A Weekend in Normandy | Part 1

We took a trip to Normandy this weekend; our first big adventure out of Arras, and it was amazing. I feel rejuvenated and freshly inspired to continue exploring what’s immediately around us, and of course more travel destinations. And now for a cactus and some cathedrals.

Renting a Cactus

We rented a car online using Avis, deciding to splurge for an automatic. We didn’t want to think about navigating unfamiliar roads and maneuvering a standard at the same time. It wasn’t THAT much more expensive, but manual transmission vehicles are certainly cheaper and more readily available. On Friday afternoon we walked to Le Gare (the train station) to pick up our ride for the weekend, speculating about what kind of vehicle we would get. I was of course crossing my fingers for a luxury European brand. Well, we got a Citroen Cactus. A dark grey 4-door hatchback that was a bit newer and sportier than Ole Trixie (my old Toyota Matrix I lovingly drove for years back home). Let’s just say, we were a little underwhelmed, but decided it was better than getting a Ford Taurus or some weird Nissan. At least it was a decidedly French vehicle. Cons: it had huge blind spots in the back, and a weirdly calibrated sensor for the automatic off/on during idling. Pros: it was comfortable, came with a touch-screen GPS, and got great gas mileage.

We packed up the Cactus and then it was to hit the road. Our original plan was to spend two nights in and around Caen, but we decided to extend our trip by leaving on Friday afternoon instead. We picked Rouen, a city located conveniently between Arras and Caen, for our first night. After some light Googling, I was excited to learn that not only is Rouen the capital of the Normandy region, but it’s the location where Joan of Arc faced trials and was burned at the stake. It’s also where Richard the Lionheart was crowned.

The further we drove away from Arras and toward Normandy, the more we noticed a distinct change in the landscape from flat, open fields to rolling, winding roads through hills and valleys. I love how similar yet different everything looks here, from the types of trees lining the roads to the shapes of homes and materials on the roofs. It was a treat just to be a passenger for the ride, observing every detail of every little town, and commenting loudly on anything interesting in case Ocel missed it.  Meanwhile, he was concentrating on the narrow, winding roads. I’m sure he really appreciated my narration.

Antico Caffe, Rouen, Normandy

Arriving in Rouen, Normandy

I remember vividly driving into Rouen because we took a tunnel directly through a mountain. Coming out on to the Rouen side, it was a beautiful panorama of homes and buildings along a steep bank (Bonsecours), looking down onto the city of Rouen. We arrived right around 5pm, so traffic was a bit heavy and we weren’t entirely sure where we were going. Also, parking sucks. Everywhere. Luckily, Ocel has become a pro parallel parker, and found parking the Cactus much easier than the large van he drives for work. I could hardly wait to get parked and checked in! While taking a few extra trips around part of the downtown core (while furiously checking our maps and watching for busses and one-way streets), I was already falling in love with the architecture and vibrancy of the town. Timber-houses lined the pedestrian-friendly streets, and scores of friendly pedestrians were strolling around, happily soaking up the first truly warm weekend of Spring. Any Islander will know what I mean when I say it had the energy of Victoria Row on the first warm day in May.

Checking In?

Checking in to the Street Art Hotel was a funny process, one that I wasn’t super excited about at the time. I can now look back on with better understanding and a few chuckles. I booked our room online with Expedia, but the gentleman at the front desk seemed to have no record of it. Without going into great detail, I will say that our less-than-impressive stay was likely a combination of very new ownership that still have a lot to figure out, and the off-putting yet consistent nature of the French to never apologize for or explain any problems. But hey, it was a place to sleep (in really firm twin beds), and that’s really all we needed.

First Glimpse: Notre Dame de Rouen

Off we went to start exploring the city; one thing I can’t complain about is the location of our hotel. The historic downtown section of Rouen is very walkable to begin with, and we were in the heart of it. We headed toward the tallest spire we could see, and within a couple of minutes we rounded the street corner onto the massive face of the Notre Dame Cathedral of Rouen. I hope I can hang on to the feeling forever; it’s the first time I have ever seen a building of that magnitude, style, and sheer beauty. I am certain that my jaw literally dropped as far as it could, and I stopped in the street to marvel while my brain caught up with my eyes. During the rest of our weekend in Normandy we saw many gorgeous churches, but no first impressions will ever compare to this.

