Rouen side trip report, late November

Very happy to hear about the Rouen part of your experience, thanks in advance.

Right across the street is a mostly pedestrian shops and cafes area, which gave me memories of Arles and Nimes, just cooler and damper, and the TI pointed me at In Fine, insisting for some reason that "IN FINE" is Latin, not French.

This place proved the most fashion forward food of any meal I had on this whole trip, and it was not at all pricey. Mom and daughter running the place, they put me in the window, and moved at bistro speeds rather than restaurant p a c e. I had a starter of duck ravioli, poised on a small trencher, with microveggies strewn artistically about. Everything 'bio' and local. The duck was shredded like in tortilla soup. Bright and light. The plat was a chicken dish, with poached breast cut into medallions and laid over a bed of what my grandmother would call kasha -- buckwheat groats. The medallions were interspersed with sliced brown mushrooms. And, it was served in a clear glass casserole like a small pyrex or delrin baking pan. Kooky but it worked. It occurs to me now that inside the pyrex, this dish reminded me of those dioramas or diagrams of Roman roads -- pebbles, sand, fill, paving stones, mortar... -- Could this be a Latin joke?

https://www.facebook.com/infinerouen/

As I was sitting there excavating my lunch, I was deciding whether I wanted to go to the concert happening that night at the main theater -- the alt-rock band Tindersticks was touring for the first time in over six years, and they were in town tonight. I had hardly heard of them, but a quick youtubing showed some songs I liked, and it would be another fortuitous moment in this trip to be here when they were. But I was also thinking of a jazz festival that I went to in Orange several years ago, where the main takeaway was that smoking is going strong. Officially there was no smoking in the theater, and the usherette recited that loudly to the section I was sitting in, pausing momentarily to take a long drag on the vape pen she was holding. I had trouble breathing and resented that I had to put up with the smoke in order to be at the live event. Would things be any different if I go to this show tonight?

As I'm thinking of this, I am looking out the window and every table for this cafe has someone smoking. Every one. I realized that if I go to the concert I will spend the whole evening angry. I'm not going.

https://tindersticks.co.uk

I can't head off on the audioguide tour yet, though, because I left the pamphlet/guide/map at the TI. I walk back in and they smile at me and say "you left your paper, no?" As long as I was here again, could they help me make a dinner reservation at the newfangled alternative to Au Coronne for later tonight, a restaurant called Le 6eme Sens.. https://le-sixiemesens.fr
They are happy to help. This place has been mentioned here on the Forum before, and it's another case where instead of the obvious answer of the Julia Child origin story Au Coronne, to instead go to a space with new ideas. Now that I have avoided both the smoke and the mirrors, I can do a walking guided meditation of historical Rouen.

I love guided tours -- a live person is best, sure, but even the TI guide pamphlet is enlightening, and following it is like a treasure hunt. Rouen has a lot of history on top of Joan of Arc and the cathedral painted in different lights. For instance, the tomb of Richard the Lionheart is in a side aisle of the cathedral, no signage other than Latin inscription on the sarcophagus, no velvet rope keeping you from touching it -- nearly everyone walking around with their eyes up at the stained glass passes this tomb without a second glance. The guide gives yet another alternative explanation for the Butter Tower -- Brigitte from Paris Walks had given the indulgence/bribe story, we could see the local buttery colored stone claim with our own eyes, and now we can add the info that the local dairies were trying to get out from under the control of the religious orders

and having the dairymen put up the construction money was a way of asserting money power against church power.

The holiday market in front of the cathedral was set up and running; my review of it is here on the Forum.

Rouen was damaged in different ways than other big cities during WWII, so there are some 14th and 15th century buildings that you can't find elsewhere. Recall also that cemeteries and bone collections were moved out of town as urban populations grew and hygiene started being a thing, but not so much in Rouen, so there is a cloistered courtyard here and a piled churchyard there that show what towns were like when death was just over the neighboring wall.

