What a charming French city Rouen is and a perfect gateway to Normandy with its narrow cobbled lanes lined with half-timbered buildings in its old town. We are staying in one of those buildings, in the Hotel le vieux carre which is a bit ramshackle right now because it is being renovated (which we were not told was happening, which is not good.) Scaffolding covers the timbered courtyard and drop cloths line the steps up to our little room. But the place is still charming in a bohemian way, with a ground floor low-ceilinged tea parlor and sitting area with lots of cozy chairs and knickknacks. Delicious breakfast: a basket of croissants and baguettes, 2 jams, and Normandy butter, yoghurt and cheeses.
For dinner we went to the wine bar of my dreams, Au p’it Verdot, another small atmospheric place in the old city that serves charcuterie, local cheeses and cider, beer and wine and delicious desserts.
We tried the famous local soft creamy cheeses, most recognizably the Camembert but my favorite was Neufchâtel.
In the morning we did Rick Steve’s short walk tour around old town which was perfect, strolling to the semi-covered market, a cool modern church shaped like a fish, down narrow lanes lined with half-timbered buildings painted in many colors, the “flamboyantly gothic” cathedral (famously painted by Monet, with an intricately decorative facade), stopping at the famous Auzou chocolate shop to buy chocolate covered and dusted almonds known as as Joan of Arc’s tears. (This is where Joan became a martyr.)
To get here, we took an uneventful trip on the Eurostar, only 2.5 hours to Paris and then another 1.5 hour train from another station here. Trying to block out news of the horrible Trump cabinet picks but not succeeding.
TakeBetsywithyou 