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SEINE VALLEY - NORMANDY The Tourist and Conference Information Centre Magazine

Up and coming Normandy - a land of rich and plenty Lifestyle The Tour de France comes to Rouen Savour the flavour Local produce Out and about Messing about in boats

edition 2012 - 2013 €2 1-REVER2012 UK_Mise en page 1 12/06/12 15:50 PageC2 1-REVER2012 UK_Mise en page 1 12/06/12 15:51 Page1

SEINE VALLEY - NORMANDY The Tourist and Conference Information Centre Magazine

Up and coming Normandy - a land of rich and plenty Lifestyle The Tour de France comes to Rouen Savour the flavour Local produce Out and about Messing about in boats

Contents edition 2012 - 2013 €2

Up and coming 5 600th anniversary of the birth of Joan of Arc 15 The label ‘Region of Art and History’ 20 Saint-Maclou reborn 24 Normandy - a land of rich and plenty 31 Rouen 2013, a year to remember lifestyle Lifestyle 36 The Tour de France comes to Rouen 43 Take a spin in the Seine valley 46 River cruises 50 Convention and congress centre Savour the flavour 52 Local produce 56 Some of our favourite addresses 59 Rooms in the community 63 Rooms with a view 67 What’s on the menu today? Out and about 72 Modern art 76 Seine river ferries 80 Take another look 82 Rouen city pass 83 Rouen opera 50 years on 90 Events diary 91 Addresses

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Forward

The CREA (short for the Rouen Elbeuf Austreberthe Community) is an urban area with an exceptional historic cultural heritage and, if that were not enough, it is also surrounded by an extraordinarily beautiful and diverse natural environment. The CREA has made the preservation and protection of this environment a top priority and the river Seine is clearly at the very heart of this. A fundamental part of this policy was to be awarded the Ministry of Culture’s quality label ‘Ville d’art et d’histoire’ which we achieved in 2011 and which is now the basis for further action to enhance our environment and surroundings. 2012 sees the launch of a specific programme of guided visits to promote the region’s many and diverse monuments and sites of interest which we hope will encourage people to get out and enjoy them. The Tour de France comes to Rouen on the 4/5th July as part of the 99th round France cycle race. This is an unprecedented opportunity to bring our city’s amazing buildings and the beauty and variety of all the communes that go to make up the CREA into the homes and to the attention of the millions of spectators around the world who follow the event on the television. To mark the Tour’s passage the CREA will be putting on exhibitions and events in memory of our local hero, cycling champion Jacques Anquetil. 2012 is also the anniversary of the birth of Joan of Arc. The CREA has recently unveiled its plans for the inauguration of a new Joan of Arc Visitors’ Centre in memory of our national heroine who met her tragic end here in Rouen. This new museum, which opens in 2014, will bring the dramatic and troubled times that the Maid lived through to life and tell the fascinating story of her life and legend, giving visitors from the four corners of the globe the chance to discover and to understand the real Joan. Joan is the symbol of the whole French nation, a truly French heroine not tied to a particular faction or section of society, and we hope that in creating this new centre we will bring her life and sacrifice to the attention of the world. The centre will be housed in the historic Archbishop’s palace - a unique building of unparalleled beauty which up to now has not been open to the public. 2013 is year that is full of promise as we look forward to the second edition of the Normandy Impressionist Festival as well as the 6th Rouen Armada. Our city and region will be centre of the International stage as we host these two major events. The Seine will come into its own as it welcomes the world’s loveliest sailing ships and we celebrate its beauty captured on canvass forever by the impressionist masters who were fascinated and inspired by Rouen, the river and the light here in Normandy. This magazine will give you a taste of what is in store and I hope that you will all enjoy reading it as much as I did. With my best wishes,

The President of the CREA

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4 1-REVER2012 UK_Mise en page 1 12/06/12 15:51 Page5 Up and coming

This day, the girl known as Joan was questioned and asked her name and surname. She told us that in the place of her birth she was known as Joanie but that in France she was called Joan. She did not know her surname and, when asked where she was born, she replied that she had been born in a village called Domrémy de Grus, ‘the church being in the place called Grus’.

1412-2012: The 600th anniversary of Joan of Arc’s birth Extract from the first public questioning of Joan of Arc, 21st February 1431, held in the the Royal Chapel in the Château,Rouen 1-REVER2012 UK_Mise en page 1 12/06/12 15:51 Page6

Joan an enigma

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The 600th anniversary of Joan of Arc’s birth

n May 31st 1431 Joan of Arc Born in Domrémy 600 years ago, Joan is probably was burned live in Rouen by the best-known figure of the 15th century. She was the English. Her ashes were im- written about in her own lifetime and today she O mediately thrown into the Seine in an attempt to wash away her remains the subject of many an article and books, very existence. However, many of the writings that range from the serious and to the far- events of Joan’s life, from her birth 600 fetched. And yet her place in history is limited to a years ago to her death in this city, were noted down and recorded by the chro- brief two-year period between the siege of Orleans niclers, poets and churchmen of her and her death at the stake at Rouen aged just 19. day. There are very few figures whose appearance on the stage of history is so brief who have been studied and scru- tinised in such depth. When the En- glish threw her ashes into the river they merely added to the 1940 when France threw herself into Petain’s open arms.’ legend of France’s young martyr. The myth of Joan was in The Dauphin’s inner circle quickly saw the political advan- full flow and no one could stop it. tage that was to be obtained from promoting this young pro- Jean Maurice former dean of Rouen University’s history fa- phetess. ‘The ingredients were all in place and they had only culty, ‘says that it is impossible to distinguish between fact and to sit back and watch events take their course’, adds Jean fiction where Joan of Arc is concerned, even if we can identify Maurice. the historical facts as they were recorded at the time’. And this is just the start of the problem. The facts of her story and Political spin Joan’s heroic deeds are well known as they are documented Speaking in the political language of today, Joan was imme- by contemporary witnesses but it is ‘the interpretation or the diately identified by the Dauphin and his entourage as a spin’ that has been put on them, as the historian explains, trump card in the game of spin. This unknown girl from a which leads us to question their very basis. tiny village on the edges of the kingdom was of no interest militarily. She did not come with fresh troops and she had As predicted in the Bible no financial backers but her faith in her mission was unsha- ‘In the Middle Ages people thought that the events of the present keable and that alone would enable her to breathe life into had been predicted in the Bible,’ says Jean Maurice. ‘This the Armagnacs, the Dauphin’s political party. means that Joan of Arc quickly became a living Esther, Debo- When Joan arrived on the scene, the then tiny kingdom of rah or even Judith.’ These three women, who figure in the France was in complete disarray. Orleans was under siege Old Testament, are among the oldest examples of heroic wo- and, if the town were to fall, the English would carry before men found in the Judeo-Christian tradition. Esther saves her them all those parts of the south remaining loyal to the Dau- people from the destruction planned by the Persian minis- phin. ‘Towns were deserted, homes abandoned, fields left fallow, ter Haman. Deborah raises an army and triumphs over churches were without priests, terror stalked the land where peace Canaan. And Judith staves of the threat of invasion by de- and safety were things of the past. People were slaughtered in- capitating an enemy general. One is a prophetess, one is a discriminately like beasts, a great quantity of Christian blood warrior and the third a young widow. The portrayal of was spilled and virtue lay quivering in the dust trampled un- these three biblical heroines would be closely entwined with derfoot by the ungodly,’ wrote Bishop Martin Berruier, a the reality of Joan from the first of her military exploits at contemporary of Joan’s. Orleans in May 1429. The political eyes of Europe were watching the siege of Or- ‘From the start of Joan’s story, the historical events are inextri- leans closely as the outcome would be decisive. Charles cably linked with the mythical image of the woman warriors as knew that in Joan he had found a make or break opportu- portrayed by the Bible,’ explains the medieval specialist. nity. First he had her examined by a group of wise women Was she a warrior chief or merely a standard bearer? The de- at Poitiers in March 1429. Their task was to certify that the bate among the experts continues to this day. According to young girl was still a virgin. If she were all was well but if not Jean Maurice: ‘One thing is certain, the political situation of she would have been branded as the devil’s envoy and her 1429 was such that the Dauphin Charles and his counsellors voices would be seen as proof of her pact with Satan, such and, most importantly, his mother-in-law Yolande d’Aragon, was the belief of the day. Charles had to be sure that his new were prepared to listen to an illiterate peasant girl. France was political gimmick would not boomerang on him before he in dire straits and the Dauphin ready to clutch at any straw to sent Joan off to marshall his troops in Orleans. The girl was find a way out of the desperate situation in which he found him- not a witch; the council of women confirmed Joan’s virgi- self. A modern-day parallel would be the events leading up to nity – a state that two years later in Rouen the English would question. They ordered that Joan should again by examined by women but this council brought in the same verdict as that of Poitiers. Joan was virga intacta. Joan of Arc is questionned in her cell Once he was sure of his hand Charles sent Joan to Orleans Paul DELAROCHE, 1824 at the head of the relief column. They found the troops com- © C. Lancien, C. Loisel / Musées de la Ville de Rouen pletely demoralised and weary of the siege which neither side

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Joan of Arc being led to the stake Isidore PATROIS, 1867 © C. Lancien, C. Loisel / Musées de la Ville de Rouen

could break. Joan’s faith was to change all that. The rest is Christine de Pisan is often cited by university lecturers as history. Thanks to Joan, the Dauphin and his advisor Yo- being a feminist ahead of her time, and with good reason. lande of Aragon pulled off their coup and were able to give For the poetess, Joan would be a great deal more than a sim- a new momentum and aura to their party. The marketing ple heroine, for even before her death in Rouen Joan was to image of Joan of Arc was born and the political fall-out was become a popular symbol of the struggle between men and astonishing. Charles would be crowned at Reims on July women in the battle for equality. ‘Wow, what honour she 17, 1429. ‘Then’, Jean Maurice continues, ‘when he no lon- brings to the female sex,’ writes Christine de Pisan in verse 34 ger needed her, he turned his back on her.’ of her poem before triumphantly writing that Joan ‘did what However, we cannot reduce the story of Joan of Arc just to no man had been able to before’. an act of political expediency. First used as a pawn by the Ironically it would be this revindication of women’s rights Dauphin, the future Charles VII, and his mother-in-law, as symbolised by Joan in de Pisan’s verses that was a major Joan has been picked up by the ideologies of left and right factor in her condemnation at her trial in Rouen. It was be- wing French political parties since the 19th century and this cause she wore men’s clothes that she was judged a heretic continues to the present day. If her story remains ever before recanting and finally being taken to execution at the popular, it is the non-religious aspect, it is Joan the girl, that stake. Christine de Pisan would not have hesitated perhaps ensures her enduring place in history. to make Joan a victim in a male-dominated world for after all Joan’s judges had nothing more substantial to throw at A feminist figure her than the fact that she had dared to set herself up as an It was the poetess Christine de Pisan (1364-1431) who equal to men. would first promote the sociological dimension of Joan’s personality. While her King, Charles VII, would see her as a mere political tool to be used again his enemies, Christine Joan of Arc sleeping de Pisan made Joan a champion of the feminist cause in her George William JOY, 1895 own lifetime (even if the term feminist is a modern term out © C. Lancien, C. Loisel / Musées de la Ville de Rouen of place in the context of the 15th century). Jean Maurice explains: ‘In the 15th century there was a revival of the courtly ideal. This 12th century concept was the first expression of secular thought since ancient times. The epoch in which Joan of Arc lived was marked by the debate around the ‘Roman de la Rose’, a debate in which Christine de Pisan was a prominent player and in which she championed the cause of women against the prevailing misogyny of the time.’ Christine de Pisan wrote a long poem dedicated to the Maid of Orleans. Called the ‘Ditty of Joan of Arc’, the poem presents the teenager from Domrémy as the equal of men and even dares to suggest that she is above them: ‘…amongst our valiant and skilful knights she is our uncontested captain.’

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The 600th anniversary of Joan of Arc’s birth Interview Joan, « is a ‘beautiful and intensely touching’ figure » says fo rm er prime minister Mr Laurent Fabius, now President of th e CREA and th e driving fo rce behind th e creation of th e new Joan of Arc Visitors’ Centre.

Question: Joan of Arc is inextricably gothic crypts which are beneath the perspective the successive versions linked to Rouen but there are very Aubigné chapel as far as the Grand of Joan’s character that have been few artifacts dating from her time Comble above the hall known as the portrayed throughout history and to demonstrate this historical Salle des Etats de l’hôtel d’Estouti- which are part of our national heri- connection. Is that why you have ville. I am grateful to the chief archi- tage. Over and above the historic decided to set up a visitors’ centre tect of France’s historic monuments facts, everybody always has their rather than a traditional museum? and the cultural project consultant own personal vision of Joan but we What will be on show? with whom we are working because hope that the information on show Laurent Fabius: It is a little early in the they have come up with an absolu- will help the public understand the day to talk in detail about this project tely first-class project, making the whole and arrive at their own conclu- as it’s just getting off the ground. But best use of the rather limited space sions. just let me say that in Rouen the tra- available within what is a truly ex- Personally, I think that the project will gic destiny of Joan is to be found ceptional building. be a tremendous success. wherever we look. In the buildings Visitors will be able to accompany where her faith was put to the test, in characters from Joan’s time through Q: Speaking personally then, how do the donjon where she was threate- an exhibition trail that uses modern you feel about Joan? ned with torture, in the archbishop’s audio-visual techniques to recreate LF: Joan is unique. There is no-one palace where her trial took place - the 15th century. The visitor will be else like her in the history of France. and which is where we hope to open able to interact with a number of dif- She is so determined and yet so fra- the centre - and, of course, in the ferent tableaux depicting the key gile. All the facts that have been pu- Place du Vieux Marché where she points of Joan’s life and ending on a blished about her cannot take away was brought to the stake. symbolic rise from darkness into light. from her enigmatic and charismatic Apart from these buildings very few personality, nor the mystery that sur- objects have survived so the new Q: Joan of Arc is probably the best rounds her. Her life was filled with centre will try to recreate Joan’s life known figure of the 15th century incident and it is easy to be overw- and times rather than just place a and there is a wealth of documen- helmed by the emotion of her tra- quantity of objects on display. We tary evidence that helps us recons- gedy which never fails to touch us. I hope that by using modern techno- truct the facts – but at the same time am thinking of moments like her ar- logy to create an historical expe- she is a legendary figure. Which as- rival before the town of Orleans or rience rooted in fact while remaining pects do you expect the visitors’ the dignity of her resistance in front accessible and interesting for all our centre to concentrate on? of her judges. These are the critical visitors, we will bring to life the little LLF: The visitors’ centre will be points that underwrite the strength of we really know about Joan. unique as it will show both Joan’s Dreyer’s silent masterpiece ‘The pas- story in history as well as the history sion of Joan of Arc’. My hope is that, Q: The Joan of Arc visitors’ centre of her story. Already in her own life- thanks to the new centre, the visitor will be housed in the two 13th cen- time she was a controversial figure will be able to appreciate Joan’s des- tury crypts within the archbishop’s and one could say a legend and since tiny and put her achievements for palace, so how do you envisage its her death there have been so many our country into context and yet, organization? interpretations of her role in history going beyond all of this, find their LF: Our idea is that the centre will be as well as attempts to appropriate own vision of Joan of Arc. a exhibition on five different levels, her as a symbol. We will be aiming to moving from the romanesque and present a balanced view, putting into

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Rouen 600 years ago The 15th century

Rouen like the rest of the Kingdom of France was in a sorry state at the end of the 14th century after countless waves of plaque and famine. The Hundred Years War had forced the city of Rouen to divert huge sums of money into the construction of new fortified outside walls yet the ‘tax breaks’ that had been granted to Rouen by the Dukes of Normandy were not upheld so the royal demands for money were a huge burden on the population. Rouen at that time was the second most important city in France. When Joan of Arc was brought to the city in December 1430 the town had been under English rule since 1419 and the 30 years or so of occupation had not improved the city’s economic prosperity. After the liberation of Rouen in 1449 by Charles VII the city found a new lease of life. Work began again on the unfinished structure of the cathedral and the town welcomed the new learning of the Renaissance with enthusiasm. However, as we will show you, the Rouen of the 15th century has not completely disappeared and is still there for you to see right in the heart of the city.

A walled city Rouen fell to the English king Henry V after six months of fierce resistance on the 19 January 1419.The city had managed to resist for so long thanks to her 12th and 13th century fortifications. The fall of Rouen was a heavy loss for the French crown as Normandy alone accounted for one third of the crown’s income. But the city was abandoned to her fate by the mad King Charles VI. Deprived of support and provisions, starvation forced the city to capitulate and many of Rouen’s citizens were killed in the ensuing massacre. The fortifications that date from the 15th century follow the lines of today’s outer boulevards and many sections of the wall are still visible to the north of the city. The names of the city’s gates are still used, although they have long since disappeared.