Audio guides always have a line like "pause for a moment in front of No. 16 and note the alleyway beside it -- the bulging walls indicate a 13th c. structure that is slowly leaning over the alley. Next, we'll continue to the next intersection..." I need more -- every one of these, which would be called impasses in Paris and traboules in Lyon and cobertizos in Toledo has its own stories, and I walked into every one of them that I found. Only once did someone open a door holding a plate of food and a fork and ask me what I was doing. Just taking a look, a few photos, thanks. "Is not possible! This is priveet !" OK, bon journee.

At one point the guide was teaching you to look at the width of doorways and the carving of the pediment over it -- this double wide here with the lion bas relief above it indicates that it was the city residence of a member of parliament in the 1340s... Standing beside me was a couple glancing around with an I'm impressed expression and I pointed them at the bas relief lion above the door. Hey! The man says to me in Spanish that he doesn't speak French. English? Nope, only Spanish. Bueno -- I explain that the guide says this was the house of an important politician in the governing body. When? he asks. Middle of the 14th century, mas o menos. The impressed expression returns. Later in the day as I'm checking out the noel marche I see them again and the man is pointing at the crepe booth and says to his wife "Look -- churros!"

The walking tour in the RS France book has a lot of overlap with the official audio guide. You go past some of Rick's recommended dining spots, too. The weather makes a big difference, I think, because not being able to spread out on a patio meant those places looked a little too little, frankly. I got through about half the treasure map before starting to think about getting my id back from the TI -- they had bargained with me some time past 5pm if I needed it but I didn't want to keep them from closing up for little ol' me. About 5:30pm I turned the wand back in, warned them that they would be seeing me again tomorrow, and went back to the Hyatt to get cleaned up for dinner.

When the ticket taker worked his way down the row most people held up
their phone to show a QR code. Hmmm...

I often wonder if you need to be a certain age that is considerably younger than me for it to be obvious that ticket counters and kiosks are not the most effective way to buy a ticket.

The driver that took me to the fancy dinner at Le 6eme Sens was so proud of his city! He had lived in Rouen for more than 15 years and loved it. Every street you drive down has some story, some historical significance. Yes, I agreed - I hadn't known that Richard the Lionheart was buried in the cathedral.

He stopped the car. Turned around and looked directly at me. Yes? I have not heard that story. Sixteen years and I did not know that. It's true -- I didn't go into the details about how royal corpses were fought over like saints' relics, and most of the body was carried off to the Loire, but his heart is still there. He starts talking out the genealogies of English and French royalty and how intertwined they all were--knew it much better than I do. Anyway, he says I have to show you something. I'm worried about being late for my table, but he drives for a few minutes and pulls over and points to a monument in the dark, That's where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake. Look at it. Right there! It's like we were suddenly doing the stations of the cross. This was the same driver that told me to be clear to other drivers that I'm at the new Hyatt, so it saves them time.

I'm thinking about what I want to tell about dinner at Le 6eme Sens, and I realize that it's the mirror image of my testimonials about using guides to color in your enjoyment of a neighborhood or a museum. I enjoyed dinner but I would have enjoyed dinner more if the waiters spoke more English. But it's like going to a cricket match or watching people play pinochle -- I can see good things are happening but I don't know what makes for a great move or a good play.

I went for the full Monty -- 7 course chef's choice center ring no net. The only question they had for me was do I want the 3 glass or the 4 glass wine pairing. I was starting with my usual pastis so I went for the 3.
The tone for the evening was established when I lost an ice cube while prepping my pastis. The cube rolled under the chair of the next table. I pointed this out to the waiter and his immediate reaction was "Do you want more?" He discreetly stooped down and picked up the ice cube and held it like a poker hand he was keeping close to his vest. This is one classy joint.

