1-13 April 2024 Paris, Rouen, Honfleur, Bayeaux, D-Day Beaches, Caen FR We originally asked the port capitaine for an extra week in port to wait for the strong current on the Seine to subside, but after more rain and even higher water we asked for a month. So we've been told we can stay up to 2 May if we need to, as someone is coming to take our spot then. Eglise Jeanne d'Arc - Rouen In that first week there was a lot of rain so we didn't go out much. But we did take a trip to the Maison de Photographie which wasn't far away. There they had some different exhibitions on. One was about Lisa Fonssagrives-Penn: Fashion Icon, who was the first "super model". It was facinating to see her career from a dancer in Sweden, to a model in Paris and New York to a fashion designer. And interesting to see the progress of fashion photography too. Yes - she really was on the Eiffel Tower for a fashion shoot. No wires or CGI. After the visit we went for a coffee and a look around the area. By Friday the water levels on the Seine were the same as those in the port so they prepared for high water in the port. This meant protecting the mechanisms on the port doors from the water, moving out the boats moored on the low part of the quay without any floating pontoon, and then opening the lock to the river. We were surprised at how quickly the port water, normally crystal clear, became muddy. We are moored against another boat (Evidence), which is mostly moored on the floating pontoon, but we generally get off the bow directly onto the quay. With the high water we had to adjust the ropes of Evidence (as Charles was away), and for a while had to get on and off Evidence via the floating pontoon as his bow was too high from the quay. This was a bit more tricky as there is a gap between Evidence and the quay of about 1/2 a metre. On Saturday I took a ride around to look at the latest (and higher) water level on the Seine. Amazingly the afternoon was warm so it was drinks on the beck deck of Aleau (one of the boats that had to move), with Jeannie and Jonathan. On Sunday Howard and I cycled over towards the Luxembourg Gardens south of the river. As my feet were very sore, we didn't venture into the gardens, but we were able to see a bit from the outside. Just as it started to rain, Mike and Sophie called so we retired to a cafe for a break and a chat. We came across The Sain-Sulpice church on our way home. We had chosen a route to the south as the Paris Marathon was on and went through the Bastille, cutting off many routes from the boat. Howard and I decided to take a break from Paris, as we didn't know how long we'd be stuck, so we hired a car and headed to Normandy on Monday morning. Our first stop was Les Andelys, a cute and historical town on the Seine. Above the town is a ruined castle, so we drove up to have a look from a lookout point. We also stopped at nother lookout point further up the road. Lovely views of the chalk cliffs overlooking the Seine. We then drove onto Rouen where we had booked a hotel for 3 nights. It was in a historic building but unfortunately the historical parts were being renovated. But it was a nice hotel in a good location, and even had a 18m long swimming pool which we made use of. We had a quiet first day in Rouen just looking around the area near the hotel. In the Place du Vieux Marché is the Saint Jeanne d'Arc church, opened in 1979, but with windows saved from a much older church that was bombed during WWII. There is also the pyre of Jeanne D'Arc who was burned at the stake there. Now a cross (calvary) marks the spot. We also walked up through a couple of the shopping streets to see the Gos-Horloge, a 14th century astronomical clock. On Wednesday we hired e-bikes. Howard had to bring mine to the hotel and then go back for his, but it gave us a lot more scope for looking around Rouen. After a ride up to the Donjon we found a cafe for a late breakfast. After that we went to the Aître Saint-Maclou, which was a place where they buried people during the plague, and later moved their bones to upper levels to make more room. It's history is quite interesting, as are some of the decorations. From there we headed towards the Cathedral via the Saint-Maclou church. A Petit Train passed us, which we caught up with at the Cathedral. We did their tour, with commentary in English which passed many of the places we had already visited. After this we visited the Cathedral, which is the highest in France due to the extremely tall tower. After seeing the inside we had a look around the Place de la Cathedral and the nearby Place de La Calende which also had a nice view of the cathedral. From here we went down to the waterfront. One of the highlights was the Gustave-Flaubert bridge which is the highest lift bridge in Europe. We could also see some of the flotsam that had been left on the banks after the recent flood. And finally a few more stops in Rouen City before returning our bikes. We had another swim and relax before going out for our special meal at Paul-Arthur, just next door to our hotel. The next morning we checked out and headed to Honfleur for brunch. We then had a drive along the coast and headed to Bayeaux to see the Tapestry, which was great. From Bayeaux we headed to Vierville-sur-Mer to our holiday house near Omaha Beach, one of the D-Day beaches. After a quick trip to the supermarket we visited the beach which looked tranquil. Finally on Friday we had some nice weather for our look around some of the memorials on the D-Day beaches. Our first stop was Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer where there were 2 D-Day memorials. Then we went to the American Cemetary where we were luckily able to borrow a wheelchair for me. Then we headed to Port-en-Bessin for lunch. This was a very active fishing port with a well protected harbour. And some nice restaurants. From there we headed to Longues-sur-Mer where there is still a german gun battery in place. Howard was able to drop me off very close by before parking the car and joining me. We had planned to go to the Musée du Débarquement at Arromanches-les-Bains, which explained how the Allies set up temporary harbours after D-Day to bring in supplies and equipment. Unfortunately there were a lot of road closures and we couldn't drive there, so settled for going to the coast and looking at the remains of the "temporary harbour" which are still in place. Our final stop was at the German cemetary, which was smaller but also quite moving. On Saturday we had decided to stop at the Caen Memorial and Museum, which had been recommended as a great WWII museum. We spent quite a few hours there before setting off home, via the fishing tackle shop where Howard finally got his fishing license. There was a lot of traffic coming home and, by the time we arrived at 8pm, the port was already closed, as was the hire car place, so we had to find a car park on the street. Luckily we found one not too far away and it was free after 8pm and all Sunday. So we lugged all our stuff home, and Howard returned the car in the morning.
The water levels on the Seine were still high so it will still be a while before we leave. But if your going to be stuck then Paris isn't a bad place to be stuck in !
4 Comments
Geoff Hudson
21/4/2024 07:27:25 am
Wonderful pictures Deb! So many interesting places to explore in that area...
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Becky
21/4/2024 09:27:44 am
What a fabulous journey you provided with your blog and photos! The good part about the Seine in flood is you made the most of being stuck by visiting other areas of France. All the best,
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Pamela Dalgliesh
21/4/2024 10:47:07 am
Hi Deb and Howard. Just finished reading the last blog of you been stranded in Paris. Great to take advantage of an unexpected situation…. Love the photos and the stories. We are currently in Broken Hill on a 3 week trip in our van. The weather in Mansfiled is just fantastic at the moment! We’re off to Europe at the end of July for 2 months! Take care and travel safely. Pamela
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Johanna Hersey
22/4/2024 12:57:45 am
Since you went to Normandy, have a look at this:
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