Rouen, France

 ROUEN, FRANCE

May 3, 2025

Rouen was the seat of the Exchequer of Normandy during the Middle Ages. It was one of the capitals of the Anglo-Norman and Angevin dynasties, which ruled both England and large parts of modern France from the 11th to the 15th centuries. From the 13th century onwards, the city experienced a remarkable economic boom, thanks in particular to the development of textile factories and river trade. Claimed by both the French and the English during the Hundred Years' War, it was on its soil that Joan of Arc was tried and burned alive on 30 May 1431.

Severely damaged by the wave of bombing in 1944, it nevertheless regained its economic dynamism in the post-war period thanks to its industrial sites and its large seaport, which merged with the ports of Le Havre and Paris in 2021 to form the HAROPA Port.

The cathedral (Notre Dame Cathedral of Rouen) is famous for its three towers, each in a different style. The cathedral, built and rebuilt over a period of more than eight hundred years, has features from Early Gothic to late Flamboyant and Renaissance architecture.  It also has a place in art history as the subject of a series of impressionist paintings by Claude Monet.

In architecture history, from 1876 to 1880, it was the tallest building in the world.

Jim was tickled by this sign – he thought it might be a good name for his daughter’s next venture!

That evening, while we were at dinner, we were informed that a Russian submarine had just surfaced off the starboard side and was being “shadowed” by a British destroyer.

After dinner, we adjourned to the theater for a farewell party for all of the World Cruisers – and a sizeable portion of the crew celebrated on the stage. We hoped it was NOT because they were happy to see us go!!