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600e anniversaire de Jeanne d’Arc

Canons’ twitern The Gros Horloge Damiette street Rouen in the 15th century was a clocktower The name of this street comes from a place compact and dense city with tiny If you wanted to know the time in in Egypt conquered by the French king St narrow streets, some only wide 15th century Rouen then you would Louis while on the Crusades. Today the rue enough to let two people pass each have looked at the clock on the Gros Damiette is the very centre of Rouen’s other like the tiny ‘Canons’ passage Horloge and listened to the chime of famous antique shop district. The house which links the rue Saint Nicolas with its bells. The clock did not look marked ‘N° 1 Lieutenant Aubert Square’ the rue St Romain. exactly as it does today as the arch and on the northern end of the street dates The gloomy nature of the city was the double-sided faces were 16th from the 15th century. The ground floor is the perfect example of what a 15th century heightened by the fact that, unlike century additions over what had once shop would have looked like. The house at other medieval cities, Rouen was not been the ancient ‘massacre gate’, number 14 is also a fine example of laid out geometrically and many parts formerly part of the Gallo-Roman medieval architecture. of the town had been simply added city’s defenses. The fountain that you on in order to provide fortifications On the western side of the street, between can see to the side of the belfry dates from which to defend the city. numbers 17 and 21, is the little Square from the 18th century. There was no notion of urban d’Etameur which in the old days would The bell that rang out the curfew in planning or council services in those have been edged by the river Robec, 15th century is called ‘Cache Ribaud’ days so people simply emptied their running as it did through what is now the (Darkness hides criminels) and the rubbish and their latrines into the Old Mill Passage (Passage des Anciens same bell stills rings at 9 pm to this day. streets from the overhangs that jutted Moulins). The Robec ran through the city The Gros Horloge belfry was the out from their houses. Some of the and on its bank there were many windmills overhangs were so large that barely proud symbol of secular power, and if you look into this little dead-end any light reached the streets, making standing as it did just opposite the old passage you will see that there is a 15th them dingy and very foul smelling, Town Hall which was on the northern century stone mill still standing at the especially as animals were allowed to side of the street. end on the right. run loose through the streets, rootling The original belfry was destroyed by in the rubbish and adding their own Charles VI after the Harelle riots in Old Market Square droppings to the mix. However, in 1382. The riots had been sparked as a spite of this rather insalubrious protest against the burden of royal description, people in the 15th taxation and, despite of a royal edict century did have notions of hygiene. banning the reconstruction of the Some of the more polluting tower, it was rebuilt at the end of the industries, such as butchery and 14th century. tanning, were moved to the outskirts The mechanism dates from 1389 and, La Couronne: The in an attempt to improve the air. from the addition of the clock faces at oldest Inn in France. Overhangs were not finally banned the beginning of the 16th century The licence dates until the 16th century as a measure to until the early 20th century, it drove from 1345 and there reduce the risk of fire spreading from the moving parts on the clock. In was a Couronne on one house to another but this also 1928 it was replaced by electric works, this spot when Joan meant that the streets became a lot although the original is still on was executed. display. lighter as a result. 11 1-REVER2012 UK_Mise en page 1 12/06/12 15:51 Page12

Following in Joan’s footsteps

Joan’s prison Joan was captured by the Burgundians during the siege of Compiegne on May 2 or 3, 1430. She was taken to the Chateau Joan’s days de Beaulieu in the Oise department from which she tried to escape. After that she was transferred to the Chateau de Beaurevoir in the Aisne department in Rouen where, after a second unsuccessful attempt at escape during which she was injured, she was sold to the English. So began Joan’s final journey. She was taken through the towns of Arras, Drugy, Joan was burned alive on May 30, Le Crotoy to Saint-Valéry sur Somme, 1431 in the usual place of execution where she saw the sea for the first time, and then to Dieppe. ‘When Joan arrived the Place du Vieux Marché. Her in Rouen she was placed in a cell in one of ashes were then thrown into the the towers of Philippe Augustu’s château. Seine at the level of today’s The exact spot is today’s 102 rue Jeanne Boieldieu Bridge. Commonly known d’Arc,’ says Lisa. ‘This would have been on as ‘the Maid’ (a term applied to all either December 23 or 24 and not on The church young women in the Middle Ages Christmas Day itself as it says on the plaque whether they were virgins or not), on the wall.’ of St Joan of Arc she remains closely associated to Inside number 102 you can see the Designed by architect Jean Arecht and the Norman capital which, since ground level of the tower where Joan was constructed in 1975, the church is 1878, commemorates her each incarcerated, a well and the foundations built on the site of what was once the May. of the very tower in which she was held covered market. The church has prisoner and subjected to a first hearing Read on as Rouen Seine Valley contemporary style but it contains by her judges. For a woman to be held Tourist Office guide Lisa Concato 13 stained glass panels from the 16th captive and guarded by male-only gaolers century church of St Vincent which takes us on a visit to the places that was not common practice. Philippe was destroyed in the 1944 bombing Joan would have known during her Augustu’s château was destroyed at the short time in Rouen after her arrival order of Henri IV as it had been badly raids. Against the wall of the church here in December 1430… damaged during the Wars of Religion in on the western side of the square France and all that remains is the keep, stands the memorial to Joan while the known today as the Joan of Arc Tower. northern sides of the square are still a N° 102 rue Jeanne d’Arc is open covered market. weekdays during office hours. 12 1-REVER2012 UK_Mise en page 1 12/06/12 15:52 Page13

The 600th anniversary of joan of arc’s birth

Inside the Archbishop’s palace It was here, in the chapel in the very heart of the palace, on May 29, 1431 that the final episode in the saga of Joan’s trial took place. This is the place The St Ouen Gardens The Joan of Arc tower where the future Joan of Arc visitor On May 24, 1431 Joan abjured or On May 9, 1431 Joan was taken to centre will be housed from 2014. recanted, confessing her sins in the the lower hall of this imposing keep cemetery attached to the St Ouen so that her judges could frighten her Abbey Church. The cemetery is now by showing her the instruments of the entrance to the gardens on the rue torture that might be used against her. Damiette side opposite the Marmosets gate. It was here that Joan was ‘This was not unusual and it was how declared a heretic and taken to the all trials held by the Inquisition started,’ scaffold during a ceremony of mock explains Lisa, but Joan was not execution. Joan was forced to tortured. recognize the error of her ways and The keep is named after Joan, beg for the church’s forgiveness and although she was only there for one pardon and in return her life would be day. It was part of the great château spared. Joan’s recantation is recorded built by King Philippe Augustus of and she signs the paper with a cross, France after he had captured Rouen although we know that she was able to sign her name properly, and she from the Dukes of Normandy. Built believed that she would be allowed to between 1204 and 1210, the pointed live out her days in an ecclesiastical roof was a 19th century addition as prison. the tower was then being used a The Place du Vieux Marché However, the judges broke their spinning room and laundry by a or old market square promise and returned Joan to her nearby convent. During the German English jailers. Threatened with rape On the morning of May 30, 1431 occupation of WW2 the tower was by the guards, Joan tried to protect covered in camouflage paint. Today it Joan was escorted from the cell and herself, putting on her old masculine is a Seine Maritime departmental taken to the Old Market Square, the garb. The judges then seize on this as place where executions were held in an excuse to say that she had museum dedicated to the memory of Rouen. She was then handed over to ‘relapsed’, a crime for which the Joan. the secular courts for justice. Her ashes church cannot give pardons and so Open daily from 10 am to 12.30 were thrown into the Seine at the level her fate is sealed. pm and from 2 pm to 6 pm, except of what is today the Boieldieu bridge. 20 years later, on July 7, 1456 in the Tuesdays, Sunday morning and At her pardon in 1456 it was very same place as she was some public holidays (5 pm from condemned, took place the ceremony stipulated that a cross be erected in her October 1 to March 31) and from to overturn the trial and pardon Joan. 2 pm to 6 pm on Sundays (5.30 pm memory on the spot where her Under the instruction of the from October 1 to March 31). execution had taken place and that it Inquisitor Jean Bréhal and the Bishop should remain there as a perpetual of Lisieux, Thomas Basin, the trial memorial to her suffering. was declared null and void. 13 1-REVER2012 UK_Mise en page 1 12/06/12 15:52 Page14

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The label ‘Region of Art and History’ Breathtaking scenery

In 2011 the Community of Rouen Elbeuf Austreberthe agglomeration (the CREA) received the prestigious French award ‘Regions and Cities of Art and History’. The label is awarded to local communities which wish to engage in heritage development projects and encourage architectural creation. The term ‘heritage’ covers a broad spectrum and refers to natural, architectural and industrial as well as historic environments. Getting the label is recognition of the work already undertaken by the CREA but it will also impact the future projects of modernisation for the area’s industrial wastelands.

oth Rouen and Elbeuf have been awarded this proud of this acknowledgement of the beauty and renowned label. Getting it is both a recognition importance of the area’s historic buildings and stun- of the beauty of our area as well as an acknowled- ning scenery. B gement of the inestimable value of our architec- ‘The Ministry of Culture is especially interested in this tural and historical heritage. To be awarded the label of particular area to see how former industrial cities can ‘Regions and Cities of Art and History’ is also a reco- recycle themselves as contemporary urban centres and how gnition of the hard work and determination of the two they can become attractive and lively and rediscover their urban authorities to preserve and refurbish, thus brin- zest for life,’ explains Caroline Puech, locally in charge ging new life and new projects to the region. of the label. ‘The label is called “Regions and Cities of Art Statistics show that Rouen has the highest concentra- and History” and its attributions will mean extra funding tion of historic buildings in France as well as the for new and exciting projects but it goes a lot further than oldest. Rouen has an amazing 71 buildings already lis- that… What got us the extension is the way we have tack- ted and another 165 under consideration. In contrast led the problem of industrial wastelands and how they Elbeuf is a former textile town which has striven to have been transformed into projects that embellish and relook her industrial past. The granting of an extension add to our cities.’ to all the communities within the CREA is a first in the label’s history. Our heritage revisited The CREA is made up of 70 different communes with Let’s take a quick tour around our area: a total population of half a million who can all be Take the Cailly valley, which in the 19th century was

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known as ‘Little Manchester’ because of the numerous elasticated cloth. Since 1984 this imposing building, factory chimneys. What about the beautiful river built between 1875 and 1880, has been transformed bends with their densely wooded banks or the splendid into the Normandy College of Architecture. architecture of the many abbeys that overlook the busy Another example is the 18th and 19th century buil- waters of the Seine? Moving closer to Rouen, the ding now called the ‘Knowledge Centre’. The former beauty of the grain silos in the port, the magnificent municipal boys’ school has been transformed into an 18th century town houses in Rouen or the stately energy-friendly building that houses over 15 different Flaubert bridge over the Seine, the highest lift bridge associations working with training, health, the envi- in the world. Wherever you look, there is something to ronment and culture. see: either a site of incredible natural beauty or a In Elbeuf the former BLIN BLIN drapery factory is monument to the rich historical past of this area. now an industrial heritage centre called the Fabrique But the CREA has not been content to sit on its lau- des savoirs or Memory Factory which puts on exhibi- rels, there has been an ambitious programme to relook tions about natural sciences, archaeology and indus- and revive every inch of the environment. trial history as well being a home for local archives. A good example is the Fromage Factory which made Nearby the Gasse and Canthelou textile factory has

been turned into flats and a successful housing project, winning the 2011 Auguste Perret regional architectural prize for urban development. There are many such examples throughout the region of successful ideas in both the public and private sectors. Take the Docks 76 project, for example, where former warehouses have been turned into a bright and spacious shopping mall or a second example of a housing project in what was once a cloth factory which now houses attractive loft apartments in Rouen’s rue d’Elbeuf. The ‘City of Art’ classification is more than just a cos- metic certification process. The CREA and the surrounding area have many architectural treasures with 332 buildings that are either listed or in the process of being classified by the ministry and so we had a head start in the raw materials required. However, getting the label is proof of our enthusiastic response to urban development and the transformation of old structures into useful and exciting projects for today and tomorrow. 16 1-REVER2012 UK_Mise en page 1 12/06/12 15:52 Page17

The label ‘Region of Art and History’

Two sides to the river The CREA has a history that dates back centuries and the development of the area is largely thanks to the Seine River’s all- important influence. The setting is spectacular and the river remains as it always has at the centre of the community. There are always two sides to every story and, just as the waters of the river Seine are both salt and sweet, the CREA has both an urban and a rural face. This is an area of complementary strengths where you will find seafarers and river boatmen, barges and cruise liners, ships and Seine river ferries. Upstream the Seine meanders gently through lines of chalky cliffs and alluvial flood plains, past wooded banks, tiny islands and tri- butaries as the waters flow ever on, lapping at the cruise liners and the barges as they glide slowly toward the Normandy capital Rouen. The contrasting faces of the Seine, sea-port and river-port, meet in the swirling waters around the Ile Lacroix. Downstream the landscape offers views of the busy port, cereal silos before giving way to the rolling hills and the abbeys and picturesque villages so loved by the Impressionists. This magic blend of industrial town and lush countryside to be found along the banks of the Seine has given our region a unique identity known throughout the world. However, the Seine is not Rouen’s only river. There are four others that run down the valleys to the east and north of the city. Once manufacturing heartlands, today they are places of historical interest and the many mills dating from the Middle Ages and the former textile factories of the 18th and 19th centuries bear witness to Rouen’s industrial past. Forests Forests are an important part of the Normandy capital’s identity, as forest and woodlands cover over 21,000 hectares or almost a third of the CREA’s territory. Three Forest Discovery Centres welcome young and old as well as school groups, giving them information about the particular environment and eco-system of the forest, the wildlife and plants that live there as well as information about up and coming events that highlight the importance of maintenance and preservation of woodlands and forestry. The three Forest Discovery Centres are situated at St Etienne du Rouvray, Darnétal and Orival. 17 1-REVER2012 UK_Mise en page 1 12/06/12 15:52 Page18

views of the Seine The diversity of the Seine river-scapes can be seen from one of the many ‘belvederes’ up and downstream from Rouen. Let’s take a quick look at the river from seven different spots, all with an excellent view 7 of the river below:

7 MONT-SAINT-AIGNAN

DUCLAIR 3 CANTELEU 4 ROUEN 2 1 DARNETAL

BONSECOURS

5 MOULINEAUX

4 From the Belvedere in Canteleu on the D982 and on the long distance ELBEUF walking path the GR2 there is a stunning view of Rouen and its monu- 6 ments, the port and St Catherine’s Hill in the horizon. Maupassant wrote about the viewpoint in his novel ‘Bel Ami’. 1 St Catherine’s Hill (Bonsecours), (see page 5 Robert the Devil’s castle 80): The best-known (Moulineaux) For the best views of the view of the Seine and Seine and the Londe-Rouvray Forest Rouen is perhaps the try the stunning panorama to be had one from St Catherine’s from the cliffs at the Château Robert Hill where you can see le Diable. both the left and right banks of the river and 6 The view of the Seine meanders the many industrial and above Elbeuf. For a peaceful look at historic landmarks of the the river as it winds around the cliffs, city below. wooded hills and the lush countryside before flowing into more industrial scenes.

2 The Roule Wood Headland 3 Mont-Saint-Aignan: From this 7 From above Duclair, the view of at Darnétal offers a splendid view over steep hill that rises up behind Rouen the Seine opens over the Orchard the north of the city, the Seine, the there are several excellent places from Trail, stretching away as far as Aubette and the Robec rivers. which to view the river, or the Port Jumièges and offers views of the and left bank or the plateaux to the many hiking routes that criss-cross north. this region. 18 1-REVER2012 UK_Mise en page 1 12/06/12 15:52 Page19

The label ‘Region of Art and History’

The Seine meanders at Elbeuf with view from the St Auct Hill This viewpoint so inspired British travel writer Arthur Young that he wrote the following in his book ‘Travels in France 1787-1788-1789’: Come to one of the richest countries in France, or indeed in Europe. There are few finer views than the first of Elbeuf, from the eminence above it, which is high; the town at your feet in the bottom; on one side the Seine presents a noble reach, broken by wooded islands, and an immense amphitheatre of hill, covered with a prodigious wood, surrounding the whole. 1-REVER2012 UK_Mise en page 1 12/06/12 15:52 Page20

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St Maclou Church St Maclou reaching for the skies

St Maclou Parish Church is the perfect example of flamboyant gothic architecture. Building started on the church in 1436, on the orders of the Duke of Bedford, who ruled France as regent for the King of England. The church is at present undergoing restoration which is scheduled to finish in 2013 when the new-look church will be unveiled thanks to the skill and patient work of the many different craftsmen involved in the project…

n 12th century Rouen, on the spot where the present church of St Maclou stands today, visitors would have seen a chapel built against the then city’s I outer walls. The chapel had already been demoli- shed and rebuilt several times but, in the 14th century when the parish area was enlarged and the city’s outer walls pushed back towards the Martainville gate, it was decided to build a larger church. The parish benefactor was the Duke of Bedford, an Englishman, contemporary and sworn enemy of Joan of Arc. It was the Duke who was determined that the Maid be condemned and so burnt at the stake in 1431. Proof of the Duke’s impli- cation was to come out in 1456 when her trial and condemnation was overturned. Some of Joan’s former judges revealed all and spoke about the reign of terror that the Duke had imposed 20 years before – they had been under such pressure to condemn Joan that they had had to sacrifice her life to save their own. Life in a city under an enemy is never easy and the English occupation of Rouen from 1419 to 1449 was no exception. However, the building of St Maclou leaves us today with a positive element of this tragic episode and this building is a quite remarkable example of flamboyant gothic-style architecture. The building was begun under English rule but was finished under French and today’s programme of restoration is coordi- nated by Régis Martin, Chief Architect of France’s Historic Monuments Commission.

Stone from Caumont While the church is being restored it has been protected from the vagaries of the weather by a huge waterproof tarpaulin, while up in the scaffolding men in white ove- ralls work on cleaning and restoring the damaged stone. ‘The ornamental pieces are cleaned square centimetre by centimetre by a very fine blast of powder at high pressure,’ explains Régis Martin. ‘The stone on the façade is quite black with age so it almost like a crust and in places it is covered in moss where water has seeped in over the centuries so in those places we have to use special chemicals.’

