Rouen

A fascinating city of more than 700,000 residents on the River Seine, Rouen was bombed during WWII but was restored and today survives as an important cultural hub. With a compact city center, it is easy to stroll and enjoy the sites, restaurants, and ambiance.

                                                                The Church of St. Maclou

 

                                                 Half-timbered buildings are everywhere in Rouen.

 

The homes are a constant preservation challenge. If one develops structural issues, every house in the row will likely need attention.

 

This small square was used to intern victims of the plague. Once graves were filled, older victims were removed and their remains stored in the mezzanine of the surrounding courtyard structure.

The above cat skeleton was found in the courtyard and encased in this window, although it is likely not more than 50 years old. A bit of gallows humor. 

Joan of Arc was burned alive at the stake in Rouen in 1431. The castle houses an exhibit of her life,  campaigns, and trial.

 

 Her image is evoked even today as a symbol of French resistance. Below is a WWII era poster. 

 

 Site of Joan of Arc's pyre in the Place de Vieux Marche.

The Gros Horloge astrological clock.

 

                                    Rouen Cathedral; the facade was completed in the 16th century. 

Monet completed many paintings of the Cathedral, working from this location. He stayed in rooms on the square opposite the Cathedral. 

 

One of the narrow walkways in the city. Unfortunately, such close proximity to one's neighbors promoted the spread of the plague and fires. 

 

When rebuilt after WWII, the Palace of Justice retained, as a grim reminder, some of the shrapnel markings sustained during bombing raids.

 

                                              This once official building is now a boutique hotel.

 

The excellent restaurant, La Couronne, states that it is the oldest in France, serving diners since 1345.

 

                                                      The food, and atmosphere, were terrific.

Antwerp, Belgium

                             The train station at Antwerp has been called the most beautiful in the world.

 

                                               

                                                                        Station exterior.

 

Festival Hall was originally completed in 1908, as a venue for parties, balls, and exhibitions.

 

                         Unfortunately destroyed by fire in 2000, it was rebuilt as an upscale retail location.

 

                                     Now a museum, famed artist Peter Paul Rubens lived here in 1610.

 

                                                       Ruben's mother lived in this location.

                                                        The Church of St. Charles Borromeo.

 

                                                            Guild Halls at the Grote Market.

 

                                                      Antwerp City Hall at the Grote Market.

 

                                             Castle Het Steen, on the banks of the River Scheldt.

 

The Cathedral of our Lady houses many works by Rubens.

 

 

                                                                The famed baroque pulpit.

                                                          Descent from the Cross, by Rubens.

 

                                                                The Resurrection of Christ.

 

                                                              Marble Madonna and Child

Bruges

This city, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is often referred to as the Venice of the North because of its extensive system of canals. Below is Minnewater Park, home to the legendary "Lake of Love." Minna, legend has it, was a young woman smitten with a warrior from a neighboring tribe. To avoid a marriage to someone else, arranged by her father, she fled into the forest. Although she found her lover she died, exhausted, in his arms.

 

The Beguinage of Bruges was formerly home to a community of single or widowed women, the beguines, who devoted themselves to charity. 

 

The famed swans of Bruges were allegedly forced upon the city by the Emperor Maximillian, after the townspeople captured the Emperor and killed a trusted advisor. He demanded that they maintain 101 swans (which consume a great deal and leave their droppings everywhere) for all eternity or the city would fall into ruin. The tradition of caring for the swans has been honored from the 1480's.

 

                             The medieval Saint-Jean Hospital, which actually functioned as a hospital until 1977.

 

                                    This was part of the castle-like home of a prominent brewer.

 

                            The Belfry of Bruges is a 13th-century belfry containing a carillon of 47 bells. 

                                                                                     

Market Square, with guild houses in the background.