Unlike a few other places we visited, I have to give credit to Rouen for creating a beautiful viewing area and preserving the space around its most iconic and dominant churches. There is a large cobblestone pedestrian area in front of and around the Notre Dame, filled with people and pigeons. There’s also a little passenger street-train that circles the downtown and occasionally passes through. I think I was especially moved because the very recent fire at the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris was fresh on my mind.

Here I stood in front of this intricate gothic cathedral, feeling very small and very fortunate. As I stared upon centuries of history and the unfathomable time, effort, and skill that went into building it, I had many questions. How did they get the stones in place? And did they hand-carve each detailed column, archway, figure, twist, and curve? How many people and how many years did this take? There is more to look at on one strip of the arch above the side door than there is in all of my house.

The scale of these churches is difficult to comprehend, even when standing smack in the middle of one. On many occasions I had to grab Ocel, a wall, or the nearest stranger, to stop from tipping over. I kept looking up at the great heights of the ceiling, pillars, artwork, and stained glass. Pro tip: come to a complete stop before trying to admire something so tall. We spent a while discovering the treasures within, both physical and architectural, before being ushered out for closing time. Even the side entrance was a spectacle, hidden from the street by another set of monstrous doors. The courtyard led out into a cute street with lots of foot-traffic, and it was fun to walk through those doors and realize the people who happened to peek in had no idea what was right in front of them.

L’Eglise Saint-Maclou

From there we wandered in no particular direction but ended up in front of the Church of Saint-Maclou. It is known for being one of the best examples of “flamboyant gothic” architecture in France. Again, Rouen gets it right by keeping the areas surrounding these beautiful landmarks quite open, allowing people to freely roam and stare and take pictures and almost tip over backwards looking up.

It’s set in a beautifully open pedestrian area, surrounded by tall timber houses and little cafes, bars, and restaurants with people spilling onto the patios. It didn’t feel at all tacky or claustrophobic, though, which I often find when there are either too many people milling about, or too many kitschy businesses trying to take advantage of the popular location. (Which is exactly how I felt in the town of Lisieux, with a cheesy and dated carousel sitting directly in front of the cathedral, and a Subway with prime corner placement. More about that here.)  Unfortunately we couldn’t tour inside the church, but fortunately we could sit outside on the lovely patio of Antico Caffe, directly in front of Saint-Maclou. In that moment, life couldn’t get much better: a glass of crisp white wine in hand, a handsome man beside me, and the sun shining down.

Made in Normandy

After luxuriating in the sun and the setting (and the setting sun) for a while, we walked around a bit more and continued to marvel at the unique timber houses that lined every street. Tiny alleys connected various streets, and some of the houses had an almost story-book lean, as if Dr. Seuss gave them just a bit of whimsy. The restaurants and terraces were filling up quickly with people ready for dinner, and we decided to join the crowd. It was difficult to choose – every restaurant along the stunning Rue Martainville was busy, charming, and had a tasty menu. We settled on “Made in Normandy” because it seemed appropriate.

The patio was out back of the restaurant, which was a nice change from the hustle and bustle of the street, but I kind of missed the energy. Our server was very accommodating and moved an extra table outside for us.  He was extra patient as I struggled through some very French menu items. For me, the highlight was my appetizer, which was a crispy thin pastry stuffed with Livarot, which I learned is “one of the oldest and greatest Normandy cheeses,” produced in the nearby town of the same name. It was creamy like a nice brie, with a bit stronger flavor like an old camembert met a slightly off cheddar. (Please do not quote me on food descriptions – I am 0% expert). Ocel and I agreed that our appetizers were quite tasty, our mains were just alright, and our desserts were really nice, although we were too full to properly enjoy them. But hey, when in Rouen…

The River Seine

After hoisting our heavy bodies off the back patio, we strolled in the direction of the Seine. There are many bridges across, and a nicely lit walkways along both sides. We talked about how crazy it would’ve been to see a hoard of viking ships approaching from the undeveloped riverbanks centuries ago. I contemplated extending the night by trying to find some live music, and then decided that it was time to take my old buns to bed. Up five flights of stairs to our thin-walled room with two rock-hard twin beds and a very sexually active couple next door. Luckily I was exhausted from the day’s adventures and eventually drifted off to sleep, feeling like I was bunking at a very weird camp.