The Best Hotel

Rouen was a place we had last visited on our honeymoon and was one of those places which become part of family legend for all the wrong reasons. Back then we arrived in the town in the early evening and went for a walk around the old market and cathedral areas, unfortunately on that particular evening an area round the side of the cathedral had been used as a toilet; several times by the smell of it. That event coloured our view of of Rouen for several years but thankfully that memory has been replaced by this visit. One's view of a town generally begins to take shape as you enter it and this was no exception. Although we came through a busy road network of dual carriageways and intersections we arrived at our hotel with no problem as it was just off a main arterial road with a tree lined service road in front of it which helped to shield the noise of the traffic. This was the best hotel we stayed in on this entire holiday. We had booked two rooms in every hotel but in this one we had a vestibule door with the doors to the two rooms behind it so we could leave the room doors open and come and go between the rooms as we liked. It was superb and only a short walk from the heart of the town.
No longer une toilette en plein air; now all the tourists can enjoy the delights of Rouen cathedral.


As an idea for hiding the side of an ugly concrete building this is brilliant - but perhaps not the best picture for the centre of a busy city.

When you turn your back on the cathedral you find yourself facing the tourist information office located in the town hall...

and when you go inside and look through a small interior window this is what you see.


There is a courtyard in the centre of the building in which are hidden these medieval gems.





This statue of Joan of Arc stands close to the spot where she was executed in May 1431. Although convicted of heresy this was not a crime punishable by death for the first offence so Joan was imprisoned but was ordered not to wear men's clothing as had been her custom.
To obtain the outcome they desired, her English captors removed her female attire leaving her only mens' clothes. Joan remained in her room for as long as possible but when she eventually had to leave it to attend to her bodily needs she had to dress in the only garments available to her. She was then charged with having broken the order to wear only feminine attire and as the order regarding her clothing was connected with the charge of heresy she could therefore be condemned to death as it was considered to be a second offence.