Rouen, France

We stumbled across Rouen, a great old town on the Seine in Upper Normandy that Elaine remembered from her art history classes, on our way from Bruges to Normandy.  Claude Monet has produced several paintings of the cathedral, many of which can be seen in the Muse'e d'Orsay.  The beautiful cathedral needs a good scrubbing, but it was well worth the stop.  A church has occupied this site since the 4th century.

  



Officially the Cathedrale Notre-Dame de Rouen, it is the seat of the archbishop of Rouen.  The cathedral has seen its fair share of destruction over the years.  Bombing during WWII melted its bells and as recent as 1999, a 26 ton turret fell into the church during a wind storm.  How does a country come up with the funds to clean and keep their historical landmarks maintained?  This one is a gem in need of some serious care. 

There were half timbered buildings everywhere, most of which were half standing.  They rest on each other for support and are absolutely beautiful to look at.  Another interesting fact about Rouen is that this is where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake.  The site is now marked by a modern church of Saint Joan of Arc.  Due to its location on the Seine, Rouen was an important city in the cloth trade and pretty much all goods making their way between Paris and England.