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The stone has not only been damaged by time. To the man who did this deliberately placed the slate here so that destruction inflicted by the WW2 bombings the stone his work would stand out better,’ explains Mr Martin. has suffered from previous campaigns to restore the The cleaning process has also brought to light some church which by today’s standards did not have the remains of the colour that in the Middle Ages would materials and advanced technology, so sometimes did have been used to decorate the church façade, although more damage than good. most traces have long since faded away. ‘In the past some restoration used stone from St Max which The nice thing about a major programme of restoration was used to replace missing sculptures. This stone comes is that it allows us to see those elements that are not nor- from the Paris region and is too soft to stand up to the test mally visible from ground level. ‘The site was specially of time. The original stone came from local quarry at designed to allow the public to come in and see the works in Caumont on the Seine which we have reopened especially progress,’ Régis Martin explains. in order to get the right match so that our work blends in Sunday visits are organised twice monthly so that visi- with the original 15th century construction.’ tors can see the intricate work being undertaken by the The stone that came from just outside the city at the carpenters, stone masons and roofers who are working Caumont quarries was well-known to the people of on the façade, the northern transept and the roof. The Rouen. The locally quarried stone is white and fairly visit is only for those who have a good head for heights hard yet elegant as it contains small splinters of black as the walkways along the scaffolding are up in the air – flint. In certain parts of the church the cleaned stone the highest being at the level of the roof some 30 metres takes on an almost rosy glow. This is unique to this off the ground. monument as Caumont stone is not usually found in Guided visits are free but reservation is obligatory on this colour and it just goes to prove that buildings have +33 (0)2 32 08 32 40 (Children aged under 7 not admitted) a life of their own. Every programme of restoration work has its own set of problems even if Régis Martin is more than used to the the flamboyant challenge, as here in Rouen he has already overseen the St Maclou church was built to plans designed by the work on the Hotel de Bourgtheroulde, Gros Horloge Paris architect Pierre Robin in 1437. The same plans and the Saint Ouen Abbey Church. ‘Each site is different were used throughout the period of construction and our job is never just routine - all the buildings are until 1521 when the church was finally consecrated extremely precious with centuries of history and they des- by the Archbishop of Rouen, George II d’Amboise erve our respect.’ whose splendid tomb can be seen in the cathedral to this day. Pierre Robin’s plan was to build a basilica A monument rediscovered without an obvious transept and his plans were to A programme of this importance never goes exactly to have a deep influence on the development of the flamboyant style of gothic architecture and its use plan, certain parts of the church were so dirty that many throughout Normandy. Formerly the King’s Master of of its architectural delights were obscured. Régis Martin Works for Paris City and Cathedral, Pierre Robin’s shows us a detail that the effects of pollution had buried brilliance lies in his ability to blend elements of under centuries of filth. ‘Look at this piece of slate behind Parisian style with traditional Normandy motifs such this ornamental sculpture - in the Middle Ages the crafts- as a Lantern Tower or a façade with five porches.

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Ces 12 hôtels vous accueillent à Rouen. These 12 hotels welcome you to Rouen.

Première Classe. L’essenel pour une bonne nuit. Tout le confort d’une chambre équipée avec douche , TV et wifi gratuit, au meilleur prix*. Première Classe. The essenal for a good stay. All the comfort of a furnished room with an en-suite shower, TV and free wifi, at the best price*. *Dans la majorité des hôtels équipés. In most hotels with wifi. premiereclasse.com Campanile. Ça change tout. Un réseau européen d’hôtels-restaurants conçus pour votre bien-être et à l’atmosphère conviviale. Campanile. Change the way you stay. A European network of friendly hotels and restaurants conceived for your well-being. campanile.com Kyriad. Plus de confort, moins de conformisme. À qualité constante, des hôtels tous différents vous garanssant à chaque séjour une nouvelle expérience. Kyriad. More comfort, less conformity. Our hotels, with an equal level of quality, are all different and will turn every stay into a new experience. kyriad.com

Première Classe Rouen Nord Bois-Guillaume +33(0)2 35 92 46 11 - [email protected]

Rouen Sud Oissel Rd-Point des Vaches +33(0)2 35 66 87 81 - [email protected] Rouen Sud Zénith – Parc des Expo +33(0)2 35 64 11 48 - [email protected] Campanile Rouen Est Franqueville Aéroport +33(0)2 35 79 93 93 - [email protected]

Rouen Nord Mont Saint Aignan +33(0)2 35 59 75 00 - [email protected] Rouen Sud Cléon Elbeuf +33(0)2 35 81 38 00 - [email protected] +33(0)2 35 66 86 00 - [email protected] Rouen Sud Zénith - Parc des Expo +33(0)2 35 64 04 16 - [email protected] Kyriad Rouen Centre +33(0)2 35 15 25 25 - [email protected] Utile. Format non contractuelles. -SAS au capital de 117 625 104 € - 309 071 942 RCS NANTERRE Photos Group Hotels Louvre Rouen Nord Mont Saint Aignan +33(0)2 35 59 80 00 - [email protected]

Louvre Hotels Group est présent dans 40 pays avec plus de 1 000 hotels, 80 000 chambres et propose 6 marques du 1 au 5 étoiles. 1-REVER2012 UK_Mise en page 1 12/06/12 15:53 Page24

Normandy, a touch of luxury

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Luxury in Normandy

ormandy is unique. Close your Normandy is a region that specialises in luxury- it’s very eyes and say Normandy out loud and you will see images taken name conjures up images of rich culinary delights, sunset Nstraight out of a Monet painting, beaches and fine dining, the elegance as portrayed by the see yourself walking along a fine sandy Impressionists – a far cry of the bling of destinations made beach the breeze in your hair, the taste of popular by the stars of the ‘people press’. Normandy fresh lobster, caught at low tide as you clam- bered amongst the rock pools and the glint means Christian Dior, fine tableware and craftsmanship of fine silverware as you cut into the delicate signed Christofle or the stylish handmade glass flacons for flesh. Normandy is a land of rich and plenty expensive scents that are made by traditional methods in whether you see it in front of you with your eyes wide open or whether you just sa- the Bresle valley region. All these and more can be found y vour the memories in your mind’s eye. in one luxurious address…Printemps.

Other places may be known as havens for their jet-setting been recognized as being the ‘Best in France ‘. Famous stars and the flash of fortunes but all that glitters is not worldwide, Christofle is French for designer tableware gold and they soon become known as places not to be and chic. trusted, where superficiality reigns supreme. Then they French luxury goods also include Haute Couture designer fall from favour and become unfashionable has-beens on fashion and perfume as well as tableware and all three are the heap of rejected resorts that litter the globe. to be found rooted in the voluptuousness of the Nor- Normandy has always been true to herself and to her re- mandy countryside. gional values, has never tried to be something that she is From the sparkle of a Christofle table to the magic of the not and so has retained her touch of luxury because in to- contemporary scent flacons made in the Bresle valley in day’s world honesty is a luxury. the north to Granville on the west coast of Normandy which inspired one of the greatest designers and creative Normandy: the place which luxury calls home artists of recent times: his name? Christian Dior. Christofle epitomizes the touch of elegance that people recognise as being an integral part of French life or ‘l’art de vivre’. The company’s workshops are to be found in Christofle Silversmiths Yainville near Jumièges on the banks of the Seine and it Route de Duclair, Yainville is here that the world famous cutlery and dishes as well Open from Tuesday to Saturday from 10h to 18h Tel: +33 (0)2 35 05 90 10 as previous pieces of intricate and beautiful silverware are www.christofle.com made. Christofle employs 210 people of whom two have

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Christian Dior a childhood spent in Granville Normandy

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Luxury in Normandy

hristian Dior is the thing that links the two ‘Maisons tic and literary world of the French capital. He opened a pic- de Dior’ that exist – one is his childhood home in ture gallery and designed costumes for various fashion Granville, Normandy and the other in the Avenue de houses as well as for stars of the silver screen. C Montaigne, Paris, home to the House of Dior Haute In 1946 Dior met Marcel Boussac, the textile magnate who Couture. was so impressed by Christian’s designs that he advanced the Christian Dior was the designer who revolutionised fashion young designer the money he needed, and so the House of in the wars just before and after WW2 yet he often said that Dior was born. Christian it was his birthplace in Normandy and the garden there that bought the house in the Ave- were the inspiration behind his creativity. Dior’s house in nue Montaigne and launched Granville opened as a museum to the great French designer his first great collection entit- in 1997. led ‘Corolle’ on February 12, ‘I was born in Granville in the Manche department on Ja- 1947. It was a triumph. Car- nuary 21, 1905 to Alexandre Maurice Dior, an industrialist, mel Snow, the American Har- and Madeleine Martin, housewife. My childhood was spent pers Bazaar journalist and high between Paris and the Normandy coast but I had a special priestess of fashion ‘Stateside’, affection for the place where I was born.’ This is how Chris- was at the presentation. She tian Dior opens his Memoires as he talks about Granville, was thrilled with what she saw a small port on the western coast of Normandy. Not always and announced to the world so picturesque, as with an incoming wind the stench from the arrival of the ‘New Look’. the chemical factory run by Christian’s father in nearby Don- The writer Colette called it ville, would invade the quiet little town. On those blustery Dior’s ‘Nioulook’ and it was to days the locals said that ‘it stank of Dior’. change the fashion world once That stretch of coast with its view out over the ocean and and for all. In the midst of all this success Christian Dior rea- the Chausey Islands in the distance was subject to a period ched back to his roots in Granville and recruited some of his of massive development at the turn of the century with rows oldest friends, amongst them Serge Heftler-Louiche who of villas being built to enjoy the view and at the head of them suggested the creation of a line of Dior perfumes to compli- all the striking pink villa called Les Rhumbs - a nautical term - ment the opening of Dior clothes and the former gatekee- standing majestically in a spacious park. The villa had been per of the Granville house, Ferdinand, who came from St Lô. built by shipping magnate Beust before being sold to Chris- Dior’s success was to be fast and furious and his designs tian Dior’s parents before his birth in 1905. They moved in conquered the world. Yet it was all too short. Ten years la- two years later. Madeleine Dior was a passionate gardener ter on October 27, 1957 while in Italy he was to die of a and protected the grounds from the prevailing winds with heart attack at the age of 52 plunging the world of fashion a high surrounding wall. Christian was the only one of the and the arts generally into mourning. Christian Dior was a five Dior offspring to share his mother’s passion and green legend that would live on and at his funeral ceremony in the fingers. He was an enthusiastic under-gardener and helped tiny parish of Callian in the Var in the South of France the his mother create a rose garden, a pergola-lined walk along priest started his oration with the immortal words: ‘God has a pond full of water-lilies and the veranda which was built called Christian to him so that he can create a New Look for onto the facade. the angels.’ In 1911 the family moved to Paris but always spent the sum- People from Normandy do not do anything in a hurry and mer holidays in Granville. For Christian these were carefree so a mere 40 years after Christian’s death the Town Coun- years of childhood which he would always remember. In la- cil in Granville decided to do something to commemorate ter years he wrote about these happy days: ‘I keep a special their famous citizen. In 1997, the Villa les Rhumbs opened place in my heart for my childhood home. It was a wonder- as the Musée Christian Dior after complete refurbishing. ful place. But more than that, my whole life and style are the The museum’s three floors are given over to a display of 40 direct products of that house, its architecture and com- Dior originals from the collections of spring/summer 1947 manding position.’ The happy days came to an abrupt end to autumn/winter 1957. The museum has over 300 origi- with the death of his mother in 1931, closely followed by the nals so those displayed change regularly and there are also closure of his father’s factory in the wake of the Wall Street temporary exhibitions on a selected theme. crash. The family was ruined and the house sold to Gran- The Dior museum is well worth a visit, the gardens are open ville Town Council in 1938 which was going to turn the to the public but remain true to the garden as laid out by grounds into public gardens and pull down the villa which Madeleine Dior and her son with the original rose garden was too costly to maintain. The villa was saved, as the pro- and pergola walk and pond. ject was shelved by the outbreak of WW2, but Christian was I myself often go back there as this is where I used to sail my never to return. little boat! When I was six I actually fell in trying to rescue The Granville Carnival which still takes place today is a tra- the upturned vessel so I know that pond very well! I think dition that goes back to the days when the fishing fleets of that Christian Dior would appreciate this little anecdote Normandy left to go cod fishing off the banks of Newfound- about my childhood which happened in a place that was so land. Taking place just before Shrove Tuesday, the carnival important in his. was the last big event before the fleet left and the whole town Marie-Noëlle Hervé was involved in the festivities. The carnival gave rise to one of Christian’s first artistic creations as he designed costumes Exhibition: ‘Stars in Dior: as seen on the screen and on the streets’, May 12 to September 23. Open daily from 10 am for his family and friends for the event. His love of dressing to 6 pm. up and costume would stay with him all his life. Christian Dior Museum After the financial disaster that befell his family the young Villa « Les Rhumbs » - Route d’Estouteville, Granville Christian, now resolutely Parisian, found solace in the artis- Tel: +33 (0)2 33 61 48 21 - www.museechristiandior.com

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Personal Shopper

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Luxury in Normandy

« The famous French department store Printemps is in the heart of Rouen’s historic centre. Very designer goods and passionate about quality, Printemps offers an exciting new service. Called ‘Personal Shopper’, the service - which is by appointment only - gives you access to your own fashion coaches who know all the latest international tips and trends. They will show you a selection of clothes and accessories that are chosen just for you and designed to suit your style and personality.

In fashion today anything goes,’ says Karl Thryiot, one of and their dress code. ‘This way we can offer the client a selec- Printemps Rouen’s fashion experts. Gone are the days of tion of articles that perfectly matches their requirements and ‘ fashion victims and the ‘must wears’, gone are the ‘in’ uni- fulfills their expectations,’ explains Aline Derlot. forms and the inevitable colours of each particular season. The client then retreats to a private area and can take their Today people are free to choose exactly what they want to time to enjoy their personal collection, try everything on, wear when and to match their choice with accessories to mix and match while enjoying refreshments offered by the create a personal style that reflects their taste and lifestyle. house. For men, Aurélien Mius will know the very latest But there is always a risk that without guidance that you articles best suited to the up and coming events in his just might miss out on that perfect article of clothing or client’s diary. ‘This summer we are going for clean lines for think that that particular accessory is just not for you! Very suits and for occasions. Jackets are worn close to the body and few of us have the time to spend poring over the pages of a Prince of Wales detail or a checked motif is popular. For a each and every fashion review or the time to get to know style that is a little more “dandy” then waistcoats and cravats each and every one of the latest designer collections. In are in.’ fact, time is not all you need if you want to have your ear Aurélien’s colleague Karl is to the ground and keep abreast of all the latest trends. You an expert in women’s need an eye for style, for colour and design, in short you fashion. He recommends need experience and you need the ability to create the ‘chino’ style trousers with ‘look’ - in other words you need a Printemps-pro! pleats and turned-up bot- Karl Thryiot and his two colleagues, Aurélien Mius and toms. For colour Damien is Damien Bansard, are the experts and kings of the counter our man and he says that in the Gros Horloge store. this summer we are still Although the three know the latest designer and luxury going for what he calls the collection inside out, it is no their role to push a particular ‘colours block’ - the associa- brand on to their ‘shopper’. They are there to give much tion of two or three vivid more than a lesson in style, they are there for that French colours or black combined ‘je ne sais pas quoi’ or the wow factor, as Rouen store with two colours plus wedges, platform soles and, just for the manager Aline Derlot puts it. ‘Buying and wearing top qua- summer, python prints and motifs. lity, luxury articles is more than just shopping or making a ‘Our clients love this service,’ says Aline, ‘often our shoppers purchase, it is an experience that goes much further and our will go to the Paris store just to look, then they come here to three experts are there to take you higher!’ take their time and try things on before making that important purchase in the relaxed atmosphere of the Gros Horloge Clean lines, clear colours store. Rouen, as always, offers the best of worlds, Paris chic When talking about a luxury service, it is obviously not and luxury goods in the comfort and charm of our very something “off the peg” but something special, something own city. that is truly personalised. To arrive at that made-to-measure service, a lot has to be done ahead of that all impor- For further details: tant rendezvous. In order to get to know each client we ask Le Printemps, 4 rue du Gros Horloge, Rouen them to give us information and details about their lifestyle Tel: +33 (0)2 32 76 32 79

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Normandy Impressionist Festival 2010 and Armada 2008 Rouen International Events Capital 2013 will be a historic year in the annals of the CREA. Two internationally renowned events with the emphasis on cultural and festivity will take place in Rouen and will make Rouen 2013 culture capital and the eyes of the world will be on our city!

ater is the catchword for Rouen 2013. All hand … To port water will flow freely throughout the ‘The Normandy Impressionist programme will be even ri- beautiful pictures on show in the Normandy cher than the first edition,’ says Erik Orsenna, president W Impressionist Festival while to starboard the of the festival’s technical advisory council. tides will bring the 40 stately vessels to take their place The organisers have received over 400 projects from all in the heart of Rouen for the Armada. over the Normandy region as opposed to 300 in 2010. Everywhere water will be the theme and visitors can ‘I was amazed at the depth of response we had to our offer drink to their hearts’ content first in the reflections of the for related projects. We saw an increase of over 20% in the Impressionists and then with the arrival of the Tall Ships number,’ says Jérôme Clément, former president of the as the city takes on a maritime air. TV channel Arte and the festival’s general commissioner. In June, when the two events run concurrently, the city ‘Of the 400 projects, we received 288 have been awarded of Rouen will see a peak in the number of visitors arri- the label Normandy Impressionist and 83% of them are ving to enjoy the 10 days of the Armada. really in a class of their own,’ he adds. One things is for sure, 2013 will see Rouen hosting the ‘The success of the first festival means that this time it really most important cultural events taking place in France is the whole region that will be involved, even in the depths and the flags will be flying high not just in the capital of the Normandy countryside which last time had very few but all over Normandy. events going on,’ emphasises Jérôme. ‘Painter Gérard Garouste is preparing a travelling theatre with the members

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of the association La Source.’ This association works with The Armada too will be a splendid occasion. The volun- young people from rural areas and helps them construct teers are already hard at work to ensure that the 2013 a positive image of themselves through theatre and ar- edition will be a historic event. ‘In 2013 the end of the tistic expression. The travelling theatre is just one of Armada will signal the start of the Tall Ships race,’ explains many examples of the escort of events that will be found Patrick Herr, president of the Armada Association. running all over Normandy as part of the Impressionist The sailing ships of Sail Training International will leave festival. their berths in the port of Rouen on the first leg of the ‘The festival will be like a river of culture flowing through Tall Ships race which will take them to Den Helder in the region,’ says Erik Orsenna. ‘There will be art exhibi- the Netherlands. tions, of course, but music, cinema, literature will all be pre- The Armada normally takes place in July but the com- sent and will all contribute fully to the success of the pro- mitments of the association Sail Training International gramme. Each of these art forms will be closely interlinked meant that the 2013 event has to be a month earlier, in and play off each other in a number of interdisciplinary June. The association is a charity that works with young events.’ people from all over the world, of all classes, religions and nationalities, teaching them to sail and to work together aboard ship. Patrick Herr adds: ‘In 2013 the event will start on an historic date for Normandy: June 6th.’ The 2013 event will be even more a festival with something for everyone than the previous editions. ’Not only is the Armada a free festival but it hosts a number of other events that are all equally popular as the tall ships themselves: the Great Splash event, the games and competitions between the crews, the Seafarers’ Mass and the election of Miss Ar- mada.’ The Armada 2013 will finish on a high with the Seine river parade when the ships leave Rouen and sail away down the Seine to the sea watched by over two million people.

