I traveled to Rouen by train, arriving mid-afternoon and spent the remainder of the day wandering through a maze of timbered buildings and visiting the Notre-Dame- de-l'Assomption Cathedral of Rouen. The Cathedral is known not only for its 151 meter Lantern spire, the tallest in France, but also through the 30 paintings by Claude Monet of the Cathedral’s western portal (recent story in the Washington Post about Monet’s Cathedral series). The pictures and information contained in the comments below are just a fraction of what one might glean from a visit to the most impressive Notre Dame Cathedral of Rouen.
The two-hour train ride from Paris to Rouen was the just about the easiest train ride with Vivien George I’d ever taken – I rolled her onto the car, panniers still attached, and down a small ramp to the bike space. An added bonus were elevators at both stations.
The west facade of the Notre Dame Cathedral, Rouen, with the top of the Lantern Tower visible in the back. The cathedral was damaged in 1999 by a severe storm that resulted in a 26-ton turret crashing into the cathedral, causing damage to both the Lantern Tower and the choir. Both are undergoing repair and restoration, as evidenced by a white covering on the Lantern Tower spire and interior scaffolding erected over the apse.
Statues of saints and apostles - many of these were originally on the West front façade but were considered too fragile or damaged to be put back once the West facade had been restored. Instead, they were replaced by copies.
Keith AdamsI can think of two or three possible explanations for the differing colors of stone. Is any of them correct? 1) Different sources / quarries. 2) Same quarry, different times. (That's the explanation for the color change about 1/3 of the way up the Washington Monument in DC, for example.) 3) Cleaning in progress. Reply to this comment 2 years ago
Susan CarpenterTo Keith AdamsDing! Ding! The correct answer is #1 - the stone in the Tour de Buerre was sourced from different quarries. Reply to this comment 2 years ago
The West facade of the Cathedral, with the Tour Saint Romain to the left and the Tour de Beurre to the right, along with numerous pinnacles, porches and countless statues. The lack of symmetry on West facade is said to make the Notre Dame Cathedral in Rouen “the most human of cathedrals”
Susan CarpenterTo Scott AndersonActually, these decorations date back to the 16th century when they were added during renovations following a huge fire in 1514 that destroyed most of the Cathedral roofs. They stood for more than 300 years, but were damaged by another fire in 1822, and the allied bombings of Rouen during WWII. The roof ornaments are currently being replaced as part of the ongoing restoration subsequent to the storm damage in the 1999 when a turret crashed through the roof. And yes, they are delightful! Reply to this comment 2 years ago
The next morning I took a hike to Côte Sainte-Catherine, a promontory on the east side of the city which offers a panoramic view of Rouen, the Seine and the surrounding countryside. It was also from this vantage point that in 1892 Monet painted “Vue générale du Roue”, prior to beginning work on his Cathedral series. I did a little more sightseeing before and after a wonderful lunch at Café Hamlet, located in Aître Saint-Maclou, the former cemetery of the Church of Saint-Maclou.
Passing the Church of Saint-Maclou on the way to Côte Sainte-Catherine
Another view of the exterior of the Church of Saint Joan of Arc, designed by architect Louis Arretche. According to Wikipedia, "the sweeping curves are meant to evoke both the flames that consumed Joan of Arc and an overturned longship". I thought that the structure also resembled a helmet that was worn during ancient battles
Well, I promised there would be cycling. None by me, but I did run into three women from Spain who had just started their tour down the west coast of France. We all agreed that Rouen was a wonderful town, but we were eager to hit the road.
Three Basque cyclists from San Sebastián, Spain on a tour along the west coast of France. Miren, a cardiologist, Ainhoa, an environmental scientist, and Garni, a teacher, have been touring together for more than a decade
Scott AndersonAinhoa! That’s the name of one of my favorite Basque villages. Interesting naming your daughter after a town, if that’s what happened here. Reply to this comment 2 years ago
Today's ride: 5 miles (8 km) Total: 1,867 miles (3,005 km)
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Scott AndersonOh, OK. I see we didn’t see everything interesting in northern France. I guess we’ll just have to go back. Reply to this comment 2 years ago
