Day 2 – Rouen & Étretat (Upper Normandy)

Many of you have asked about our car rental for this trip.  We are driving a fully equipped 2015 Peugeot 3008 mini-SUV turbo-diesel with automatic and all the latest bells and whistles. It looks as if we will get about 950km per tank of fuel. There is plenty of room for two 26″ and one 22″ suitcases plus two backpacks all under cover behind the rear seat. Note: the car has a full length sunroof and a heads-up combining glass display that pops-up out of the dashboard displaying speed and GPS navigation cues.

Based on Pete’s brothers excellent experience several years ago, we decided to go with the Peugeot Open Europe program. This program is available to non-EU residents wishing to rent a car for 21-180 days. It is basically a “closed-end lease” for an agreed number of days. The car is registered to you while you have it. You are able to select from a range of new vehicles/options and pay a rental fee up front. Peugeot provides excellent insurance and takes care of you if there are any issues.

Today it is raining.  We spent the early morning walking through Rouen’s old city.  Above is Rouen’s famous cathedral, the one Monet’s painted over and over and over in order to show different light patterns.  Here’s what it looks like in the rain.  He must have skipped the dark days.

Some of Monet’s impressions

Front detailing

We then strolled down rue de Gros-Horlage to see Rouen’s most popular monument, the Great Clock.  It connects the Cathedral to the Vieux-Marche, the famous old market.

The old market is a memorial to St. Joan of Arc, who was burned at the stake in this plaza.  It now is a bustling foodie center and social hub.

Joan of Arc Church completed in 1979.

The curves of the roof are meant to depict the flames that consumed her.

Some residents in Rouen don’t like the design because it is out of tune with the half-timber type architecture of the town.

Here is the site where she was barbequed on a stake.  After having scary visions, she talked France’s crown prince into allowing her to lead an army against the British occupation in France.  After a successful battle, the prince was crowned King Charles VII.  Shortly after, she was captured by Anglo-Burgundian forces, tried for witchcraft and toasted at the age of 19.  She was later deemed a saint.

Around the church, vendors set up shop each morning in the open air.  Here is the fish market, full of buyers at 9 in the morning.

The produce shop

Looks like a Cezanne painting!

Check out the size of those chokes.

Do the grocers polish the produce before they put them on display?

Mutant sized white asparagus

In France they have more stylish SmartCar models than we see in the States. This cabriolet model is an example.

We stopped for some café and patisseries.

Costco is selling French LACOSTE shirts for $50.  WE thought that was too expensive and  believed we could buy them for less in France.  NOT!

In the afternoon we took off for scenic Étretat, where the Tour de France will go through this month.

The rain let up a bit so we decided to hike up . . .

to the top of the famous Étretat “needle.” These cliffs are allegedly filled with the treasures of Arsene Lupin, the “gentleman thief” created by writer Maurice Leblanc.

Jill is hiding from the wind.  The rain is starting up again.

Pete caught a picture of two seagulls, who for at least five minutes were standing one atop the other.

They sure grow a lot of mustard throughout this area and the crops are in full bloom. We stopped for a sandwich au jambon & fromage before we headed out to Bayeux.  Jill doused a tasty baguette with mustard.  How she loves her mustard.  But, wow, it had so much fresh horseradish in it that tears ran down her cheek.  She will have to remember to use it here sparingly.

Ciao,

P&J