This year’s tour into Europe took us to Rouen, the capital of the Normandy region of France. Thirty-five members of the congregation and their friends had a trouble free journey into the heart of the city, courtesy of Armchair Tours. We were based at the Mercure Cathedrale hotel, which is almost next door to the famous Notre-Dame cathedral in the pedestrianised part of the city. As traffic was banned, our coach had to park some distance from the hotel; luckily the hotel arranged for our luggage to be collected by their staff and brought to our rooms.
Once we had settled in we were taken on a guided tour by a local guide. We travelled to the outskirts of the city by coach and then walked around the centre. Our very professional and knowledgeable guide displayed both an excellent sense of humour and a very interesting perspective on the history of France and French society, which we suspected might not be shared by all French citizens! We visited many of the main tourist sites, including the cathedral and the Place do Vieux-Marche where Joan of Arc was burnt at the stake. As our guide explained, this event created little interest at the time, as she was merely one of fifteen people executed in a similar fashion for heresy in the square on that day alone.
Rouen is described as “the city of a hundred spires” because of the large number of churches there. Sadly, many of these churches are now redundant and are owned by the state and used as museums. It was obvious by the state of some of these magnificent buildings that very little money has been spent on renovating and repairing their fabric, leaving them looking very dirty and neglected. Even the magnificent cathedral which is still owned by the Catholic church looked as if it was in need of some “tender loving care”, or at least a good clean! He also pointed out that the oldest building in one of the most famous streets in the city - the Rue Du Gros-Horloge is now a McDonalds restaurant; something the original builders could never have envisaged! After a splendid tour we made our way back to our hotel where we enjoyed a three-course dinner as a group. After dinner, those still with some energy left strolled down to the river Seine or around the city.
The following morning we toured the city on our own. Some combined sightseeing with some retail therapy in some of the many household name shops nearby. Remember C & A? Well, it still has a branch in the city and proved very popular with our group. Makes you wonder why it ever closed in this country. Many of the group had planned to visit the Eglise Jeanne D’Arc (Joan of Arc’s church) but were disappointed to find that it was not open, but there was much more to see in this city of half-timbered mediaeval buildings. Some visited the Rue Du Gros-Horloge to view the magnificent Renaissance archway and its splendidly embellished gilded clock from the inside. The long climb to the top of the bell tower was well worth it for the splendid views over the city. Others visited art galleries, the river and some of the many churches, including the cathedral. While walking around the main square, restaurant menus were scrutinised for dinner that evening.
Early afternoon found us boarding the coach for the trip to Monet’s Garden at Giverny. No matter what time of year the gardens are visited, they never disappoint. There is always something fresh to see and the blooms seem to be in flower longer than anywhere else! The Water Garden, made famous by Monet in his many paintings was particularly splendid. The leaves of the trees and bushes around the paths and edges of the pool were a blaze of browns, reds, golds and greens. On our return, we ventured into the city centre for our evening meal.
On Saturday, our day of departure we changed our original itinerary slightly. As there had been much disappointment when Joan of Arc’s church was closed, we made time for a short visit. The outside design of the church is ultra modern and it is often said that the shape signifies the flames engulfing Joan at the stake. Romantic as this might seem it is not correct – the design is that of an upturned boat and the sea, a traditional design for many old churches. The stark, very modern exterior of the church is in total contrast to the interior. There is only one word to describe the feeling inside the church – tranquillity. Even with visitors moving around taking photographs, the church retains an amazingly peaceful and tranquil air. Just sitting there admiring the ancient stained glass, taken from the ancient St Vincent’s church which was totally destroyed during the Second World War, you are entirely alone with your thoughts and prayers.
Outside in the Square there was even more hustle and bustle than usual as there was a an event celebrating Normandy food and drink produce, with many stalls staffed by people in their traditional regional dress. You could have taken your pick from cheese, bread, wine, cider any many other products for which the region is famous. But, we had to move on; this time to Dieppe, where we had time for a leisurely lunch, a walk along the beach, around the fish market or some more retail therapy in the large open street market.
We left Dieppe for the short journey along the coast road. We were treated to some magnificent views across the Channel as we made our way to the village of Varengeville-sur-Mer, where we were visiting the house and gardens at Bois des Moutiers. The estate is truly a hidden gem. The house was designed by Sir Edward Lutyens and the gardens by Gertrude Jekyll, who never visited the house but designed the gardens from blueprints sent to her. Much of the construction of the house and the furniture is based on the ideas of William Morris and the “Arts and Crafts” movement. An added bonus, which really brought the property to life was that our guides were a grand-daughter of the original owner and a great grandson, an architect, who still has his office in the house and who had lived there as a child. They both added so much to the visit.
Our visit to the house was over all too quickly as we had to make our way to Calais for the journey home. After a trouble free journey we arrived back in good time at Bray, to rush home and see the final minutes of a certain rugby match!
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