Festivals for everyone Even if the organisers are convinced that these two po- expects... pular events will be a resounding success, they are not The Armada takes place in Rouen every four sitting on their laurels. The Armada team is still waiting or five years and is the second largest event for the final confirmation from some of the boats invi- in France, after the Tour de France, for the ted for 2013. ‘We won’t know until the end of 2012 if all number of spectators. There are about 50 the great ships we hope for will be able to make it to Rouen Tall Ships from all over the world, most of which take part in the Rouen event. At the 2013. Getting them to come is increasingly expensive,’ time of going to press, 15 or so of the says Patrick Herr. However, he reassures us that out of vessels invited have confirmed, including: the 50 or so boats that will go to make up the Armada the Bélem (France), the Amerigo Vespucci fleet 2013, many of the most famous and popular ships (Italy), the Dar Mlodziezy (Poland), the have already confirmed their participation! Kaliakra (Bulgaria), the Artemis (Netherlands), the Gulden Leeuw, the Etoile de France… Patrick Herr goes on to say that the overall cost of will All in all, the organisers expect 20 civilian be in the region of 20 million euros and that is without sailing ships, 10 state-owned sailing ships the cost of the pilot boats on the river Seine to guide the ves- and a dozen or so warships and perhaps sels, the organisation of basic supplies and water and elec- even a submarine. But the star of the show tricity on the quayside once they are berthed in the port of will be the Krusenstern (Russia). ‘She measures 114 metres and is one of the Rouen. However, a percentage of the costs will be sha- largest four-masted vessels in the world. She red with the Impressionist Festival and there will be joint is so large there will be only about a metre communication and marketing campaigns. to play with to get under the bridges and The same spirit of optimism reigns in the offices of the power lines across the Seine. So she will Normandy Impressionist Festival and they are not wor- leave Rouen on June 20, after the others, because that day there is a particularly low ried about getting the funding even if Laurent Fabius, outgoing tide,’ says Patrick Herr. president of the CREA and the driving force behind the festival, hopes that the French state willmake a larger The Rouen Armada will take place from June 6 to 16, 2013. contribution. Both the organisations behind these great Normandy events have the same aim in mind, which is to get people

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Rouen International Events Capital

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Charles Frechon, Rouen, île Lacroix, The Queen's walk © Catherine Lancien, Carole Loisel, Musées de la Ville de Rouen.

to ‘join in’. Jérôme Clément re- minds us that the Impressionist Festival is interactive - it is meant to be a fun event and what is most no- ticeable about it is the fact that people actually want to be part of it. ‘In today’s world people are keen to take part rather than just be on the recei- ving end of things and that makes all the difference,’ says Jérôme. Erik Orsenna is also keen to em- phasise this aspect of the festival: ‘We want everyone to find something in it for them whether or not they are art lovers.’ exhibitions Laurent Fabius echoes this. ‘Impressionist paintings are so well known that is it perhaps the easiest form of art for those The Normandy Impressionist Festival is designed who are not generally interested in painting or going to exhi- around five major exhibitions taking places across the whole region thanks to the help of the National bitions so it is a good place to start as a way of appreciating other Museum’s Association. Rouen will be the centre-piece art forms. But we shouldn’t forget that Impressionism was a of the festival with the most important exhibition at revolutionary movement with the message that we should al- the Rouen Fine Arts Museum which is the largest ways be open to change and the unexpected.’ museum in Normandy region. In 2010 the Rouen exhibition was an art world first, Book early! bringing together as it did 10 of Monet’s cathedrals, 22 paintings by Pissarro (the first time ever that such These two great events will be so popular that we advise you a large number of his paintings had been on show to book early- the last Impressionist Festival saw over one together) as well as seven of the 40 paintings that million visitors and the Armada over 8 million, so no Gauguin did when he lived in Rouen. However, the doubt that they will attract at last the same numbers if not 2013 display will be even bigger and better! more in June 2013. The exhibition will be entitled ‘Colours in reflection, Impressionism on the surface of the water’. ‘Three Armada Association president Patrick Herr advises people extra rooms will be made over to the exhibition in to book early as, with the two events side by side, it means Rouen, with many important works by Cézanne and that restaurants and hotels will be in great demand. Van Gogh as well as numerous photos and prints,’ However, as the Impressionist Festival will have exhibitions says Sylvain Amic, Rouen Museum Director. Claude all over the region there is plenty of scope for people to find Monet will also be well-represented and visitors will have the chance to see ‘In the Norvegienne’ which he places to stay in the countryside or the different towns in painted in 1887 at his home in Giverny. Of particular Normandy and still be close to the event. The Regional interest will be the quite exceptional display of Tourist Board stresses that, while people should not leave paintings of scenes at La Grenouillère - a popular booking until the last minute, Normandy boats over 5% working class resort consisting of a spa, a boating of the total accommodation offer in France, so there will establishment and a floating café - which have never been on show together. ‘Bringing these paintings be plenty of rooms in hotels, gîtes and bed and breakfasts together for an exhibition is not going to be easy. It’s available. the art world equivalent of climbing Everest,’ says Sylvain. Four other major exhibitions go to make up the backbone of the 2013 Festival: in Caen the theme will be ‘Leisure and pleasure in, on and near the water’, Le Havre’s Malraux Museum has chosen ‘Pissarro and the Seine’, the Pêcheries Museum in Fécamp will put on ‘Monet’s view of the Normandy Cliffs’ and finally, in Giverny, Paul Signac will be the star of the show.

The second Normandy Impressionist Festival will take place from April 27 to September 29, 2013.

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Lifestyle

‘Joan replied that she would be happy to wear women’s clothing and to obey the Church. She was then dressed in women’s clothes and her hair, which was in a boyish bob, was cut and her head shaved.’

1412-2012: 600th anniversary of the birth of Joan of Arc Extract from the trail and condemnation of Joan of Arc and her recantation of May 24, 1431.

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The 99th Tour de France

Taking stock of the Course, the Tour de France July 5 1997 in Rouen, over 7,3km Source : Société Normande de Presse d'Edition et d'Impression (Paris–Normandie / Presse Havraise) The Tour Groupe Hersant Média comes to Rouen

The 99th edition of the famous cycle race, the left bank for the 197 kilometres ride to St Quentin, also in Picardy, be- Tour de France, will be coming to Rouen on the fore leaving for the Champagne Ar- 4th and 5th of July 2012. Rouen is one of only dennes region. three towns lucky enough to be both an arrival This year only three places will see and a departure point (stages 4 and 5) in this the riders arrive and leave: Bagnères de Luchon, Pau and the city of year’s race. 2012 sees the return of the Tour for Rouen. On July 4 and 5 the cycling the 19th time since 1949 when the city first took world will have eyes only for the part in the ‘Grande Boucle’ (the big loop) and 15 capital of Normandy and the countryside of the CREA (Community years on from the Tour’s last departure from council for the Rouen Elbeuf Auste- Rouen in 1997. This event is watched on berthe area), giving an unparalleled television by tens of millions of sports fans in over moment of media coverage and pu- blicity to our forests and Seine river 190 countries, bringing our Normandy valleys. countryside into the homes and to the attention of spectators and the media around the world. How green was my Seine valley… 14 short kilometres separate the riders from Abbeville in Picardy and n July 4 the skies will be full couraged by bystanders every inch Le Tréport where the peloton will of the helicopters and came- of the way. enter Normandy and then face the ras and the roads crowded After a short night’s sleep in the battle with the sea breezes down the O with journalists as the cyclists Normandy capital, the riders will coast to the Bénédictine Palace cover the 214 kilometres between get back on their bikes and set off where the famous liqueur is made Abbeville in Picardy and Rouen, en- again from the quays on Rouen’s and into Fécamp. From this little

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port, where the winds can blow right bank by the Trait-Maulévrier fiercely and from whence ships set forest and this is where the cyclists boater out to fish in Newfoundland, the come onto the CREA’s home turf. To mark the arrival and departure cyclists leave the coast road and in- First stop will be Le Trait which points of the Tour de France in deed they will not see the sea again was home to naval construction in Rouen on July 4 and 5 will be a until they reach Cap d’Agde 10 the years before 1972. Continuing giant straw boater. This fashionable days later on July 14, France’s na- along the river bank, almost on the 19th century flat-topped headgear, tional holiday. From Fécamp the tow path, as far as Yainville and especially popular in summer, will riders head off on a road that will when they get to Jumièges, where be printed in the colours of the take them into the hinterland and royal mistress Agnès Sorrel had a second Normandy Impressionist down to the Seine valley through manor house, the route will break Festival event which will be held in the towns and villages of the Caux off at a tangent and go straight Rouen and Normandy from May to September 2013. Rouen is at the region - passing Ypreville Biville, through the fields, avoiding the helm of this festival, conceived and Allouville-Bellefosse and the D926. steep camber to take instead the brought into being by former prime After 40 kilometres through the route through the well-stocked ap- minister Laurent Fabius who is also Caux they will ride through Louve- ple orchards of the Jumièges pe- President of the CREA (Community tot and then take the D131 at the ninsula. council for the Rouen Elbeuf Ancienne Forge hamlet down to The cyclists rejoin the Seine at the Austreberthe area). ‘It is an the Seine and the bijou riverside Hameau de St Paul outside Duclair, absolutely perfect way for us to town of Caudebec-en-Caux. It is a then continue to follow the river, publicise the festival and reach the steep ride down to Caudebec, a perhaps racing a ship carrying a cargo millions of people who will be town where people came until the of grain to the Caribbean or to Japan following the Tour de France on their televisions. The Tour gives us 1960s to see the Seine bore - a huge as they move on to La Fontaine the perfect opportunity to tell the wave that swept up the river from where they plunge across the water world about Normandy and the fact the estuary which locals call the meadows at Hénouville, speeding that Impressionism was born here ‘Mascaret’. quickly through Les Sablons and Le in our region,’ he explained. Next the cyclists will move up the Mesnil before entering St Martin de D982 and the upper reaches of the Boscherville with its magnificent ro- Seine which is dominated on the manesque abbey of St Georges.

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The 99th Tour de France « elegance on wheels »

The young champion's first success with « la Perle » team and a first win in 1953 University lecturer Cécile-Anne Sibout has a of the Grand Prix des Nations. (Photo Burchell, coll. Guy Pessiot). different take on the five-time winner of the Tour: ‘Jacques Anquetil loved life. Cycling was not a passion for him, it was his job and he knew it inside out, for better and for worse. He was always a little calculating in the manner in which he managed his career. He left nothing to chance and never put in extra effort for no return either. He had no romantic illusions about sport - he was out to win. He never liked doing the Paris- Roubaix race as a puncture could all too easily eliminate the best rider so the odds were different…’ He came from an ordinary family from Mont St Aignan. As a teenager, a bicycle was just a way to get from A to B. It was only later that he saw the ‘little queen’ as a vehicle of social mobility. ‘In a way Anquetil was a natural successor to Louison Bobet, nicknamed the baker of St Méen because he started out an apprentice baker,’ continues Cécile-Anne. ‘Anquetil started out in strawberries because in order to finance his training his father ordered him to collect at least 50 baskets of strawberries each morning and evening which were then sold to Paris restaurants or in the St Marc market here in Rouen. Next he tried his hand at milling, which is when it all began.’ The adventure started when the young Anquetil went off to do his basic certificate in milling in the technical school at Sotteville les Rouen. Every day he did the 20 or so kilometres between his home at Quincampoix and his school in Sotteville on a bike that he had received for his first communion – it was the sort present given to so many boys at that time. ‘When he was at school Jacques Anquetil did not do things by halves and his in Sotteville a friend of his, Maurice Dieulois, way of getting into shape and fit for competitions was introduced him to the man who would became his as individual as the man. ‘He was a lover of the good first trainer, André Boucher from the local cycling club. life and never wanted to give up favourite dishes, so Even though Anquetil became a cycling star, he he continued to drink champagne and eat lobster always remained in close contact with his friends from even while he was in training. There was no question the club that had launched him.’ of body-building and diets with Jacques - he used to ‘In fact Anquetil was a loyal friend but that affectionate say that chopping wood in his garden was the only side of him was not always appreciated by the public. training he needed!’ explains Cécile-Anne. ‘He also They found him a bit of a cold fish as he never played had a very special regime before races, it was really up to them. He did not like to pretend and so the tough.’ In fact Jacques Anquetil often to used to work public had nothing to respond to and they even with André Boucher, his very first trainer, before the booed him in 1959,’ admits Cécile-Anne. Tour de France events. André would follow behind At that time the cycling darling of the French was a him on a scooter and then give Jacques his advice. man called Raymond Poulidor – nicknamed Poupou. ‘Jacques was unique, he had his own particular style He was always second best, coming in behind either and his own aerodynamics, his own way of saving Anquetil or later Eddy Merckx. It was Poupou who was energy for the big moments. Jacques never looked as the public’s favourite, well ahead of Anquetil, judged if he was tired even on the mountain climbs which to be aloof. were not after all his strong point. He never seemed to ’The rivalry between the two was exaggerated by have to push himself; he was always looked cool and newspapers. They were not enemies, it was just that elegant on wheels.’ Anquetil was honest about how he felt and he felt free Cécile-Anne Sibout, Rouen University Lecturer and author to say and behave how he liked. On the other hand he of ‘Jacques Anquetil 1934-1987 Normandy’s extraordinary was very attached both to the public and to his home sportsman’ Collection Histoire N° 18 published by the CREA town and often took part in minor competitions just (2002) so he could race in Rouen,’ she adds.

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is the year Anquetil

2012 sees the 21st anniversary of the death of Jacques Anquetil and the 50th anniversary of his first Tour de France victory. Maestro Jacques, as the Rouen- born cyclist was lovingly called, won the Tour in 1957, 1961, 1962, 1963 and 1964. He also won two Round Italy Tours As they leave St Martin de On the 5th the cyclists will in 1960 and 1964 and one Round Boscherville there is a 120-metres remount on the left bank near the Spain in 1963. He still holds the climb up to the road leading Boieldieu Bridge then bike to the record of being the cyclist who won through the Roumare forest to the Rue St Sever before going down the most victories in these three cliff-top commune of Canteleu. the Cours Clemenceau as far as challenging races with a massive 13 No doubt ignoring the amazing the Place Carnot and the Avenue victories. Jacques Anquetil was a child of the view of Rouen, the river and the Champlain, named after the CREA, being born in Mont St Aignan port as painted by the Impressio- explorer who founded New on January 8, 1934, and died in La nists, the group will speed down France, now Canada, and the Neuville Chant d’Oisel on the hill to the Avenue Bernard Merchant Company of Rouen November 18, 1987. So in this year Bicheray that edges the St Gervais and St Malo in the 17th century. when the Tour de France comes to marina. The final step of the jour- Next they will cross the river by Rouen on July 4 and 5, the CREA ney will be a triumphal arrival into the Pont Corneille, named after will celebrate the life of this local the city via the highest and latest of another famous citizen of Rouen, sporting hero with a series of events Rouen’s gateways… leaving the Ile Lacroix on their starting in March. There will be free The Tour de France will come into right and then turn left along the conferences, a mobile museum dedicated to the maestro and a the city crossing the new Gustave right bank as far as the high street picnic in the Château Anquetil in La Flaubert Bridge which stands not named after Joan of Arc. Turning Neuville Chant d’Oisel. far from the author’s house at right from the Rue Jeanne d’Arc ‘Jacques Anquetil was a supremely Croisset and whose apron can rise into the Rue Jean Lecanuet, they gifted sportsman,’ says Laurent to 55 metres above the river before will ride straight for the Town Fabius, President of the CREA. ‘I following the quay Boisguilbert to Hall then around the abbey think it appropriate that we should the William the Conqueror church of St Ouen along the rue be celebrating his life and talent on bridge. Hurling themselves along des Faulx and down to the Place this the anniversary of his Tour de the last stretch down the quay Jean St Marc and the ancient site of France victory. The different Moulin to the Tour village on the St Martin’s gate. They will then educational and festive events that we are organizing will be a lower quayside just a few steps enjoy a final sprint along the Seine celebration of sport and the values away from the quay Jacques An- which they will not see again that lie behind it, respect for others quetil, named after local hero and until the end of the Tour when and for oneself, the spirit of five-time winner of the prestigious they reach the finale in Paris and competition and of fair play.’ round France race. the Champs-Elysées. The next and 5th stage of the Reaching a plateau Tour leaves from beneath the The race has classified the two Bonsecours cliff at 12h30 when days spent in and around the the cyclists will head off toward Normandy capital as ‘flat’ but the Picardy for a 197 kilometres ride cyclists will have a fair old climb to St Quentin. They will leave out of the river bed when the Tour from kilometre zero by the Jean- leaves Rouen and sets off towards Robic memorial which marks the Picardy. However, before tackling exact spot where in 1947, with the hill the cyclists will have been the help of Edouard Fachleitner able to prepare their muscles in and Lucien Teisseire, the great Rouen’s historic centre with a cyclist sprinted away from Pierre special round-the-town warm up. Brambilla, the yellow-shirted leader.

