Paris and the Seine
Rouen
10.29.13 - 10.30.13
60 °F
We spent the day today in Rouen, one of the great medieval cities of Europe - wonderfully beautiful and majestic. It was about 45% destroyed during World War II, but luckily the Cathedral of Notre Dame du Rouen survived as it is one of the greatest churches in Europe. It was also the site of the burning of Joan of Arc in May of 1431. As a young girl she claimed to have received divine guidance to support Charles VII and free her homeland from English domination. She was declared a martyr 25 years after her death and was canonized in 1920. There is a memorial at the point of her execution. The other fascinating facility of Rouen is the Great Clock, which contains some one of the oldest clock mechanisms in the world. We chose not to do the walking tour, but spent a leisurely morning and then went out on our own after lunch. We had tied up only about 2 blocks from Notre Dame, so it was very easy to get around. After returning we relaxed a little and enjoyed the Captain's Gala Dinner as we were spending the night in Rouen.
