NCL Getaway – Day 2 – Road To Rouen
I remember sitting through history lessons at school and we spent quite a bit of time learning about middle ages France. One particular aspect of this history totally captivated me, and that was the story of Joan of Arc who was burned at the stake at Rouen.
An early feminist, a Catholic with a cool hairstyle, and a symbol of freedom and independence. What schoolgirl did not love learning about Joan?! I can’t remember much about the Battle of Agincourt or the 100 Years War, but a girl being burned at the stake for heresy and wearing men’s clothes, I was ALL OVER THAT!
If you are into history, you may wish to know in the 1400’s France had been torn apart by its conflict with England and there was a battle for the crown, which led to King Henry V becoming ruler of both England and France. Our girl Joan, at the time living as a farmer’s daughter, claimed she had heard “Voices” sent from God telling her to save France and have their own Charles as the rightful King. Charles fell for this, and somehow Joan ended up leading an army, She led the French to a victory at Orleans (hence her nickname Maid of Orleans) which culminated in Charles’ coronation as King Charles VII. Unfortunately, it all went wrong when her men tried to re-take Paris and without the backing of Charles, she ended up in the hands of the Anglo-Burgundians who sold her to the English at Rouen.
A trial followed where Joan was charged with Witchcraft, heresy and Dressing like a MAN (Oh, the humanity!) But basically, the English wanted to discredit her because it would throw shade on Charles VII and his coronation. Charles at this point wanted nothing to do with Joan, so she ended up being taken to the marketplace in Rouen, where she was burned at the stake at the age of 19.
St Joan of Arc & Rouen
Some 20 years later a new trial was ordered by Charles VII and Joan’s name was finally cleared. She went on to attain some mythical status, was made a Saint by the Pope and she became an icon with a slew of paintings, literature and films all about her life story and became the Patron Saint of France, no less!. Not bad for a little girl who heard “voices”!
So, why am I telling you this?
My first port day on NCL’s Getaway transatlantic, was to the major French port Le Havre, and when I saw that NCL were offering trips to Rouen from there I knew I could not pass up this opportunity to go to the site of such an event.
The Day started early, and we all assembled in the Tropicana restaurant where we waited for our Tour Number to be called. At this point, you join a queue, give your name and are ticked off their list. They issue you a small sticker with a number on that you are supposed to wear for the duration of the trip. I was on Tour Bus 11. A while later a call goes out for Tour 11, and you file down in a group and get on the coach allocated to that number. I always quite enjoy this sitting around waiting because you get the opportunity to chat to people and find out where they are going. If you are lucky you will find somebody on the same number coach as you.
The journey on the coach was pleasant, driving out of Le Havre and through some French countryside and across the Seine. It was quite a short journey (about an hour). We arrived in the centre getting off the bus at the site of a gothic church and then our tour leader took us on a meandering walk through the town. Obviously my main reason going to this place was all about Joan, but I was pleasantly surprised by the beautiful medieval architecture of the whole area. Our guide explained to us the half timber buildings, the narrow lanes and how the blend of ancient and modern was utilised. Lots of modern shops at ground level, but just look up! Wow! See how the houses are leaning toward us! We actually saw a cobbled roadway being repaired using the same methods that would have been used in medieval times. There were lots of interesting little cafes featuring delicacies like towers of macarons, obviously I bought a few!
On our walk we came across Le Gros Horlog, which is a gateway to the old town featuring an astronomical clock dating back to 1389, I’m not sure if this clock still works but we definitely heard it chiming away on the hour.
We then went to Vieux Marche, the site of where Joan was burned at the stake. A very beautiful and strange modern church stands in the square, as does a large cross marking the exact location of the execution. There was a gorgeous statue of Joan where people had placed flowers. We were lucky in that the church itself was open so I popped in and lit a candle for all the people I love and have loved. There is amazing stained glass, 13 panels of Christ’s childhood, passion, crucifixion and resurrection, as well as the Saints Peter, Ann and Anthony, which looked fab from the inside and the ceiling with its curved beams is something special to be seen. The architecture of church itself is a bit odd, it’s very modern and is somewhat at odds with its surroundings.
The square was typically what you would expect, i.e. restaurants, souvenir shops, a Petit Train and a small carousel for the kids.
After this little pilgrimage, my little band were led off towards an absolute corker of a cathedral, the Notre Dame. This building has so much to look at as there are a variety of styles used throughout it being built, amended and adorned, but now I’ve come to write, the only thing I can really remember was that the three towers are all different (which is rare in itself), and that the tower on the right as we look at it is called the “Butter Tower”. At the time of building if you were a Catholic you could pay for a dispensation to eat butter and drink milk during Lent, and this went towards the cost of the build. For a 4 year period, this cathedral was actually the tallest building in the world.
So, here ends the organised part of our tour. We were let loose to wander around the town. A handy hint for solo travellers with no sense of direction (like me), is to take a photo of your meeting point, just in case you get lost. You don’t want to miss your coach and end up in a strange town when you need to be at your port on time. The ship WILL leave without you!
I wandered off, and yes I got lost!
Never be afraid to wander, you sometimes find the best things just a little way off the beaten path.
I saw a lot of lovely things though just wandering around aimlessly. I stopped off at a wonderful café directly in front of St Maclou Church and enjoyed a very tasty cappuccino and croissant. I met and chatted to a variety of people who were on the same trip as me, I conversed badly in pidgin French with the locals sitting next to me. It was warm and sunny, and I was living my best life. Until I went to make my way back and got distracted by an interesting looking series of lanes, which ironically turned out to be where I saw amazing Joan of Arc graffiti, shops, banners – all sorts of stuff. My photo came into play here, I knew I wasn’t far away so a local pointed me in the right direction, and then I saw my tour guide and was back on the bus for Le Havre in plenty of time thankfully.
