Rouen

On Thursday, July 21, Marie and I took a trip to Rouen, about an hour's drive away.  

Come, take a walk with me through the streets of Rouen. It's the capital city of Normandy.

Street after street is filled with this very old architecture.

The streets are paved with bricks in an intricate fan-shaped design.

My favorite street if full of antique shops — really old, fine antiquités — and shops selling and restoring stringed instruments. 

I like the reflections in the shop windows as much as the displays.

The yellow building in the background of the photo below is where Marie's daughter, Juliette, lived for two years when she worked in environmental law.

Juliette's apartment was on what we would call the 3rd floor. Here in France, that's the 2nd floor —

le deuxième étage.

There's a little café alongside that yellow building. Marie and I stopped here for a cup of espresso and a cookie. The photo below shows more or less what Juliette saw everyday when she stepped outside.

'

Zach, perhaps your house in New Orleans was just following its French example?

We walk along. More violins ...

Made me think of Spruce Tree Music in Madison. We went inside.

Why can't my camera capture the beauty that is here? This flat photo just gives you a hint.  

The church advertised a concert of Bach music to be played on their magnificent organ. We decided to come back at 4:00 for the concert.

We walked on.

Joan of Arc was burned at the stake in 1431 here in Rouen.  I was standing on the spot where she died when I took the photo below. This building predates 1431; it would have witnessed the event.

A church was built adjacent to this spot, using windows that were removed from the old St. Vincent's church which was later destroyed. 

I would not have thought that old windows would look good in a modern building, but this is gorgeous:

The clock in the bell tower, known as Le Gros Horloge, was built in 1389, one of the oldest clocks in France. It was important politically, because before this clock, only priests had the right to ring bells. 

We climbed up to see the interior.

The 100 winding steps were a challenge for my old knees!  But the men who were employed to maintain the clock and ring the bells climbed these stairs more than once a day. They lived in a tiny 2-rom apartment right in the tower!

Here's the view of the city from the tower in the middle of the street:

The bells are at the very top.

Here's another dramatically leaning building:

Before we left Rouen, we walked back to that plaza next to Juliette's old abode and had a beer. 

Belgian beer is the closest I could get to locally brewed...   Until we found a woman who runs a tiny micro-brewery near Berneval. If possible, I'll show you that tomorrow in one final post from France.