The amuse bouche was delicious but I have no idea what it was. About the size of a canele pastry with a dollop of something white on top, served on a bed of mixed seeds in what looked to me like a molcajete. What are they trying to say? I couldn't guess. Maybe it was actually a canele.
Next was a cold soup made with oyster, served in a shell on top of a mound of rock salt. Very oceanic. Or phlegmy, depending on how you approach it. Next were the taste highlights of the evening -- the white wine was a pleasant surprise. I asked what it was and I could only catch a little of what he said: it was from Anjou, and the vineyard had a relationship or connection or arrangement with the restaurant. Hand motions helped. The wine tasted very apple-y and bright. Very unusual but in the best way. The next dish was similar -- some kind of beet and carrot concoction served in a bowl that your aunt with the avocado-colored kitchen appliances would swoon over. The waiter pours a little pitcher of cream over it at the table. Once again, I couldn't tell you what was in it but the combination of flavors was ringing bells in my mouth and brain that haven't been rung that way before. In a good way. A terrine of foie gras plated daintily. Glass of red, medium-bodied and I didn't catch any of its story. Next a perfect 3/5ths scale model of veal with potatoes carrots and haricot vert. Then a salad and a cheese course. The cantal was really excellent. Dessert was a glass of pink champagne and an artfully arranged mix of crumble and ice cream and cake and cookie. Maybe it wasn't pink, just the lighting made it look that way.

It was while I was settling the bill and the staff were retrieving my hat and coat from the closet that I got to chat with the sommelier/bartender, who spoke good English, and realized that it was all so thoughtful.
I liked that white wine! Yes, it has notes of crisp green apple and pear from Anjou.
That's it! That's what I was tasting.
The ingredients are all harvested from this region.
I wished I could hear more about the cheese and the butter.
And why at some point the silverware changed from silver to gold.
And was the water pitcher really lead crystal?
Yes, this place is famous/well known all over the country -- he said this like I wasn't as impressed as i should have been. Get an English guide and next time I'll know better.

I took a postprandial stroll because I wanted to look at what was going on at the eponymously named Rouen Cafe on the next street -- it was packed for such a damp Tuesday night.
There was a big TV in the window and everyone on the patio was intently following a football match. Much effort was being expended by the sides but I couldn't follow the players without a program. Ha.

Back at the new Hyatt, I decided that I wanted to maximize my time here in Rouen, so I looked on the official website for the later in the day trains for Thursday, and this led me to install the SNCF app and there were more trains listed on it than on google maps. I went ahead and set up an account, and bought a ticket with an assigned seat for a train that had no stops between Rouen and Gare St Lazare. Now I had a QR code ticket like the cool kids for Thursday afternoon. While I was at it I did the same for the Ile de France mobilite app and I added another 10 rides to my Navigo Easy card. Nifty.

(As I type this it looks like the accounts are connected to my Orange phone number not my primary number, so I'll have to figure that out)

The Hyatt room was connected in all kinds of ways so I settled down that night while listening to the live news on KQED San Francisco/Oakland/San Jose Was that a good move or not?

The Delights de Basse Saison

The fine arts museum exceeded my expectations -- I thought it was better than the ones in Nice and Marseilles, and comparable to the one in Lyon. But in Lyon there were crowds to deal with and the city card is good for 48 hours but apparently only one admission to their MBA -- I recall having to quibble with the billets desk to finish my visite the next day. On the last Wednesday of November, otoh, the long ticket counter in Rouen (at least six windows) had just one staffer with his nose in a paperback waving you through without lifting his head. And they handed out tokens for the lockers, so you didn't even have to supply your own euro coin.

The covered courtyard featured the recently rediscovered Dufy triptych on the Seine's passage from Le Havre to Paris. Let me provoke some rustling of fans and opera glasses: I think the Salon Dufy in the Paris MAM is better than the Monet water lilies room in the Orangerie. The chance to see another Dufy large scale painting put my heart a-flutterin'
https://www.mam.paris.fr/fr/espace/salle-dufy

https://www.musee-orangerie.fr/en/node/197502

https://rouen2028.eu/en/a-monumental-triptych-by-raoul-dufy-represents-the-territory-of-candidacy/

To gild the lily though, there in the courtyard was also displayed a large depiction of an important festival celebration that occurred right there in that space itself. Swoon. I love it when there are paintings that reference the things you come across as part of your trip. Imagine perhaps an Impressionist landscape of a boating party on a lazy spot of the Seine that you happen to see through the window of your express train as you ride back to Paris. For instance.

