Our boat docked at the Quai de la Savonnerie in Rouen, the capital of the French region of Normandy. We heard the city was fascinating, but we not prepared for its’ beauty.

We were ready to disembark with our Uniworld guides.

This is the magnificent Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Rouen. The cathedral is a masterpiece of Gothic architecture, built and rebuilt over a period of 800 years.

Claude Monet painted the cathedral in his unique Impressionist style over 30 times in the 1890’s.

The cathedral was the site of Joan of Arc’s trial in 1431, adding to its historical importance. 

The cathedral suffered major damage in World War II, but has been beautifully restored.

This is the ancient tomb of Hugues d’Amiens, an archbishop of Rouen, who died in 1164. Richard 1, known as Richard “The Lionheart”, is famous for having his “heart’ buried in the cathedral.

Rouen captivates a visitor in many ways, but for me it is all the wonderful half-timbered houses. There are over 2000 of them from the 14th to the 19th century.

A quaint sidewalk cafe.

A gorgeous half-timbered house on Rue Saint-Romain.

The beautifully iconic Gros-Horloge astronomical clock from 1389 is absolutley stunning. It is one of the oldest functioning astronomical clocks in Europe.

The Renaissance arch spans the width of the street under the clock.

Both sides of the clock are dramatic.

We loved the colorful side streets.

Julia Child ate lunch at La Couronne and wrote about her experience and early introduction to French cuisine.

“At twelve-thirty we Flashed into Rouen. We passed the city’s ancient and beautiful clock tower, and then its famous cathedral, still pockmarked from battle but magnificent with its stained-glass windows. We rolled to a stop in la Place du Vieux Marché, the square where Joan of Arc had met her fiery fate. There the Guide Michelin directed us to Restaurant La Couronne (“The Crown”), which had been built in 1345 in a medieval quarter-timbered house. Paul strode ahead, full of anticipation, but I hung back, concerned that I didn’t look chic enough, that I wouldn’t be able to communicate, and that the waiters would look down their long Gallic noses at us Yankee tourists.”

Place du Vieux Marché.

Inside the beautiful Église Jeanne d’Arc.

Joan of Arc was burned at the stake at this spot next to the church in 1431.

This is the Joan of Arc Memorial Cross.

Our guide walked by this area with our group, but I had to stop to read the descriptive signs on the wall. I’m not Jewish, but I am a lifelong student of history. During site excavations in 1976 an underground Romanesque building dating from the 12th century was discovered. It is the oldest surviving Jewish monument in France.

I wish we had gone inside for a tour of La Maison Sublime.

Our Rouen based guide gave us the name of a nice place to enjoy lunch.

I enjoyed a very nice local beer.

The ancient cobblestone lanes are perfect for exploring.

Some of us on the ship chose to walk into town to attend an evening musical presentation at the cathedral.

We really enjoyed hearing the ancient organ in the cathedral.

During the summer months they have a light show on the church.

Photos: Dick Gentry. Not to be used without permission.