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Mont-Saint-Michel
Monument
Vue aerienne Mer |
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Photo
by Jean-Daniel Sudres |
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on the image for larger version |
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Normandy: Major cities - Caen & Rouen
 Normandy
echoes the history of past struggles: the Norman Conquest woven
into the tapestry at Bayeux, the perils of Jeanne d'Arc recorded
in Rouen, the drama of the D-Day landings recorded along the Normandy
beaches. The violence of its history is at odds with the ethereal
landscapes that inspired Corot, Monet and Pissarro, a region to
take it slow by boat, balloon or bicycle
An inspiring gateway to Normandy is Giverny, a village
that would be sleeping still had it not captured the heart and imagination
of Claude Monet. While the great painter's pink farmhouse is charming
and now a museum, Monte's masterpiece was his garden, still complete
with water lilies. Travelers following the route from here to Rouen
can detour to Les Andelys, crowned by the fragmentary remains of
Chateau Gaillard, a fortified castle built by Richard the Lion-Hearted
in 1196 overlooking the River Seine
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Falaise
d'Etretat Coucher de soleil Mer Littoral Plage
Famille |
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Photo
by Gilles Rigoulet |
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on the image for larger version |
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Like Paris, the Seine also divides Rouen, a city
bristling with spires and bell towers, while cafes and half-timbered
houses crowd the cobbled Rue Gros-Horloge, the pedestrian heart
of town, named after the Renaissance clock tower. On the market
square, Joan of Arc was burned at the stake in 1431; a mosaic flagstone
marks the spot, and nearby stands one of France's most striking
Gothic cathedrals, Notre-Dame---a favorite subject of Monet.
Less than an hour way on the coast is Honfleur,
the most picturesque of all Normandy seaports and artists haunt
for centuries. From Impressionist paintings, the visitor will recognize
the picture-postcard harbor filled with yachts and fishing boats,
just a short walk along cobbled streets from the little wooden church
of Ste. Catherine with its quaint belfry. |
