and then tried and condemned her (she was exonerated 25 years later, but she was, of course, still dead).
Outside L’église Sainte-Jeanne-d’Arc on Place du Vieux MarchéThe cross marks the spot where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake. The roofline of the church is supposed to resemble both flames and an overturned longship.
We returned to the church later in the afternoon so we could see the inside.
Inside L’église Sainte-Jeanne-d’Arc (the stained glass comes from a 16th Century church which did not survive WWII)
Joan of Arc and the flames
There are many restaurants around the square; one (La Couronne started Julia Child’s career as “The French Chef”). You could have lunch there today for under 100 Euros; dinner…well, you don’t want to know.
This is the restaurant where Julia Child had her first French meal, which changed her life. It claimes to be the oldest inn in France, dating back to 1345.Half-timbered houses (now restaurants) on the Place du Vieux Marché
The houses lean towards each other because of lack of support on the alley side, but our guide assured us that they are completely safe because oak is so strong.
We continued towards Rouen Cathedral, stopping by the Great Clock and the former [Parliament of Provence] on our way.
The Great ClockParliament of Normandy until 1789., now a courthouse. It is on Rue aux Juifs (Jewry Street). Heavily damaged by Allied bombings and restored over a 50-year period. They left one side unrestored as a reminder of the horrors of war.Unrrestored side of Parlement du Normandy
We couldn’t go into the Cathedral until the afternoon, but the outside was quite imrpressive.
Rouen Cathedral – begun in the 12th Century, finished in the 17th…and the architecture shows how much time passed during the construction!Monet painted several of his Rouen Cathedral paintings from this building, right across the street from the Cathedral.The stones in the foreground are local limestone with fliint inclusions (from the 12th century). You can also see new cut stones in the center which were installed after WWII as part of the reconstruction of the Cathedral.Bell Tower (damaged in a fire in July 2024 – the spire was mostly unharmed, and the white cylinder below the spire is there for protection).
When we did go inside the Cathedral later in the afternoon, it was overwhelming.
Rollon, first Duke of Normandy (died 933)Richard the Lionheart (his heart is in the Church treasury)In the Choir
Our last stop with the guide was yet another church (Église Saint-Maclou); its cemetery had been used to bury victims of the Black Plague, but now it’s a peaceful garden.
Église Saint-MaclouSaint-Maclou cemetery (from the days of the Black Plague)
We headed back to the ship for lunch, paying our respects to the site where Joan of Arc’s ashes had been scattered on the Seine and to the French Resistance.
Joan of Arc’s ashes were hereNever has France owed so much to so few men
After lunch, we walked back into town. We had delicious macarons at Auzou and explored the Museum Quarter (unfortunately, the Fine Arts Museum was closed for the holiday).
The Tears of Joan of Arc (at Auzou Chocolatier)Quartier des muséesHorizontal (Calder, 1974)This is not a pole with signs
We returned to the ship for the evening. We’d been invited to the Captain’s Table for dinner, along with two other couples – it was fun, but there may have been more alcohol than I planned on! Good thing I don’t have to drive anywhere for a few days!