It got even better without leaving that courtyard: another large canvas on display was there as an example of Impressionist influence on realistic portrayals of light and shadow under trees. It was an outdoor wedding dinner by Albert Fourie, who I had not known before now. Fourie is my big discovery of this trip. I spent a long time studying that painting, with no one else but staff using the table in the courtyard for a huddle in prep for an upcoming opening.
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Fourié
Un repas de noces à Yport, 1886, huile sur toile

There was a lot of huddling and scurrying and rolling of carts and toolboxes going on, actually. The person overseeing it, who I assumed was some kind of curator because he had on a soft-shouldered tweed sportcoat and a brown tie, thick-framed glasses, seemed like just the person to ask whether they had anything about Saint Barbara in their collection. So I did. He looks at his confrere, and at me, and back again, and says in an oddly northern England accented English, Yes, we do have a painting with her, but it is in a section that is closed right now. He barely hesitates and continues, I'll have to show it to you myself. Wow, ok then. He takes me backstage to a staff only elevator and we go down two flights and through a windy passage and come out in a gallery with walls painted a different color and he zips over to a painting of what looks at first like bible study hour at an all-girls high school, but turns out to be an all-star lineup of female saints and angels arrayed around Mary and her little bundle of joy. A girl in a red dress on the right side of the painting is wearing a diadem that has a tower on it made out of precious stones. That's Saint Barbara, he says. Cool! I start mansplaining to him about the tower symbol and other portrayals of her in Sevilla, etc. and he adds a few factoids and we're admiring the painting when he suddenly switches like a lightbulb and says he has to get back to the expo-in-waiting. They are behind in getting it hung, and this morning a lot of the staff didn't come to work. Just find your way back the way we came.

Gerard David, La Vierge entre les vierges late 14th century? from the Carmelite convent in Bruges.

Later in the afternoon in a different section of the museum I'm looking at some seascapes and he comes zipping by with a detail of workers in overalls behind him. As he makes a sharp right turn into the next hallway he does a double take and smiles at me. "A true amateur!" Ha, I respond. Rather than leave myself with just an esprit de l'escalier, on my way out of the museum I asked the desk for his name or email address so I could send him a thank-you note. Googling him shows that he's quite renowned, and has actually published on that Gerard David painting. It was a brush with greatness. :-)

https://theframeblog.com/tag/diederik-bakhuys/
[background: my sibling worked for an art restoration shop specializing in frames for some time in the '80s]

https://flaubert.univ-rouen.fr/présentation/équipe/diederik-bakhuÿs/

https://www.codart.nl/images/CODARTTIENcongress_TextDiederikBakhuys.pdf

Barbara is the one in dark green with the blonde permanent wave:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:La_Vierge_entre_les_Vierges.jpg

an hour in la france profonde

My favorite dining experience of this trip was at Pascaline.

I bet that you can't get anywhere near this place in the summer without a reservation, but I was able to walk in on the last Wednesday of November for lunch. I imagine it shows a slightly different face in the high season.

It has been in the same family for five generations.
https://pascaline.fr

When you do walk in, there is a vestibule with memorabilia, an upright piano, and a table holding newspapers threaded on long sticks. !! I had almost forgotten that libraries and some cafes used to put the days papers on sticks for customers to read while at their table.

A bulletin board for local announcements has a few mismatched signs from the owners. One says 'all our bovine meats are born: FRANCE ; raised: FRANCE ; slaughtered:; FRANCE. Another promotes their seafood provider {fournis) in Rouen. A flyer for a local apiary offers honey.

The aperitifs listed a pastis that was not Ricard. How is it different? It's more floral, the waiter who covered the back half of the room answered. I also suspect that Ricard is a bit too international/Macron-y for this family. Just speculating. I enjoyed it.

The couple sitting on one side of me, older, quiet, were from the area and they eat here often -- whenever they come into the center of town. On my other side was a slightly disheveled businessman stabbing at his phone, but he let me take a photo of his beef tartare and bowl of frites -- presented unmixed, so you could fold in the spices yourself.