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The 99th Tour de France

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That year it would be Jean Robic who would eventually win the Tour de France, even though he had not once worn the yellow shirt. So, after the easy ride through the streets of Rouen, the tour will set off from this historic spot. The Bonsecours hill is not as steep as the Alps but it will require some tough pedaling to get to the top as did Robic that day. Once up on the plateau the race will head through Mesnil Esnard, Franque- ville St Pierre and Boos, leaving the Seine valley far behind them.

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The Seine valley by bike

The CREA (Community council for the Rouen Elbeuf Austreberthe area) has over 170 kilometres of cycle paths through the port and docks, through built-up areas and open countryside and over hill and dale, offering a wide choice of different environments to enjoy either by bike, on foot or by car. The CREA also offers many different ways to hire bikes from a day to a month and you have a choice of electric assisted, folding or classic push bikes. What more could you want?

to the Seine valley

How and where to get on your bike? Pick-up point Rouen: - Vélostation, 7 bis rue Jeanne-d’Arc (tel: +33 (0)2 35 52 93 52) Pick-up point Duclair: - Maison du tourisme de Duclair, just by the river ferry crossing parking (tel: +33 (0)2 35 37 38 29). Cy’clic (Tél. : O 8OO O87 8OO) : - Daily tarif: 4 € full rate, 3 € reduced rate - Weekend tarif: 6 € full rate, 4 € reduced rate - Weekly tarif: 12 € full rate, 9 € reduced rate The reduced rate applies to under 26 year olds, registered job seekers and all those over 65.

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The Tour de France will make a spectacular entry in The red polka dot jersey. to the city over the Gustave Flaubert bridge. If you can face it, head on up the 2 kilometres Dedicated bike lanes allow cyclists to enjoy a spin Canteleu cliff route which winds and climbs to 130 through the western reaches of the port in complete metres above the river. The busy road would not safety. frighten a professional but for an amateur cyclist it is a After the port the road divides, offering two contras- daunting proposition. However, the view from the top ting journeys. The first will find favour with those is quite outstanding and well worth the effort. If your who enjoy a step uphill challenge, whereas the legs can stand it, continue along the RD982 towards second will give those who prefer the long straight Duclair and the Roumare forest which is criss-crossed stretches a run for their money, but both offer splen- by a kilometre and a half of cycle routes. did views of the Seine valley and the chance to pedal away into the sunset, all within a short distance of Port ahoy. Rouen centre. At the MIN (Marché d’intérêt national), the regional wholesale food market, at the end of the St Gervais dock you can avoid the climb and take the Seine river road. To get to Croisset, where Flaubert spent most of his life, the cyclist has to follow a 1.6 kilometres stretch without cycle paths before getting to the safety of the river bank paths P after the Pavilion Flaubert (open to the public). These

l o n paths cross the port and docks before heading out into the beautiful Seine countryside so loved by the

Le 106

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Pl. des Faïenciers

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The Seine by bike. In memory of the five times local champion Jacques Anquetil the Tour will leave Rouen from the left bank’s Quai Jacques Anquetil. The Tour village will also be set up there on July 4/5. The Quai Anquetil will figure in both the arrival and departure stages. The lower quays on the right bank which will be closed to vehicles as far as the Bassin St Gervais and the marina as will the Flaubert bridge. After the St A tour of the Seine river bends (18 kilometers) Gervais dock, the cycle route continues along the On July 4, the Tour de France peloton will ride Avenue Commandant Bicheray before dividing, across one of the loveliest of all the Seine river giving cyclists a choice of two routes. meanders at Duclair. Sadly for them, the riders will no doubt not be looking at the surrounding countryside. The best way to enjoy this area is to take a boat or go by car as far as Duclair with or without a bike in tow as you can hire a bike at the Tourist office by the car park at the ferry dock. Once equipped take the ferry to the other side and once on terra firma across the water turn right 400 metres further on taking the ‘Route du Marais’ (follow the signs marked « véloroute »). The road is not very busy and the scenery with its orchards, meadows and isolated hamlets bring to mind one of Yves Montand’s famous songs…. ’A bicyclette’. You can get as far as the river ferry at Mesnil- sous-Jumièges (the distance between the two ferries is about 10 kilometres taking the Route du Marais) before taking either the Fruit Trail or enjoying a round of golf or just sit down and relax at the Jumièges open air leisure and sports centre. You can get back to Duclair on the opposite side along the tow path but it is a busier road.

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Seine valley cruises All aboard! The mini cruises on the river Seine started as part of the Normandy Impressionist Festival but proved so popular that they have become a regular part of the summer programme offered by the Rouen Seine Valley Tourist Office. The cruise follows the river through the port out into the lower reaches of the Seine, giving visitors the chance to explore from the deck the delightful countryside and see the many charming but secluded cottages and chateaux that are only visible from the river. To see the river as never before take the Cavelier de la Salle II and sail to La Bouille and then on to Duclair. The cruises are available between May and September and guarantee a fabulous day out for young and old.

he ‘old girl’, as Pierre Mignard, one of the cruise captains, affectionately calls the Cavelier de la T Salle II measures 15 metres and weighs 21 tonnes. This little launch, belonging to the Rouen Port Authority, heads downstream to the lower reaches of the Seine as far as Duclair every Saturday in the summer. ‘The old girl personifies the port of Rouen and all the different jobs that make up the port. Everyone knows her on the river,’ says Pierre. The ropes are up and Pierre heads off into the peaceful green waters of the river. The diesel engine purrs happily as our old girl chugs through the Rouen Port Authority docks which are peppered by giant grain sto- rage silos and huge cranes. ‘Leaving Rouen, it is the port that fascinates people as they are always amazed at its size and length and just how busy it is. It’s something they never see otherwise.’ Rouen’s port is truly vast: 120 kilometres of quayside (left and right banks combined) stretch downstream from the Lacroix island in the heart of the city.

Harmony at the helm Rouen is 80 kilometres upstream from the estuary and the sea but the Seine is tidal as far as the Normandy capital. Traffic on the river is affected by the ebb and flow of the tide and the Cavelier de la Salle II is no exception; the 48 passengers who embark set off for a journey that will take either three hours or three and a half hours depending on the tidal flow.

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Aboard Pierre’s ‘old girl’ the Port of Rouen passengers can sometimes Rouen is situated on the even feel the force of the confluence of the tidal and non- tide beneath the boat as in tidal waters of the river Seine and the Seine’s tidal waters the it is one of the most important journey can be slower or ports both in France and Europe. quicker depending on Rouen is the largest European which way the river is flo- cereal port and France’s largest wing. But our captain for flour and fertilisers. Overall knows the river inside out Rouen is France’s 5th largest and is always one step freight traffic port in tonnage. ahead of the flow. Port Cruises: Every Wednesday ‘Everything depends on the from 4 April to 7 November 2012 moment when the tide turns (except for August 15). and the waters start to ebb For full details and reservations: back to the sea,’ Pierre Rouen Seine valley Tourist and explains. ‘When the boat is As we sail down the river Seine to Duclair or La Conference Office running against the tide her Bouille we spot a number of these huge ships and we Tel: +33 (0)2 32 08 32 40 speed is around six knots but start counting them. At the end of the day we have Rouenvalleedeseine.com when she is runs with the seen half a dozen. ’Sailing up or down the Seine is so tide her speed increases to well-organised. It is like clockwork; the pilots are at one nine knots.’ Soon Pierre with the water.’ shows us what that feels like for real and we feel the These ships making their way up or down the Seine boat being embraced by the river. can give the landscape a surrealistic air. From the The wind is another factor that affects the launch’s shore, when the river is hidden by willows, you some- speed. When the captain steers into the wind the height times get the impression that they are sailing on dry of bridge means that we feel the gusts. Pierre tells us land. The launch on the other hand is much lower in that he has immense respect for the Seine and never the water and so often glides past unnoticed through uses the word ‘river’ but always refers it as a ‘waterway’ the water meadows and pastures that line the Seine. as a mark of respect to the huge ocean-going ships that This changes when the Cavelier de la Salle II sails can sail up the Seine to the Port of Rouen. triumphantly towards La Bouille, looking every inch like a 19th century pleasure boat. ‘Here we call it the Well-oiled machine pampa as this is where we can see the charm of the Rouen Port Authority welcomes ships and liners of up Normandy countryside just as the Impressionists saw it a to 280 metres in length. ‘When I see these immense ves- century and more ago. It is really stunning.’ It is absolu- sels docking almost in the heart of the city, I take my hat tely beautiful and makes us think that we find our- off to the pilots of the Seine tug boats and guide vessels. selves sailing through a Sisley painting… They are totally amazing. Guiding ships up the river is like driving your car at 130 kilometres an hour on a tiny country road with only 10 centimetres to spare either side.’

Rouen-La Bouille-Duclair-Rouen The Impressionists loved the light that plays on the waters of the Seine and the river-valley countryside and you too can enjoy the same delights from May 19 to September 22 by taking one of the mini Seine river cruises that leave Rouen every Saturday (not available on June 9, July 14 and September 15 or in bad weather conditions). The cruise goes from Rouen to La Bouille for a price of 12 € (adults) or 10 € (children) or from Rouen to Duclair for 15 € (adults) or 12 € (children) and has a full commentary provided by one of the Rouen Seine Valley conference guides.

For full details and reservations: Rouen Seine valley Tourist Office Tel: +33 (0)2 32 08 32 40 or by email at [email protected] (www.rouenvalleedeseine.com)

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The newly-created Rouen Seine Valley Tourist and Convention Office offers a complete service for companies and congress organizers. The service combines the talents of the Rouen Seine Valley Tourist Office with those of the economic development board (Adear) and gives a full and comprehensive service based on the in-depth knowledge of facilities within city and the surrounding area.

ean-Michel Levacher is president of the convention and business travel office and also communications director for local insu- Jrance company, the Matmut. As he rightly points out, the congress office has to make people want to come to Rouen ‘Their job is to get people to be able to imagine their event in Rouen and so make them actively want to come here. And you know, we have a lot of things in our favour to help them do just that.’ But even if the city does have a good congress hand there is still work to be done to realise its full potential as a congress destination. ‘So it’s time to get cracking,’ adds Jean-Michel. To realise Rouen’s potential, Mr Laurent Fabius, President of the CREA (Community council for the Rouen Elbeuf Austreberthe area), has brought together tourism and economic development in a new initiative to create a single events structure. The convention office will also play a vital role working with companies who send their workforce to Rouen, ensuring that the city offers a complete business travel package. ‘Companies want to see that the city has systems in place so that their employees can settle in and enjoy life as quickly as possible. That’s what we mean by a complete package.’ The convention office, which is based in the Rouen Seine Valley Tourist Office opposite the cathedral, will also monitor the quality of Rouen’s offer and local firms working in the field of business travel.

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Conference Centre

Armada 2013 Just one hour from 3,000 hotel rooms The 6th Rouen Armada will take place Paris… Rouen’s accommodation offer includes between June 6 and 16, 2013. The tall A shuttle from a Paris airport takes 5* establishments, spas and gourmet ships regatta is the taking place in term just one hour 45 minutes, making St addresses. Rouen city centre and time outside the summer holidays for Pancras in the heart of London under surrounds also offer a great choice of the first time. Many of the beautiful 5 hours away via the Eurostar. Bed and Breakfast and City Break vessels coming to Rouen are available Brussels is a shorter three-hour possibilities (see pages 63 to 66). for hospitality events. journey with the Thalys and both international trains terminate in Paris. Rouen is just one hour ten minutes from the French capital and the An efficient transport capital of Normandy has a direct high 500 restaurants and network speed train service taking four hours caterers Rouen is one of the few provincial to/from Lyon. Capital of Rouen-style duckling, our capitals in France to have a metro: Driving to Rouen takes one hour and city has a vast array of superb produce there is a two-line system running a half from Beauvais airport or under from both land and sea as well as a north to south with 31 stations. As an hour from Deauville International, good choice of starred addresses. The well as the city’s 23 regular bus lines while Rouen airport offers charter Rouen Seine Valley ‘Club des Toques’ and 7 shared taxi lines, there is a business fights on demand as well as a of the best local chefs will be offering special three-line east-west TEOR helipad. visitors both contemporary and service. A discover Rouen ticket traditional Normandy cuisine that (Découverte) costing just 4€20 gives makes the best of our local riches. the visitor a day’s unlimited travel. There are also electric and pedal bike hire services with ticket options from one day to several months available (Cy’clic and Vélo’r).

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Asked if she had heard voices again since Thursday last, she replied simply/ ‘Yes’.

1412-2012: The 600th anniversary of Joan of Arc’s birth

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Some of our favourite addresses Origine: a new star in Rouen’s gourmet skies

Following the recommendation in undisputed boss in the kitchen, A chef on the rise ‘Gault & Millau’, it is now the turn of giving orders in a precise, almost ‘People always compare my the ‘Guide Michelin’ to congratulate military fashion. In his cuisine it is cooking to poetry but I prefer to this newcomer to the Rouen the other more poetic side of the think of it as an enterprise, an restaurant scene. Young chef chef that comes across - his dishes undertaking. The name of the Benjamin Lechevallier has just been speak volumes yet he uses just a restaurant is Origine because I was awarded his first ‘star’ for his few ingredients. ‘I don’t use starting out on a new career.’ Our delicate but classically-based products en masse,’ he says ‘I try young chef who is half Parisian, half contemporary-style cuisine which and keep to a few so that we can Norman has nothing to be makes Origine one of the favourite taste each one and enjoy its embarrassed about in his pre places for a meal in Rouen. individual flavour’. Thanks to Origine days. He did his training Benjamin’s talent humble lentils, with the Frères Pourcel in ‘I go to the market in the morning parsnips, carrots and fennel Montpellier, with the Elysées du and see what there is and then, on become chic and trendy, bursting Vernet in Paris and the Park Hyatt that basis, create my dishes.’ with life and taste. in the Place Vendôme, Paris - all Benjamin Lechevallier is the three famous Michelin-starred addresses. This star-spangled path taught him that attention to detail, discipline and order in the kitchen are the keys to producing a cuisine style that is accessible, contemporary and, most importantly, subtle rather than being overblown and fussy. ‘Even the simplest things are often subjects of infinite complexity,’ explains Benjamin. Dishes here are often of the most disarming simplicity and elegance: the sea bass is grilled and the cooking juices enhanced with saté oil and a little zest of Asian Kumbawa fruit, very popular with international chefs at the moment, and served finally with creamy parsnip mash. ‘Parsnips are amazing vegetables; they have such a delicate flavor,’ says Benjamin. The Origine menu is not a complicated exercise of fussy language - the poetry here is not in the description but in the dishes themselves. Try the pigeon with couscous and carrots or the dessert that Benjamin was concocting when we went to interview him -‘a blend of avocado, pineapple and passion fruit’ - and we can promise you the result is simply amazing…

Restaurant Origine, 26 rampe Cauchoise, Rouen. Tel: +33 (0)2 35 70 95 52. Open Tuesday to Friday, from 12h15 to 14h15 and from 19h15 to 22h Saturday evenings only from 19h15 to 22h Special ‘Gourmet taste’ menu available before 13h30 and 21h30.

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Le Dominion

This restaurant changed hands a year ago and since then it has had a new lease of life. The imposing 1930s town house stands in pleasant contrast to the menu which combines solid traditions with a more contemporary feel and spotlight on recipes that champion ‘dissociation’.

When Céline and Arnaud Brettenbach took over the Dominion a year ago, they didn’t want to sweep away the restaurant’s past, preferring to bring a touch of modernity to the menu. ‘We didn’t want to make radical changes,’ says Arnaud, ‘just update things a little and make a few changes to the traditional for the better!’ Traditional for Le Dominion means Normandy dishes such as duck, scallop terrine or lobster salad. The chef Emmanuel Fillieul is the bridge between Le Dominion’s past and present, as he has been at the helm in the kitchen for the last twelve years. ‘We cook in a traditional way even though we are changing things slowly and making our style a bit more “trendy” but we haven’t gone the whole way to emulsions and sweet and sour. We are trying to add changes but not throw everything up in the air!’ says Arnaud.

Dissociation Arnaud Brettenbach is a fervent admirer of this style of cuisine which, in cooking vegetables separately from each other, a little like old-fashioned braising emphasises each one’s distinctive and stewing but it retains each flavour. ‘There is nothing new in individual flavour.’ cooking, it is just that every chef It seems very easy when we talk brings his own touch and about it but this way of cooking personality to the basic ingredients, requires the chef to have in-depth Le Dominion, 12 rue du Belvédère, and by using this method of knowledge of cooking methods as Mont-Saint-Aignan. well as superb basic ingredients ‘For Tel: +33 (0)2 35 71 61 06. cooking we can reinvent dishes Open Mondays to Thursdays from 12h using traditional recipes.’ Try the me the most important is to always to 14h30 and from 19h to 21h turbot slice in wild mushroom use seasonal produce, which is not Fridays and Saturdays from 12h-14h30 always easy given the weather and from 19h to 22h30, Sundays from sauce served with a mixed 12h to 14h30. vegetable casserole. ‘This method is these days,’ says Arnaud.

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Some of our favourite addresses L’Auberge des Ruines

Young chef Christophe Mauduit has been at the Auberge des Ruines in Jumièges for just one year but he has brought a touch of the exotic to this ancient place with his passion for solid French cuisine with a soupcon of poetic fantasy which gives the dishes here their unique flavor.

