Rouen

After a busy day, and a warm day, we were able to sleep in and spend a relaxing morning cruising along the Seine on our way to Rouen.

Rouen is the gateway to Omaha Beach which we will visit tomorrow. The river has become swifter as we move toward the Atlantic. This does not affect our ride it is still very smooth.

Our comical and quite inquisitive guide for today, Frederick, gave us a smashing tour of the old town. Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Rouen was built starting in the 12th century and two large additions were made in the 18th century. The cathédrale had gorgeous stained glass windows but, only a small group of them made it through the war.

Because of the formation of the columns, a direct hit by multiple bombs kept the tower from falling.

These windows from the 12th century were saved from the war.

This area is a mix of very old and post war rebuilds. All the buildings along the bank of the Seine were destroyed during World War II.

The parliament building was used during the war as a prison for the Jews, protestors and lawbreakers. It was also bombed, but was restored by 1965. The money for the restoration came from German reparations.

Joan of Arc, was burned at the stake in Rouen in 1431 at 19 years old.

A modern Catholic church, Catholic Church of St Joan of Arc was built in this location which also replaced the former Church of Saint Vincent. The 12th century stained glass windows were incorporated into the design.