I started with the salade de Auvergne. I couldn't point to Auvergne on a map so I didn't know what to expect. It was crumbled bleu cheese with tomatoes croutons lardons some green herbs and some lettuce; lightly dressed. I didn't realize until now that there's a special bleu made in Auvergne; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bleu_d%27Auvergne

After my first bite I wanted to go into the kitchen and hug everyone. The husband to one side noticed my facial expression and grinned -- "C'est bonne, oui." Understatement of the century.

The main was a veal stew with potatoes and carrots onions and herbs served in a small dutch oven with the handles missing. On top was a big dollop of pistou. This was such pistou as dreams are made of.

Most people around me were eating poultry dishes; the plat of the day was duck thighs in cider.

The butter for the table was Alain Ledanec, which was absorbed by Briois as some point. https://www.briois.fr/en/butter-single-portion-mini-portion/

I spilled some veal stew on my shirt, and the waiter disappeared in the kitchen for a second and came back with a towel wetted on one corner for me to blot and wipe up the stain. Very kind. The Beaujolais nouveau was €5 a glass.
Profiteroles for dessert. The staff had to keep on their toes, but they were so much more relaxed than their counterparts at Le 6eme Sens. I joshed about this with the TI folks and they asked which I liked more, and I said Pascaline, and they gave me a knowing/collusive nod.

On the slate by the newspapers was a quote from Anaïs de Saint Brice:

La véritable ivresse en amour c'est lorsque la passion s'invite au comptoir du désir et que, sans même hésiter, vous lui offrez un dernier verre !

True intoxication in love is when passion invites itself to the counter of desire and, without even hesitating, you offer it a last drink!

It would be great to have the leisure to make one's way through Pascaline's menu, all through the seasons.

Thursday was mostly sunny, which made a big difference. The facades of the buildings in Rouen took on a different look. I could see someone with an artistic bent taking the time to capture the changes in different climactic conditions.

I stashed my bag in a locker at the Beaux Arts museum. Turns out the bottom floor was closed yesterday not because of the new exhibit installation, but due to the understaffing. Everyone was on board today, though, and not only was this floor open, there was also a sculpture and modern work wing that I hadn't even noticed. So, I had to skate through them quickly enough to leave time to get to the big clock in time for the noon bells. Lots of important oils to see, and it certainly puts our current fad for non-binary-identifying young people (remember when we just called it androgynous [David Bowie, anyone?]) into historic context -- there is a portrait of Henri III from the fin of the 16th siecle that the museum was gifted in 2016 where the young king is rocking a huge pearl earring and at least three other piercings, threaded eyebrows, lip gloss, and a big jeweled pin on his lid. And he's got that pale pallor that announces that he spends all his time indoors playing video games. Is it still ok to say 'emo'?

Also a great wooden portrayal of Sainte Anne from the debut of the 16th holding baby Mary, the future mother of Jesus, in a BabyBjorn-style front carrier. Anne looks like she put on hardly any weight. Must have been following a program.

My favorite of this gallery is Irene giving St. Sebastian a tattoo on his thigh by candlelight using a big dart:

https://www.wikiart.org/fr/georges-de-la-tour/saint-sebastien-a-la-lanterne-soigne-par-irene-1630

I wandered around town taking in the holiday shoppers vibe and made it to the Gros Horloge for the noon bells. Amazing florist hard by the clock had his goods spilling over the cobbles since the weather was good.
https://www.lesfleursdupassage.fr/accueil
https://www.sessile.fr/trouvez-votre-fleuriste/les-fleurs-du-passage/

I returned to Pascaline for lunch, this time with a reservation, so they put me in the front by the windows. I wanted to go even more regional, so I started with a Pommeau instead of a pastis https://www.calvados-drouin.com/en/product/51/pommeau-de-normandie and a terrine de cochon for the starter. Main was duck thigh with baby peas. https://cuisine.journaldesfemmes.fr/recette/318912-cuisses-de-canard-et-petits-legumes-au-citron-confit-et-coriandre-facon-tajine Dessert was a plate of sliced figs over crisp pastry and chantilly. They treated me very well.