Christophe is originally from Bernay in Normandy’s Eure department, so settling here in Jumièges is a home coming for the 34-year-old as his training had taken him to Michelin- starred tables from Chamonix to Bourget-du-Lac and from Alsace and Lyon to Quebec. Christophe loves to work with game, fresh water fish and his travels have given him a love of adventure and excitement which he tries to convey through his cooking. ‘I adore both the basic rules of French cooking and natural produce. I loved working in Alsace with all that game and the fish were delivered almost as soon as they were caught - so fresh!’ In Jumièges Christophe gets his Breaking new ground putting it back together but with a inspiration from his surroundings. Christophe’s menu changes very difference. Today when people go ‘When I walk in the forest here quarter which gives free rein to his to restaurants they are looking for there is so much that we can creativity. ’I love to use local new tastes, they want to be incorporate into our dishes - plants produce such as duck or scallops astonished by the recipe. There are like ground ivy or meadow sweet and I love to work with “surf and so many TV cooking shows that which has a delicate almond like turf” combinations so that is perfect everyday dishes have become just flavor, you know.’ The chef adapts here in Normandy.’ This translates that. People actually want to their his choice of plants to the season, onto a menu where you will find taste buds to be kick-started but of of course, so now that summer is monk fish and chorizo with a course that is getting harder all the on its way flowers are a part of creamy cherry and coconut sauce time.’ But Christophe is not Christophe’s imaginative style. ‘I or hake with tripe sausage and complaining about the client’s love to use edible flowers such as shrimp sauce or why not Dublin new-found curiosity - he enjoys the nasturtiums, marigolds and pansies. Bay prawn pan-fried with challenge ‘It makes us chefs think They add a distinctive taste and cauliflower purée and a passion- and that can only be a good thing,’ colour to dishes but then so do fruit-balsamic-vinegar sauce with a he says. herbs such as rosemary - or now in hint of chocolate? ‘I am trying to Auberge des Ruines, 17 place de la Mairie, the spring I use pine-buds too.’ use the best of our local produce Jumièges. Tel: +33 (0)2 35 37 24 05. and then add a touch of the exotic, Closed on Sunday evenings and taking a classic dish apart and then Wednesdays

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The delights of our local cuisine With great ‘surf and turf’ Rouen cuisine has a deserved reputation - excellent Red-Label scallops, shrimps from the Seine estuary and duckling cooked ‘Rouen style’ are just some of our superb products, not to mention the excellent apples and preserves from the Jumièges area, our ciders and perries and, of course, the Bénédictine liqueur produced in Fécamp. But there is so much more… Here are some lesser known treats for you to try…

Delicious dumplings from Elbeuf They had gone out of fashion but they are back, thanks to the combined efforts of the Rouen Seine Valley Conference and Tourist Office and the Elbeuf Chamber of Commerce, both of which encouraged the revival of this delicious dessert, and also to Patrick Jounot, a baker in the Rue des Martyrs in Elbeuf sur Seine. ‘There are so many variants on the original recipe,’ says Patrick. ’There is the Bolbec version, or Normandy dumplings with calvados and cream, but ours is the original Elbeuf recipe, it’s simple but good.’ Clément Dufresnois who works alongside Patrick is in charge of making the puff pastry which surrounds the fruit. ‘I turn the pastry five times,’ he tells us, making light of a recipe that pastry-makers know as being one of the most difficult. Clément uses Jonagold apples from local orchards in Fouqueville just outside Elbeuf in the Eure department but you could also try Boskoop, Canada grey or red Calville apples. To make the dumpling, first core the apple thoroughly and pack it with butter and sugar. Wrap it in puff pastry, making sure that the top is sealed, and then pop it into the oven to bake for 45 minutes at 220°C. Simply delicious! ‘Our dumplings sell well. We shift 20 a day and around 30 or 40 at the weekends,’ says Patrick. This tasty dessert costs just 1.50/1.90 Euros each and is perfect served hot or cold and washed down with ... what else… a glass of Normandy cider!

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Local produce…Normandy style

Mushrooms from Canteleu daily care, all of which has to be done by hand. The place where Juanito Martin and his brother Especially demanding is the delicious but also health- Luciano grow their mushrooms is as fabulous as the packed Shitake. Juanito explains: ‘The Shitake’s other mushrooms themselves! name is the black forest mushroom but in Asia it is ‘In the 14th and 15th centuries this was the quarry known as the long-life mushroom as it is full of where the famous Rouen stone came from,’ says Juanito antioxidants and vitamins which boost our immune as the potholing lamp on his forehead shines up at us. systems.’ In the Middle Ages these caves were hewn out by But there is a trick to growing Shitake. We watch as hand by prisoners who probably only ever left these Juanito gives a large block of oak containing the underground caverns feet first. ‘There are 600 square fungus a good hard punch. ‘You have to wake them up metres at the bottom level and 5,000 on the next level up a bit or otherwise they just lie dormant. When I started I making a total of 1.5 hectares (approximately 3.7 acres) didn’t know that. I just thought that the seeds hadn’t of galleries hacked out of the cliff face underneath the taken and threw them away but then I saw that the Canteleu forest.’ shock brought the fungus to life and it started growing!’ Juanito and Luciano grow Paris mushrooms, the Anjou variety as well as oyster mushrooms and shitake The pleurotte has different requirements, as to grow types. ‘The chambers see a new cultivation every 15 days well it needs at least 8 hours of light per day, while and after harvesting they are disinfected thoroughly to the typical Paris white mushroom prefers to be in the make sure that any spores are killed off before the next pitch black. The mushroom farm is open on batch is brought in.’ Sundays between 3pm and 6pm but you must What makes these caverns perfect for growing make a reservation. Full details from the tourist mushrooms is the constant temperature of 11°C both office but you can buy the Martins’ mushrooms at winter and summer. The many fossils found in the the markets of Sotteville lès Rouen on Sunday caves – ammonites, clams and sea urchins - all bear mornings and Mont St Aignan on Thursdays. witness to the fact that thousands of years ago these cliffs were on the sea shore and lapped by the waves. While not as strenuous as the work required of medieval chain gangs, growing mushrooms is not as easy as it may sound! Each variety needs different

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Organic veg from Emanville Getting to the heart of Normandy Laurent has a market garden at Emanville just outside cheese… Rouen and on Sunday mornings it is easy to pick out his There are 30 AOC (Appellation d’origine contrôlée) flaming red Viking hair in the crowded St Marc square Neufchâtel cheese producers in Nesle-Hodeng in the Bray market. Country just to the north of Rouen, and Etienne and His vegetables are absolutely nothing like the ones you will Sylvie are proud to figure among them. find in the shops. They come in all shapes and sizes for a This traditional cheese is one of France’s earliest recorded start and they taste completely different. Going organic cheeses and the oldest one produced in Normandy. can make life more difficult for the producer but, as Although it comes in different shapes and sizes, the best Laurent says: ‘If you believe in organic then you have to go known is that in the form of a heart. ‘The story goes that all the way…’ Normandy milk maids gave a heart-shaped cheese to their Having finished his degree in farm management, Laurent favourite English archer during the Hundred Years’ war,’ says went off to Quebec to see how the Canadians do organic. Etienne Thillard. A Normandy product that is little known Our young market gardener returned firm in his belief outside the region because it does not travel well, the that it is possible to produce healthy natural produce and cheese has a delicate pure white outer crust and a soft and set up his own business in 2006. creamy interior. Neufchâtel cheese hates the cold and so it ‘I was convinced that we have to change the methods of is always better to buy it direct from the farm or from a production we need to respect the land because that is where market rather than from a supermarket’s chilled counter. life comes from.’ Laurent produces 50 or 60 seasonal Etienne milks the cows and then Sylvie, who is in charge varieties on his six hectares and uses nettle mulches, of cheese making, takes over. seaweed and other organic matter like guano to fertilise ‘We make around 300 cheeses daily. These are split into hearts the soil. weighing 200 grammes, squares which weigh 100 grammes, ‘When you grow things there is no getting away from bung-shaped cheeses big and small and large hearts that weigh fertilizers,’ he tells us. ‘The difference is the type of fertiliser in at around 600 grammes.’ used – we don’t ever use chemicals, just natural materials. We Although it is quite straightforward to make a Neufchâtel, look after the bacteria in the soil and if you use organic-only the farmer’s wife needs a magic touch to make a good one. matter you never encourage the bad bacteria which can run It is all in the mix. Take 850 grammes of coarse salt and riot and cause havoc with your soil as there is no natural add it to the curds. ‘Then the solids are poured into moulds control on them.’ by hand which are then placed in the ripening room where Laurent is especially fond of the strange white flying- they stay 10 days.’ After five days the ‘fleur’ or crust starts to saucer shaped vegetable that he grows. ‘It’s a sort of squash,’ grow on the outside. Etienne goes on: ‘To make a he tells us. ‘You have to cook it and try it cold with a nice Neufchâtel the temperature needs to be between 10° and 14°. homemade mayonnaise or you can put it into salads, eat it If it is any lower it kills the penicillin. Cheese is after all a hot in a creamy sauce or stir fry it with some onions and living organism!’ After 10 days the cheese is ready to eat but whatever else you fancy.’ it gets better if left to mature for another eight to 10 But for taste there is no beating Laurent’s tomatoes. He weeks. ‘After five weeks it is just perfect,’ says Etienne recommends a return to traditional varieties such as the smacking his lips at the thought of it! Berre, the Black Russian, Ox-heart or Pineapple, in short Neufchâtel is at its best between April and the end of real old-fashioned tomatoes that have taste which these August when the cows are out in the fields all day, days, let’s face it, is something that’s not so easy to find… although it is still delicious in winter. 58 3-DEVORER2012 Uk_Mise en page 1 12/06/12 15:59 Page59

Relax…

The Champ de Mars Hotel and Spa

The 4-star Mercure Champ de Mars is just a short walk from Rouen centre yet offers a haven of peace away from the hurly burly of city life. Take a few steps within the hotel and enter the well-equipped spa with its hammam, sauna, massage service and fitness centre. After your trip to the gym, reward yourself with some traditional Normandy cuisine in the hotel’s ‘Honfleur’ restaurant. Try the camembert puff with honey or the scrumptious scallops. After a relaxing night here you will be ready to face whatever the world has to throw at you!

Hôtel Mercure Champ de Mars, 12 avenue Aristide Briand, Rouen. Tel: +33 (0)2 35 52 42 32

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A haven of peace

The Community of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, St Aubin-lès-Elbeuf, is to be found in a magnificent 19th century building overlooking a tranquil bend in the backwaters of the Seine. The convent opens its doors to those individuals or groups who are looking for peace of mind or who are in need of spiritual sustenance. The 30 nuns who make up the house are faithful to the founding principles of their community: ‘Thought in action’.

Sister Marie-Annick Edwards is the Mother ‘We have a micro climate. Here we are always Superior, at the head of the community. She ahead of the rest,’ smiles Sister Edwards, looking at laughingly describes herself as the ‘5-star general’ the river banks. ‘And we have quiet – the silence is as in today’s world of religious houses gone is the deafening!’ This large and imposing building opens strict adherence to the title of ‘Mother’ and the onto a spacious garden but this is not the only site wimples of yesteryear. run by the order that has communities here in the Up on the wall of the refectory, inscribed across Rouen Diocese, in Le Havre and another in the bottom of the picture of Mother Saint-Joseph, England. Sister Edwards is also pleased to show us is written the ever-relevant question: ‘And you - another aspect of the community’s work -the do you really love the poor?’ sheltered workshop that the order has been running since 1964. ‘We also look after the A community with a mission disabled. 13 members of our workshop have asked Sister Edwards tells us more about the foundation to join the order and, although they have not as we follow her into this 19th century building taken the same vows as us, they have taken vows which just exudes calm and tranquility. ’The order of poverty, chastity and obedience and so it is our was started in 1818 by Geneviève Freret who was job to support them in their quest.’ born with only one arm, so disabled from birth. At the top of the garden is the order’s cemetery She took up the cause of the children working in and from there the view sweeps over the whole the factories and thread manufacturing here in community, taking in the 19th century church and Elbeuf. She founded a community that has a real the magnificent 17th century pigeon loft. It is a purpose and we believe, like St Ignacious Loyola, particularly beautiful spot to find a moment of that God is present everywhere and in everything.’ peace… ‘The word apostolic means that we live in the Community of the Sacred Heart, 130 rue de Freneuse, outside world and are not bound within the Saint-Aubin-Lès-Elbeuf. Tel: +33 (0)2 35 77 01 10. cloisters. We welcome the poorest of the poor. We work with recovering alcoholics, with women who have just left prison. Following our founder’s -sur-Seine example, we try to spend as much time as possible In the gardens high up on the banks above the with those who have nothing, no money, poor community there is a copy of the Lourdes shrine reproduced in miniature to the last health, no love and no hope…’ The community detail. Sister Edwards tells us the story behind also works with travelers and with disabled people. it: ‘It was modelled on the grotto in Lourdes in thanks for the miraculous recovery of one of Making life worth living again our sisters on the 21st August 1890.’ Sister People come from far and wide to find some Josephine Marie, or Anna Jourdain as she had comfort here within the shelter of the walls of the been, had gone to Lourdes in the hope of a community of the Sacred Heart and it is certainly cure from her tuberculosis. ‘After the first bath true that when you enter the order a powerful she felt so much better and by the next day feeling overwhelms you. The sisters can she had completely accommodate up to 30 people. They welcome recovered. It was meetings and seminars, or those seeking to get extraordinary!’ Indeed it away from the world on retreat to look for spiritual was such an inspiration or for those who ‘just need to regain extraordinary event that confidence in the world and find a reason to carry it was registered as a on’, says Sister Edwards. miracle by the Office of The place itself helps - situated on one of the Medical Certification prettiest of the Seine river meanders with views of which, as Sister Edwards the river from the windows of the sparsely freely admits, is truly decorated, one could say monastic, rooms. amazing!.

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Pause for thought 3-DEVORER2012 Uk_Mise en page 1 12/06/12 16:00 Page62 3-DEVORER2012 Uk_Mise en page 1 12/06/12 16:00 Page63

The City of Rouen Tourism: What’s new… For business and for pleasure the concept of the ‘city break’ has become increasingly popular. Today you can find a wide choice of well- equipped self- catering accommodation in most major world cities and Rouen is no exception.

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Welcome to the P’tit Robec, in the St Marc district

« We are there to welcome our Self-catering accommodation designed to attract the visitor coming for a long weekend or a mid- guests personally and give them week break is the latest trend ‘We love to take a short break and visit different cities. This is a all the info they need to get the formula that has always worked well for us, so we most out of short break in wanted to offer others the same thing here in Rouen,’ says Patrick Gazier who, with his wife, has Rouen » created a city-centre getaway recognized by Gîtes de France. ‘You really get to know a city and be part of it when you are in your own home from home,’ say the Gaziers. The idea is simple: A city break is two nights minimum in a comfortable, well-appointed city centre pied-à-terre. ‘We are there to welcome our guests personally and give them all the info they need to get the most out of short break in Rouen,’ explain the Gaziers, whose apartment just off the Place St Marc - famous for the excellence of its vibrant Sunday morning market - offers a luxury bathroom, fully equipped kitchen and spacious bedroom. ‘The beauty of having a flat means that people can get to know the real Rouen at their own pace. They can do their shopping, eat what they like when they like, so it offers a completely different experience to a hotel stay.’ The P’tit Robec is the favourite choice of the many artists who come to perform during the theatre and opera season in Rouen. ‘One of the opera singers who stayed with us recently said she felt like it was her second home, which for us was just about the best compliment that anyone could have made,’ says Patrick Gazier happily as he gets the flat ready for the next city-breakers, leaving a ‘Welcome to Rouen’ gift of a bottle of locally-produced Pompon cider - what could be nicer?

Au P’tit Robec, 110 rue Eau-de-Robec, Rouen (www.au-petit-robec.com). Tel: +33 (0)6 22 77 70 80 Cost for a week (4 people) between 490 € off season and 560 € high season.

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Rooms with a Seine river view

This comfortable flat is conveniently situated on the Quai Jacques Anquetil on the left bank. It has a huge « I took the same care over the bay window which overlooks the Seine and the Lacroix island, offering sweeping views of the river decoration as if I was doing it for and the barges moored at the foot of the Corneille my flat » bridge. The flat’s 64 square metres have been entirely renovated and decorated in tasteful whites and greys and there is a lovely new parquet floor. Owner Emmanuel Sirhaj says 'I took as much care over the decoration as if it was going to be for me personally'’. Although the flat has not yet been registered as a Gîtes de France city break, it is beautiful, offering as it does 2 spacious bedrooms, a large living room, well-equipped kitchen and bathroom - in short, all home comforts. ’I take care of everything for my guests - including all the bed linen etc - all they need is themselves and their bags,’ explains Emmanuel. The flat is close to the Corneille bridge on the quieter left bank of the river. It is the perfect spot from which to explore the historic city centre which is only a short five-minutes stroll away. Or why not book for summer 2013 when the Armada returns to the quays. Where better than here to sit back and enjoy the show?

6 quai Jacques-Anquetil, Rouen. Tel: +33 (0)6 67 58 25 12. Cost for one week (4 people): 540 €/1,000 € for a fortnight, 1,700 € for a month. Parking available.

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Le Salon de Valentine, elegance guaranteed This is the aristocrat of Rouen apartments. ‘Originally this was part of an independent town house that has been in the family for years – in fact it was once my grandmother Valentine’s music room,’ says a smiling Paule Lecoeur-Thoumyre. The music room of yesteryear is now a magnificent city break dwelling, offering a spacious 80 square metres and recognized by Gîtes de France and classified by Charming Destinations Gites. The flat has a large bedroom, a modern fitted kitchen, a living room and a balcony - all in all a classy address which has been used in several films and is listed as a home for the possible Normandy film bank. The three rooms all have parquet flooring and are tastefully decorated, giving an overall feeling of old- fashioned elegance. Not too fussy but just enough to impress. A little bit of luxury for a quiet short break yet, as Paule says: ‘It is very important that people can feel at home, so I always leave them a breakfast basket so that they have everything they need for the first morning and they can just settle straight in. After that they can cater for themselves as they please, but they feel welcome!’ The Salon de Valentine is another favourite address for the artists of the Rouen season as it is close to the station in a quiet street overlooking the Donjon Jeanne d’Arc and St Patrice’s cloister.

Le Salon de Valentine, 11 rue Moulinet, Rouen. Tel: +33 (0)6 61 61 76 52. Cost of stay (3 + 2 people + baby cot): 700 €. Parking is available in nearby pay parks.

