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| Notre-Dame Cathedral, Rouen |
Notre-Dame Cathedral, the tallest cathedral in France, was the subject of over thirty paintings by Monet. He painted the view at different times of the day and year in order to capture the changes in light and how they altered the stone's appearance. He then completed the paintings at his studio in nearby Giverny.
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| La Cathédrale de Rouen, Claude Monet Musée d'Orsay, Paris |
Pedestrian-friendly rue du Gros-Horloge is the old town's main shopping street and it leads from the cathedral to Rouen's old market square, Place du Vieux Marché. Le Gros-Horloge (big clock) which gives the street its name is an astronomical clock dating from the Renaissance.
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| Rue du Gros-Horloge |
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| Le Gros-Horloge |
The city's half-timbered houses, typical of Norman architecture, were constructed for centuries using the plentiful local oak trees. La Couronne on Place du Vieux Marché is the country's oldest inn (est. 1345). It's also where famed chef Julia Child ate her first French meal in 1948.
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| Half-Timbered Houses |
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| La Couronne (with the flags), Place du Vieux Marché |
Joan of Arc is the heroic young woman who rallied French troops against English invaders during the Hundred Years War. She was burned at the stake in Rouen at the age of 19 and is now the patron saint of France. On Place du Vieux Marché, there is a museum, memorial and church in her honour.
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| Joan of Arc Museum |
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| Joan of Arc Memorial |
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| Joan of Arc Church |
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| Statue of Joan of Arc, Paris |
My brief visit to Rouen allowed for a quick sampling of local Normandy cheese, then we continued westward to the English Channel for an overnight stay in the chic seaside resort of Deauville.
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| Normandy Cheese |
Related Post:
Giverny: Claude Monet's Home & Garden
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