The Road to Rack and Rouen Part One By David Scherpenhuizen & Nathalie van Koot Rouen is the capital of Normandy and a city steeped in history, local lore and mysteries. Come with us on a journey of discovery and sample some of the delights and surprises Rouen has to offer.
Monet’s city
Our tour kicks off at Place de la Cathédrale, in front of the city’s remarkable, ornate Office de Tourisme. It’s a fine starting point because the Tourist office is a beautiful renaissance building that served as a tax office in the 16th century. It’s not hard to see where the hard-earned
money of the citizens of Rouen went. Directly opposite the building looms Rouen’s pride; the magnificent cathedral of Notre Dame. The famous impressionist Claude Monet painted more than 30 studies of the towering edifice in all kinds of weather conditions as the deep shadows played across it’s rough-hewn exterior. Many of the impressive canvasses were painted on the top storey of the Tourist Office, which was a lingerie store at the time. Monet sat at the paneglass window, hidden behind a screen, working intently while customers tried on corsets and suspenders. Not surprisingly, Monet was quite happy with the arrangement but the clients were less satisfied and he was politely but strongly urged to look for a different studio. The cathedral is the highlight of any visit to Rouen but the city has much more to offer so let’s save the best for last and first go on a stroll through the rest of Rouen. www.nfornormandy.com • February 2011 • 41