« it was once my grandmother Valentine’s music room »

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What’s on the menu today? La Tavola Calda, Italian food at its best

In Rouen the rue Damiette is best known for its many antique shops but now it is also has the reputation of being the only street in the city centre offering real and really good Italian food at La Tavola Calda or ‘cold collation’ if you prefer.

Emmanuel Gillot and his wife Rosalinda Figlioli spent ten years dreaming of their project for a restaurant, ten long years which they spent choosing objets d’art to embellish their future premises and in which time they learned all the best-kept secrets of Italo-Sicilian cooking. ’Our concept was modeled on an Italian-style bistro where the food is on show so that your eyes are the first to feast on what you will then taste.’ Nowhere is this more true than at La Tavola Calda. The first thing you see when you go in is the counter with its display of cakes and patisseries culinary masterpieces with delightfully charming names. ‘This is a Sicilian pastry called Saint Agathe’s Cassatelle, dedicated to Saint Agathe, the patron saint of the female bosom. It is irresistible, like Venus herself!’ explains Emmanuel. And do try the canolo Siciliano, a sort of sweet cannelloni stuffed with a Sicilian orange ricotta cream. This one is also wickedly good but there is more! Let’s take a look at what the restaurant offers for first course… ’Our pizzaiolo was specially trained according to the true Italian and, more specifically, Sicilian tradition of pizza making. ’ And honestly you have not tasted pizza until you have one here. ‘I just want to dive into it, it looked so gorgeous,’ was our photographer Jean-François Lange’s comment! For the pasta it is Rosalinda who is in charge and her delightful Italian accent leaves us in no doubt as to the authenticity of what we are about to enjoy. Try the gnometti aricciati, the busiate or the polenta. They are all lovingly made by our Rouen ‘madonna’. Rosalinda tells us that she learned to cook with her mother and grandmother. ‘I get everything we use in Italy from the region where they are produced. For example, the ricotta comes from Sicily where it is made from the milk of goats that graze freely in the mountains! Our olive oil comes from Pouilles and the mozzarella from Naples with almonds from Avola and pistachios from Bronte in Sicily. Our wines too are Sicilian. They are big and bold and full of flavor.’ Finally, if we have not yet convinced you that you have to try La Tavola Calda, we have to say that their La Tavola Calda, 29 rue Damiette, Rouen. tomato sauce is to die for. It is worth a visit just for that Tel: +33 (0)2 35 52 02 70. alone but then, as Rosalinda says with a smile: ‘It’s from Open from 9h30 to 14h30 from Tuesdays to Friday. Sicily!’ Friday evenings until 22h.

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What’s on the menu today? Le Clos des Roses A rose by any other name....

You’ll find the Clos des Roses restaurant in the heart of the Seine River national park in the little village of Sahurs. This is a restaurant with a difference as all the staff, both in the kitchen and in the restaurant itself, is from the François Truffaut sheltered workshop for the disabled. The setting is delightfully bucolic, the menu is creative and the end result beautifully presented. Bon appétit!

Rodolphe Turquer has eyes in the back of his heard – he sees everything and let’s nothing go. He is the man behind the scenes in charge of training and the man who is in charge. Everyone listens to him and, with his help and guidance, the assistant chefs produce dishes that any top class chef would be proud of. Rodolphe tells us what they are making: ‘Goujons of duck in orange with fresh herbs served with a mushroom casserole and fried potatoes.’ Another plus is that while the food is first class the bill is easy on the pocket. ‘We are great value for money,’ says Rodolphe. ‘Try the dish of the day at 6.50 € or the full menu at 16.50 €. It is unbeatable quality!’ The menu is mouth-watering: a crispy Neufchâtel cheese croquette served with fresh leaves and bacon bits, grilled prawn kebab with marinated mixed greens and tarragon, asparagus vol-au-vent with coriander and savoury and, for dessert, a delicious Normandy apple tart with ice cream, simple yet super delicious! This restaurant is surrounded by green fields and is close to the Sahurs river ferry crossing point so the perfect place for lunch on an Impressionist outing or on the way to the beautiful Abbey of Jumièges. The Clos des Roses has room for 50 with places outside for 20 and the workshop (ESAT) also caters for seminars for up to 120 people.

Le Clos des roses, 1 rue du Haut, Sahurs. Tel: +33 (0)2 35 34 10 15. Open from Monday to Friday from 12h to 13h30

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What’s on the menu today? Le Bellevue Seine-sational food

Lunch with a Seine view, watching the ships go by, is what Le Bellevue is all about. This aptly-named hotel-restaurant only uses local seasonal produce for the best in traditional Normandy cuisine.

The view is exceptional whether you are looking through the window or at the gourmet delights on your plate. Bernard Cavaillé has been a chef for last 20 years and knows the region and our specialties inside out. ‘The snails we serve come from Trouville. They are excellent but are not the establishment’s signature dish which is “tête de veau” or rolled calf’s head.’ It may seem like a simple dish but the secret of a good calf’s head is in the preparation. ‘Here we cook slowly for a minimum of four hours in an aromatic stock but I can‘t say more as it’s a trade secret. The way we cook it means it stays appetizingly pink and not a dull grey and on the plate it is served with a traditional classic acidic ravigote sauce.’ The rest of the Bellevue’s menu is in the same vein. Traditional fare, perfectly cooked and beautifully presented. The skate’s wing is done simply in butter with capers, the salmon is served with a few herbs and parmesan and the duck, as you would expect, is ‘à l’orange’. As Bernard explains: ‘Our aim is to serve excellent locally- sourced produce. We are not trying to revolutionise our traditional Normandy cuisine, we just want to do it really well.’ And his customers take the same view.

Restaurant Le Bellevue, 13 quai Hector-Malot, La Bouille. Tel: +33 (0)2 35 18 05 05. Open daily from 12h to 14h and from 19h30 to 21h30.

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What’s on the menu today? Mes Mets The food of love....bring it on!

You could be forgiven for walking past this little bistro in Rouen’s rue aux Ours but if you did then you would be missing out! Behind the red-checked curtains, the restaurant is always full with an ever-hungry crowd who come to enjoy the delicious cuisine served here in best bistro tradition.

The pot au feu served cold as a terrine is just too delicious and Mes Mets has clients that come for that alone, it is so good! Others come for the pork filet with pimento or, everybody’s favourite, the home-made chips with mayonnaise or the best ‘Potjevleesch’ - a northern French dish of cold meats in jelly - that you can find outside the Lille region. ‘Our menu is straightforward and we have a few signature dishes that come back on a regular basis,’ says Tony Demaret aka ‘Tonio’. It goes without saying that while a pot au feu terrine in red wine jelly may sound a simple dish, it still has to be cooked and cooked to perfection! It takes about 48 hours in all to make a good terrine like this as first you have to make the pot au feu (stew), keeping an eye on it over the four or five hours that it takes to cook, then leaving it to cool completely before transforming it into a terrine which then has to be left overnight. The terrine that takes so long to make disappears almost instantly but it is the same story with the pork filet marinated in Espelette pepper and served with ‘pimientos des piuillo’ or small Spanish marinated peppers. Tonio doesn’t just spoil his clients with the delights of his cooking. Mes Mets offers a very reasonably priced choice of wines that accompany Tonio’s dishes admirably. If we have one word of advice about this charming centre of town address, it is call ahead and book a table! There is only room for 30 so it gets full very quickly and, as the food is all freshly made, get there on time or else you may find that the dish you want has already gone!

Mes Mets, 37 rue aux Ours, Rouen. Tel: +33 (0)2 35 89 97 58. Open from Tuesday to Saturday for lunch and Friday and Saturday evenings.

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Out and about

Questioned again as to why she had taken up men’s apparel, once more she replied that as she found herself alone in a man’s world it seemed more honest to be dressed as a man rather than as a woman.’

1412-2012: The 600th anniversary of Joan of Arc’s birth

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One for art and art for all

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Contemporary art 20 minutes outside Rouen stands the château de Saint-Pierre-de-Varengeville which today is a thriving modern art centre thanks to the support and initiative of local insurance group, the Matmut. The centre is free for visitors and is designed to provide an artistic experience accessible to all. The Matmut hopes that in opening this centre that people will be able to since the day it was built. So the enjoy a wide variety of contemporary works Matmut is just carrying on a long standing tradition and allowing the and the opportunity to connect with our château to maintain its position in cultural heritage. the art world. The group promotes artists from ean-Michel Levacher is proud In the same vein Matmut supports near and far and has a total of 400 of the Matmut’s policy, ‘In touch other cultural events in France – the square metres on two floors of the with people’. Director of com- group is a sponsor for the Montau- château set aside for temporary munication at the large insu- ban jazz festival and Royaumont J exhibitions. The works of sculptor rance group, he explains that the foundation. The Matmut is also a company could have decided to go sponsor of the Georges-Pompidou and painter Philippe Garel will be for a sponsorship deal with a sports centre in Paris. on show alongside the works of star rather than choosing the role of Jean-Pierre Le Bozec who favours impresario - a move which would Country living pastels during the first half of 2012. have brought them a good deal more The Matmut bought the château of There will also be a summer show notoriety. Saint-Pierre-de-Varengeville, near from June 15 to September 30 co- ‘In supporting modern art we are get- Duclair, in 1969. At the time of produced with the Rouen Fine Arts ting in touch with ordinary people and sale the château belonged to the Museum, featuring Hungarian- showing them that contemporary art born artist Vera Molnar’s life and can be funny, imaginative, surprising, family of Gaston Le Breton, a interesting, a talking point and that it wealthy collector of local art, and work. She was one of the first is relevant to them and not just aimed the director of the department’s French artists to explore how the at an elite.’ The Matmut group em- museums. The château had been computer could impact art through ploys over 200 people in Rouen so ‘it a favourite place for artists at the the use of minute geometric mani- is vital for us to be a part of local life start of the 20th century and loo- pulations. and local events as we are an impor- king at the inscription over the en- At the end of 2012 win Normandy tant part of the community’. trance, ‘Art for all’, one could say painter Daniel Authouart be the

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star of the show. Janet Jackson through a veritable labyrinth of ve- ‘Contemplation’ and finally ‘Mu- chose him to illustrate the cover of getation and enjoy the pieces on sic’. her album ‘Rhythm Nation 1814’ show. The first to be installed is Here is also a splendid arboretum and the artist is much loved by the British artist Norman Dilworth’s with over 75 specimen trees as well public for his work based on New work ‘Evolution’ which can be seen as a rose garden and a Japanese gar- York streets depicting them as a on the path dedicated to abstract den to complete the picture. and geometric work. surreal environment almost ap- The garden is divided into five dis- proaching a comic strip style. tinct ‘rooms’ lying from west to east Contemporary Art Centre, 425 that take the visitor on a path out of rue du Château, Saint-Pierre- An extraordinary setting the darkness of night into the sun. de-Varengeville. Last April the château’s six hectares Each space has an individual theme Tel: +33 (0)2 35 05 61 73 Open from Wednesday to of gardens were opened to the pu- which is conveyed by the minerals, blic. The gardens aim to combine Sunday from 13h to 19h. Closed plants and sculptures placed in on public holidays. Entrance flora and sculptures, offering visi- them, taking the visitor from ‘chaos’ free. tors the opportunity to wander to ‘the Garden of Eden’; ‘Man’,

for children and discussion forums Around each exhibition the château also puts on workshops led by an artist for children and for groups (reservation required and advance booking for groups: Tel. 02 35 05 61 72). During the Vera Molnar exhibition the workshops will be scheduled on June 27 from 13h30 to 15h for children aged 5 to 7 and from 15h30 to 17h for 8 to 10-year-olds; July 11 from 13h30 to 15h for ages 5 to 7 and from 15h30 to 17h for the 8 to 10s; August 22 from 13h30 to 15h for ages 5 to 7 and from 15h30 to 17h for the 8 to 10s.

There will also be a conference on Saturday June 23 at 15h entitled ‘Is non abstract art the purest art form?’ The talk will be given by Lucile Encrevé, doctor in the history of art and professor at the Rouen and Le Havre School of Art and Design (ESADHAR - Rouen) and at the National School of Decorative Arts in Paris (ENSAD). Dr Encrevé is a specialist in abstract art.

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So ferry across the Seine…

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The La Bouille river ferry

Between Dieppedalle, just outside Rouen, and Here at Sahurs, a few foot pas- Port-Jérôme, on the outskirts of Le Havre, you will sengers and three cars come find nine river ferries run by the Seine-Maritime aboard. The conductor ties the ropes and signals to the council, taking people and cars from one side of bridge. The captain selects the the river Seine to the other. Seven of these vessels gear ‘ahead’. José Duvivier are in the Rouen area and the La Bouille crossing points out a small bell hanging (or ferry N° 20), is considered to be one of the from the outside of the bridge with a clear all-round 360° most beautiful places to see the river in this spot view of the river and the bend so favoured by the Impressionists. ahead. ‘We know which way we are going thanks to the bell, as the side of the bell is always n the lower Seine valley, 10 million people cross the pointing to the front of the ferry.’ So it is true when you river on the river ferries each year. The crossing is have a great teacher you can always learn something free and everyone is welcomed aboard with a new and pass your ‘A-levels’… especially when the I smile… The success is thanks to the hard work of exam in question is the La Bouille to Sahurs (or the one the hundred or so professionals who man the ferries as from Sahurs to La Bouille; take your pick as it is they navigate from bank to bank in the salt and sweet 50/50), the bell has the number 20 on its side. waters of the Seine. 20 /20 is a great score… What is the word for that? You know when it is a mix of salt and sweet, like the word used for the fish that can Special mention swim in both? Amphidromous? Is that it? Captain José Duvivier and his shipmate, conductor No, not actually. ‘The ferry does not really have a front or Sébastien Ferrand, are really proud of their vessel ‘La back,’ explains José Duvivier, one of the captains wor- Bouille’. ‘This is one of the best spots to cross as the light king on the La Bouille ferry. ‘So we use the word here is always different. It is really extraordinary,’ they tell “amphidromous” because these boats that go back and us. With sparkling eyes, José admits that he likes foggy forth have neither prow nor stern which are usually what days best. ‘It’s magic,' he says, although it is true that distinguishes the front of the boat from the back.’ So how navigating gets a bit more technical in the fog, but just in the world does Captain Duvivier make sure that he as safe as on clear days thanks to the radar and radio is really going backwards and not forwards and vice signals. versa?

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La Bouille is such an enchan- No, not exactly…Like the fish that can swim in both ting spot that it ranks as one of sweet and salt water, La Bouille is a village that lives the loveliest areas of the on both land and the river. The village has always had crossings river…and was a source inspi- one foot in the water, welcoming passing vessels and ration for some of the greatest the myriad of passengers that came to and from Lower The Normandy capital paintings that the world has Normandy on the steam boat on their way to and boasts seven car and foot ever known. from the regional capital, Rouen. The La Bouille- passenger crossing within her borders. The ferries are Nestling at the southernmost Rouen link has been reinstated as part of a mini Seine known as ‘bacs’ and tip of the bend at Roumare, river cruise even if it is now longer a steam engine but connect on the left bank of the river, the gentle hum of the Cavelier de la Salle II’s diesel Dieppedalle/Grand- La Bouille is famous the world engines that you can hear now (see pages 46 à 48). ‘In Quevilly, Val-de-la- over as the place that inspired spite of the fact that technically we are in the salt water Haye/Petit-Couronne, Turner, Sisley and Gauguin… part of the river, we are classed as river traffic - so in Sahurs/La Bouille, If La Bouille was such a favou- sweet water - and that is because the ferries have a ton- Duclair/Berville, Mesnil- rite with the Impressionists, it nage of less than 50,’ explains Ferry N° 20’s Captain. sous-Jumièges/Yville, is not a little thanks to the There are three ferries that have a tonnage of over 50. Jumièges/Heurteauville and view that we can still enjoy They all work the crossings closer to the estuary and Yainville/Heurteauville (directions right bank to left today from the bridge of the have much bigger crews. Yet the pair aboard the La bank). The crossing is free. river ferry and that seaside fee- Bouille ferry is not just messing about in boats; they ling. La Bouille is over 100 too have seen the oceans and sailed the seven salty kilometres from the coast by seas. Amphidromous? Is that the word? the river but the incessant up and down of the cargo ships, bound either for Rouen or the open sea, give it a Real sailors – not just messing about in boats jaunty air along the prom. It is what I was telling you The captain, who comes from a sea-faring family, is earlier about the word ‘amphidromous’ - it is a bit of one of three pilots to have a licence to pilot ferry N° both. 20. ‘My father ended up as captain on a river ferry but he started out on the launches that were used to carry foot A mixture of sweet and salt water passengers,’ he tells us as he gently and deftly maneu- Amphidromous? Is that it again? vers the vessel into La Bouille. Even if he has never been in command of a sea-going vessel, José is none- theless a highly-skilled mariner and the 130 horsepo- wer engines obey his every command. 20 years of working on the Seine river have given him the necessary experience and in-depth knowledge of the waters and currents to successfully manage what might otherwise have been potentially difficult moments. ‘Once, as we approached the berth, the pin on the jog stick came away which meant that we could no longer our rate of knots,’ he tells us. Yet José managed to bring the vessel in gently alongside which is important, for as he rightly says, ‘We have to be responsible - after all our cargo is people not just a pile of rocks!’ Conductor Sébastien Ferrand used to be a sea-farer before he joined the river ferries based in La Bouille. After leaving the cadets’ school in Fécamp, Sébastien sailed the North Sea on a boat manufactures deep freeze out of Dieppe for four years. ‘We used to be at sea for two months at a time,’ he recalls. After that the mariner worked on towboats – the big tugs that push convoys of barges. ‘I always used to work seven days a week, both on the factory ship as well as the tug, so now on the ferry even though I am on my feet all day it’s easier - it’s not so tiring,’ he smiles. La Bouille is not really very far from the effects of the sea and its currents ‘You can still feel the mascaret or Seine river bore which is produced by the rising waters of the incoming waves as they meet the ebb tide,’ says the captain as he guides the ferry snuggly into its berth. ‘When you add a strong gusts of wind to the tide even on the river the effect can be dramatic!’ José lowers the ramp and the car passengers start their engines, Sébastien lifts the rope and they disembark as the foot-passengers wander off. In five minutes ferry N° 20 will turn around and cross over and over and over again…

