From the cemetery it was a 90-minute drive to Rouen - the capital city of the Normandy region, complete with prostitute outside the Shell service station hehe (this blurry photo was the best I do while driving past ;) Our hotel was right on the Seine River (a long ways downstream of Paris). We went for a meander to find some grub, and called it a day.

So Rouen then, pronounce it how you will - we called it Ron. The place has quite a history as one of the capitals of the Anglo-Norman dynasties which ruled both England and large parts of modern France from the 11th to the 15th centuries. The centre of it at least is quite the mix of old and new, with old half-timbered buildings and grand churches and cathedrals now surrounded by modern-day architectural regretabilites.

Nowadays, Rouen is famous mostly for two things: the location of where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake in 1431, and its surviving half-timbered buildings everywhere. Joan of Arc is considered a national heroine of France, and led the French army to several important victories during the Hundred Years' War as a result of ‘visions' she had from God. She was eventually captured, tried, and executed at all of nineteen years old. This large ‘thing' on the left is the church of Saint Joan of Arc, the form of which represents the pyre on which Joan was scorched to a crisp. The shot on the right is a good example of those half-timbered buildings - nice!

And they really are everywhere - some of them looking like they'd collapse if I was to crash into them on my bike.

We spent a few hours feeding our faces and wandering about.

This is the Gros Horloge (Big Clock in English), an astronomical clock dating back to the 16th century.

Rouen's mighty Notre Dame Cathedral, covered in scaffolding as these things often are when I want to photograph them (the Duomo in Milan is another good example). Typically impressive and awe-inspiring inside, and colder than a witch's tit.

More timbered buildings on the verge...

Kristina's next birthday present...

A white guy and a short bald black man. Precious.

Wandering, wandering, wandering...

Big weekend market.

Wandering, wandering, wandering...

Another cathedral, in dire need of a clean. This one the Church of St. Ouen.

So yeah central Rouen is bloody nice for a wander, though I get the impression the rest of the city is nothing too spectacular as opposed to the likes of say Paris for example. Definitely worth a visit though!

And with that, the sun finally came out for the first time all weekend. I hate winter. Now then, all of you go watch Bon Voyage Charlie Brown - seriously you'll love it, get your hopes up. There are snippets of it on YouTube :)