The current home of the law courts, the Palais de Justice, was the Normandy Parlement in the XVI c., and I wanted to get a look but the cops were in a cranky mood 'No touristes!' they insisted when I put my RS civita shoulder bag on the conveyor belt. If I'd worn my tie and left the bag I think I would have gotten in. It looks like they do accommodate visits during the high season https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rouen_Courthouse but when the driveway gate swung open and I stepped inside to take a photo the cops again hustled toward me with a bunch of Monsieur! Monsieur! and pointed at the verge/lintel/ property line. Why so tetchy? Do they think someone with ill intent would try to get through using a driveway route? When does that ever happen?

One last stroll through the holiday market (but under sunlight now) and I headed for the train station. The express-ish TER that I booked on my phone saved about 15 minutes (big whoop) and I got to my next lodging in the Marais at 5pm.

Normally I wouldn't want to stay on the rue de Rivoli b/c of the noise, but it's low season, and it turned out really well. I'll pick this up back at the Paris/Thanksgiving trip report.

GREAT report. Will be in Rouen for a few days in April. Will for sure take advantage of all your enlightening info. Thanks.

Rouen's war damage took place in 1944 as it was a rail junction point. The Allies bombed the rail lines and communication points repeatedly in preparation for D-Day as a way of choking off the Normandy battlefield.

I like Rouen, very interesting relative to its architecture, had been advised by French to visit the centre-ville and to see the big Napoleon statue in front of the city hall. That's about 3 mins from the Tourist Office where I asked about the exact location of this famous statue. Very nice, helpful and approachable staff in the Tourist Office.

@Fred, yes -- the cathedral and the parliament/courts had small exhibits about the reconstruction after the German invasion; typical numbers mentioned are 45% of the city destroyed and three thousand civilians killed. The populace was further demoralized by the Allied cutting the bridges and rail lines.

On some buildings along rue St. Lo near the palace of justice the shrapnel and light arms damage has been preserved on the ground floor facades, visible on google streetview here:

https://www.google.com/maps/@49.442677,1.0921571,3a,49.1y,259.65h,97.99t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sT-tWkMIU2fnTtJLeLzk0cw!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fcb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile%26w%3D900%26h%3D600%26pitch%3D-7.992698378190269%26panoid%3DT-tWkMIU2fnTtJLeLzk0cw%26yaw%3D259.6459447001363!7i16384!8i8192?hl=en-US&entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI0MTIxMS4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

Right now there is a modern artist using this as background for one of those tongue-in-cheek cartoon graffiti projects with punny associations, like you have seen around street name signs all over Europe.

Interesting rare film clips of Rouen during the war here:
https://www.criticalpast.com/stock-footage-video/Rouen+Normandy+France+1944

Truly delightful trip report, now we can spend a few days in Rouen and basically follow along with your visit - some of the meals sounded delightful, the TI excellent, and again I'm reminded of the serendipity of meeting friendly strangers. I had thought to focus mostly on the cathedral, but the Fine Arts Museum and the meals sound amazing, thank you!

The weather constrained my activity -- if it was nice out, I would have set time to do the local abbey visits, and probably take a few more breaks to sit outside a cafe and sample the regional treats. Rick has a route for the abbeys in his Normandy section.

Thanks for the Rouen information. I’ve known of the Beaux Arts for sometime and think I will schedule a few days in mid October this year before I take the Loire and South of France tour. I think it would be easy to spend 2-3 full days walking the city, seeing the museum and cathedral and Joan of Arc sights. There’s also a museum in LeHavre that is only an hour away by train that sounds pretty great. And a stop to dine at Pascaline will be a must. You have a great gift for description, thanks so much for sharing.

I notice that Pascaline has a winter menu posted on their webpage that includes beef tongue and andouillette. I thought I was stretching with the terrine de cochon in the Fall. :-)