Day 10 ROUEN 15.08.2022

Today we went on a city tour again. For that, we got a senior ticket with 20 trips for €10.80 from the bus stop. But when we stamped it on the bus, we realized that it could only be validated once. My idea of using it 20 times for two people didn't work out!? So one person always rode without a valid ticket!

At the tourist information office, we gathered background information for our planned trip to Le Havre by train the next day. We were already wondering how empty the city was. Assumption of Mary is a holiday throughout France, so almost all shops were closed. Only the hairdressers were mostly open. Strange? But it was perfect for our tour! After visiting the cathedral, another 'Notre Dame', where some of Monet's paintings were supposed to be on display (unfortunately not visible due to restoration work!?), we walked through the nearly empty streets. Rouen is characterized by a large number of old half-timbered houses, which can be dated chronologically by their different colors and architectural styles. Until the time of the plague (1520), the houses were allowed to be built with overhanging upper stories. The ban at the time was believed to prevent the spread of the plague by keeping the houses further apart. The plague cemetery, which was accommodated in a building with several levels and is still worth visiting today, proves the opposite. A pastry shop nearby offered so-called chocolate fingers with gold leaf. Karin was thrilled because they tasted so excellent. We finished our day with a walk along the Seine, which is frequented by many river cruises here. The large ships were lined up directly behind each other and sometimes blocked the direct view of the water. Their own flags and access controls indicated the presence of cruise ship conditions. The crews cleaned the boats and organized the bicycles that the guests could use for their own excursions. 'If we get old one day, maybe we'll do a cruise like that too!' was all Karin could say about it. We took another ride without a valid ticket to get back to the youth hostel, and the cold pizza leftovers and chicken and fruit from the 'Alimentation' served as our dinner at the youth hostel.