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postcard St Catherine’s Hill has a quite extraordinary view over the Seine, its bridges and over the river banks that split the Normandy capital… Thanks to the efforts of the city of Rouen, of the satellite town of Bonsecours and the associations for the preservation and protection of St Catherine’s Hill and viewpoint, three different orientation tables were erected in March 2012. One view south, one west and one north that brings this land rich in history and an outstanding natural environment to life. A living ‘picture postcard’ of Rouen to see again and again - there is always something new in the picture…

Leaving Rouen on the N14, follow signs to Bonsecours and head up the corniche (D95) which leads directly to the viewpoint on the side of St Catherine’s Hill. By bus take line N°13, going to Belbeuf, get off at Bonsecours La Corniche

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Rouen Opera house

50 years old and still lifting the roof off

Fifty years ago the Rouen Opera House reopened with a rousing rendition of Carmen, the story set in scorching Andalusia of a red-hot I will be fifty soon so you shouldn’t waste any time tempestuous gypsy girl who in getting to know me,’ remarks Stendhal in ‘La bewitches a soldier in the dragoon ‘ Vie de Henry Brulard’. Just like Stendhal, the guards. The story is full of action, Rouen Opera House is celebrating its ‘half century’ and as part of its retrospective is asking for anyone who there is love and lust, a smuggler has ROH memorabilia, programmes, photos etc to band, a hopelessly in-love come forward. But taking a nostalgic look over the past wholesome young girl from Navarre fifty years, does not mean that the opera is in the dol- and, of course, as we are talking drums - the Rouen Opera was reborn to the sounds of Spain there is the inevitable trumpets and has just as much energy now as then to blow out the 50 red candles on the cake - which will toreador. That production was on be either ‘Carmen red’ or ‘Ferrari red’… December 11, 1962 and the zest for Laurent Bondi, the opera’s secretary general, is deligh- life of Bizet’s Carmen marked the ted to announce a new production of Carmen but as rebirth of the Rouen Opera House part of the 50 years’ celebration our torrid heroine is out of the dust and destruction left not alone, as Bizet’s triumph will be followed by an astonishing modern score based on the life of another by the war. Fifty years on, Rouen’s more contemporary sex-symbol, Lolo Ferrari. opera is still as exciting and to mark ‘This is a work about suffering and how other people look its 50th anniversary, the Rouen at us and judge us,’ says Bondi. Famous for her outra- Opera will spotlight Bizet in the up geously large bosom - an amazing six litres of silicon and coming season from went into her ‘boob-job’ - the tragic porn star was the September 2012 to January 2013… 83 4-MUSARDER2012 Uk_Mise en page 1 12/06/12 16:16 Page84

inspiration for the young Belgian director of the Rouen Opera goers are used to novelty and a more Rouen opera scene, Frédéric Roels, who then asked his contemporary approach, even if the contents of an fellow Belgian and composer Michel Fourgon to draft outsize Wonderbra as a subject for an opera is a first. the score for this ‘bio-lyric’ with a difference. ‘At the end of 2011 we did some very adventurous stuff Frédéric Roels is not out to shock: ‘I am very aware of by bringing together the Grupo Compay Segundo with the different art forms and I really want my work to bring opera’s classical orchestra.’ Another example of Rouen innovation to the attention of the public, to bring a touch Opera House innovation was the production during of modernity into the theatre,’ he tells us. the ‘Autumn in Normandy’ festival of the six-act opera The announcement of the production of an opera ‘Red Waters’ co-written by Keren Ann and based on a dedicated to Lolo Ferrari is not then just an act of lyri- short story by Marie Darrieussecq which involved the cal-provocation setting out to rock the chorus! From interaction of the Rouen opera orchestra and an the sultry gaze of a sexy Andalusian gypsy fifty years Icelandic choir. ‘What we are trying to do is to bring ago to Fourgon’s tragic musical portrayal of contempo- other musical forms into the world of opera so that we can rary porn star Lolo Ferrari – doesn’t seem too far a reach a wider audience.’ A move that has been generally call… well received even if a few die-hards have looked a lit-

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Opéra de Rouen

tle shocked at the new faces taking their places on the baroque music and recently gave three stunning perfor- push red velvet seats of the Rouen Opera House… mances of Égisto, an Italian opera in three acts with an overture. Artistic and cultural hothouse As Laurent Bondi says: ‘We are trying to put on works so Rouen Opera is unusual amongst French lyric houses as that people can enjoy and experience beauty and create it has its own dedicated full-time artists, both singers empathy between public and performer. It may seem like and musicians. ‘The orchestra is organised “Mozart pie in the sky but that is what art is all about.’ style” with 40 musicians and when the opera needs to be in romantic mode we take on more,’ explains Laurent Behind the scenes Bondi. ‘We also have four young full-time voices - soprano, When it comes to creating beauty, Rouen Opera House alto, tenor and baritone - and there are very few of us in does not do things by halves. It has its own scene pain- France that are lucky enough to have such a large team.’ ters and its own costume team. The staging of the The opera house is not just a theatre - to use a professio- baroque opera Egisto may have been a co-production nal footballing term it could also be called a musical between Rouen, the Paris Comic Opera, the ‘training centre’. It takes on and trains young, talented Luxembourg city theatre association and the Poème artists who will become tomorrow’s stars on stages all Harmonique musical ensemble but all the props, costumes, scenery and backdrops where made in the Rouen workshops by Rouen opera’s in-house staff. Gabriel Méraud-Lanfray, prop manager of the Rouen opera, said they had great fun making the backdrop that was supposed to represent classical ruins which he good- naturedly describes as being like the inside of a pizzeria. ‘We got away from 2D scenery and returned to more creative backdrops. It gives the director so much more to work with.’ Yet for Egisto it was not an easy task. The stage had to be lit by candlelight and there was a series of interchan- geable backdrops which required some serious technical innovation from the prop team. ‘We have to make do with what we’ve got and we only make prototypes, taking ideas from everywhere to get round problems. That’s the genius of theatre people; they can always come up with an idea from somewhere,’ finishes Gabriel. A genius that has an annual budget of 11 million euros, a permanent staff of 90 and 40 musicians.

around the world. ‘We take on five every two years after auditions. It’s our way of giving young talent a helping hand,’ says Laurent modestly. The opera also has an ‘artist in residence’ policy, contri- buting to its success and making it a key player on the for the second time French lyric stage. ‘We try to give our public continuity so that they can form relationships and meaningful contact First built at the bottom of the rue Grand-Pont in 1776, the Rouen Opera between artist and audience, before, during and after the House burned down and was then performance. By having artists in residence we are really rebuilt at the end of the second half able to promote a lasting interaction,’ says general mana- of the XIXth century. Damaged ger Frédéric Roels. during the German invasion of 1940, The Accentus choir, conducted by Laurence Équilbey, it would be flattened by the American bombings of June 1944. has been in residence in Rouen since 1998. ‘They give After the war it was rebuilt and three concerts a year at the opera,’ says Laurent Bondi. opened in its present position at the ‘Laurence Équilbey is in overall charge of the opera’s chorus end of the rue Jeanne-d’Arc, on so we are able to attain a superior quality.’ December 11, 1962 with a The Poème Harmonique ensemble conducted by performance of Carmen. The flies, which are an amazing equivalent of Vincent Dumestre is also in residence. The Poème an eight-story building, were Harmonique is best known for their interpretation of completely renovated and refurbished in 2005.

85 4-MUSARDER2012 Uk_Mise en page 1 12/06/12 16:16 Page86 Jeanne, free as M a bird... M

8 am. A lazy wake up for our intrepid maid in a cosy room in the Hôtel Arts et Seine, just by the cathedral, the perfect spot from which to launch an assault on the delights of Rouen. 6 rue Saint-Étienne-des-Tonneliers, Rouen. Tel: +33 (0)2 35 88 11 44. Special city pass offer: 5% off the first night and 15% if you stay two nights or more.

Our modern Joan is descended from Pierre of Arc, the Maid’s brother and brother in arms, at least that is what a British genealogist has told her. Our young and vibrant 21st century Joan has come back to Rouen for a long weekend in the merry month of May looking for fun and to find out more about her ancestor. To get the most out of her stay she uses the Rouen city pass, which offers numerous good deals throughout the Normandy capital and the surrounding area…

10 am. Joan of Arc’s great great great great etc great 9.30 am. Joan steps into the Rouen niece has a beauty session in the Seine Valley Event and Tourist Office, situated medieval cellars belonging to what was opposite the cathedral. She gets information about all the once Rouen’s Town Hall in medieval times. sights to see in Rouen and buys a souvenir from the well- Douglas Perfumes, 68 rue du Gros-Horloge, Rouen. stocked boutique… Tel: +33 (0)2 32 76 79 95 Rouen Seine Valley Event and Tourist Office, 25 place de la Cathédrale, Special city pass offer: A 20-minute quick fix beauty Rouen. Tel: +33 (0)2 32 08 32 40. treatment offered with any purchase. Offer Special city pass offer: One free audioguide for every audioguide available once only and not available bought, as well as a complimentary copy of the in conjunction with other 86 Rouen Magazine. offers. 4-MUSARDER2012 Uk_Mise en page 1 12/06/12 16:16 Page87

11.15 am. Joan loves the lights that play in her red gold hair so she stops for a quick hair-do at the Frédéric Moreno salon. Frédéric Moreno, 42 rue de la République, Rouen. Tel: +33 (0)2 35 52 01 55. Special city pass offer: 20% discount on cut/blow drys.

10.45 am. Joan chooses window shopping in Rouen’s antique district in the quaint Damiette and Martainville streets, near the church of Saint- Maclou church. Finding a touch of 50s decor is just what she is after. Playtime, 202 rue Martainville, Rouen. Tel: +33 (0)6 08 04 16 79. 2.30 pm. Joan scours the shelves of the Fnac Special city pass offer: 10% discount in the Espace du Palais city centre mall. on purchases. FNAC, 8 rue Eugène-Delacroix, Rouen. Tel: +33 (0)8 25 02 00 20. Special city pass offer: The Fnac card valid one year for 9 € instead of 12 €, or 22 € for a card valid 3 years instead of the normal 30 € rate.

1 pm. Looking and feeling marvelous, Joan opts for a pizza in the medieval vaults that were once part of Rouen Town Hall, situated just off the Old Market Square where tragically her ancestor went to the stake. Le Florian, 11 rue de Crosne, Rouen. Tel: +33 (0)2 35 07 47 17. Special city pass offer: One cocktail offered with every meal bought.

3.50 pm. Beautiful clothes give way to seductively sweet perfums. 35 rue Damiette, Rouen. Tel: +33 (0)2 35 71 16 54. Special city pass offer: 5% discount on perfum.

3 pm. Joan takes in the es. sights and the sounds of Rouen’s n. streets and enjoys looking in all the shops. Jade & Lisa, 8 rue Beauvoisine, galerie Beauvoisine, y Rouen. Tel: +33 (0)6 60 40 86 70. Special city pass offer: 10% discount on all articles (offer valid once only). 87 4-MUSARDER2012 Uk_Mise en page 1 12/06/12 16:16 Page88

4.30 pm. It is chocolate time! 5.45 pm. After that it is rally time for a Retracing her steps back to the Old Market workout so Joan goes for a swim in the outside pool at Square and it’s time to try a Rouen specialty Mont-Saint-Aignan, then a glass of squash as a reward… chocolate called Les Paillardises! Piscine Eurocéane, Coquets sport centre, Mont-Saint-Aignan. La Chocolatière, 18 rue Guillaume-le-Conquérant, Rouen. Tel: +33 (0)2 35 74 34 37. Tel: +33 (0)2 35 71 00 79. Special city pass offer: Adult entry (from 8 years upwards) at 3.50 € Special city pass offer: 10% discount offered on instead of 4.80 €, for the under 8s 0.90 € instead of 1 €. the house special, ‘Les Paillardises’.

9.20 pm. Joan’s new-found friend takes her for a night out at the Elbeuf Circus where a comedy review is playing. This is one of the last remaining permanent circus rings in France and the only one to still have a ring and theatre in the round! Cirque-théâtre d’Elbeuf, 2 rue Henry, Elbeuf-sur-Seine. Tel: +33 (0)2 32 13 10 50. Special city pass offer: Reduced rates on all shows except for those with one single price rate.

7.45 pm. And then it is time for dinner in a spot just opposite the Law Courts and, who knows, maybe Joan will meet a barrister or a smart city lawyer in this super chic hotel-restaurant… Les Initiés, 45 rue aux Juifs, Rouen. Tel: +33 (0)2 35 71 54 21. Special city pass offer: 10% discount on all evening meals.

It is midnight but Joan is no pumpkin and with stars in her eyes she trips off to her hotel - the Accor Ibis Styles, at the bottom of the rue de la République. Accor Ibis Styles Rouen Cathédrale, 9 place de la République. Tel: +33 (0)2 35 71 93 58. 88 Special city pass offer: 10% off the cost of the room. 4-MUSARDER2012 Uk_Mise en page 1 12/06/12 16:16 Page89

2 pm. Set up again, Joan now Joan spends such a comfortable night and wakes fancies perfecting her bowling arm. refreshed and ready for another busy day in the capital Bowling de la Mivoie, 177 route de Paris, Amfreville-la-Mivoie. of Normandy. Tel: +33 (0)2 35 07 18 76. Special city pass offer: For every two ‘open’ goes purchased, a complimentary third offered (Not valid Saturday, Sunday, eves of public holidays, public holidays and during the school holiday period).

10 am. Start the new day aboard a dinghy on the lake at the Bedanne sailing club. It’s the best way to get that fresh-faced look! Base de Bédanne, 2 voie du Mesnil, Tourville-la-Rivière. Tel: +33 (0)2 35 87 91 89. 4 pm. Now it is really time for Special city pass offer: a complimentary 50% added to the hire tea. Joan is a child at heart especially where time (for kayaks, 8 € for 90 minutes instead of 60 minutes; for catamarans, 18 € for 90 minutes instead her stomach is concerned and decides to have tea of 60 minutes). in the café-crèche des Mouflets, surrounded by happily munching children and parents. Café des Mouflets, 66 rue Beauvoisine, Rouen. Tel: +33 (0)2 35 88 55 92. Special city pass offer: 5% discount

Midday and back to Rouen. Joan could eat all the goodies in the basket of Normandy produce and regional specialties. Maison Pinel, 11 place Jacques-Lelieur, Rouen. Tel: +33 (0)9 50 70 43 92. Special city pass offer: 5% discount (offer not applicable to champagnes and latest offers).

9 pm. After fixing her hair Joan heads off to La Bouille for an elegant dinner in this charming riverside village once so dear to the Impressionists. La Maison Blanche, 1 quai Hector-Malot, La Bouille. Tel: +33 (0)2 35 18 01 90. Special city pass offer: Complimentary house cocktail.

As the clock strikes 12, a happy and sleepy Joan drifts off in her 6 pm. Now it is time for comfortable room at the Hotel St Sever. Life some fun and speed on the tracks as today is so much easier than in the 15th century Joan revs up in her go-kart at Croisset. when her namesake was around she muses… Rouen Espace Karting, 149-169 chemin de Croisset, Hôtel Saint-Sever, 20 place de l’église Saint-Sever, Rouen Rouen. Tel: +33 (0)2 32 12 34 05. rive gauche. Tel: +33 (0)2 35 62 81 82. Special city pass offer: 7 minutes at the wheel for Special city pass offer: 20% discount on 7.90 € instead of 9.90 €, available Tuesday published accommodation prices (does to Friday. not include breakfast). 89 4-MUSARDER2012 Uk_Mise en page 1 12/06/12 16:16 Page90

Rouen, Seine valley Events Diary 2012/2013

JUNE 2012 French National Holiday celebration Saint-Romain Fun Fair Rouen Springtime Festival and fireworks display Rouen Seine River bank quayside (October- All about Art: Rouen Diocesan Art Fun packed program: Free Museum entry Gouy (13/07) November) Festival - A celebration of diverse art and cultural heritage events (21/04 - 02/06) Normandy Classical Music Festival forms in churches throughout the Diocese Joan of Arc Days and Festival "Les Musicales de Normandie" NOVEMBER 2012 Rouen Springtime Festival Rouen (02/06) Various churches and Abbeys throughout the Saint-Romain Fun Fair Fun packed program: Free Museum entry "Animaijuin" - Petit-Quevilly (02/06) region (16/06 - 02/09) Rouen Seine River bank quayside (21/10- and cultural heritage events French Nationwide Cultural Event: Cathedral Late Nights 20/11) Normandy Impressionist Festival ‘Get into gardens’ (3-05/06) Rouen every Wednesday Exhibition: Nicolas Colombel Throughout Upper Normandy (27/04-29/09) « Les Bakayades » Festival (1644-1717) Exhibition: Reflected colour Impressionism and the water’s Grand-Quevilly (09-23/06) SEPTEMBER 2012 Rouen Fine Arts Museum, temporary exhibition surface Exhibition: Véra Molnar Normandy Classical Music Festival rooms (09/11/2012-24/02/2013) Retrospective "Les Musicales de Normandie" Childrens’ book Festival Rouen Fine Arts Museum, (15/06 - 30/09) Various churches and Abbeys throughout the South bank, Rouen (30/11-02/12) Saint-Pierre de Varengeville Contemporary Art region (16/06 - 02/09) DECEMBER 2012 Centre, (16/06 - 30/09) International Organ Festival A Festival of Music Saint-Ouen Abbey, Rouen (every Sunday in Christmas Market and Telethon Grand-Couronne (30/11-02/12) Saint-Aubin-Épinay (16/06) September) Salon du Disque Normandy Classical Music Festival Bird’s fair "Les Musicales de Normandie" Belbeuf (02/09) Rouen, Halle aux Toiles (18/12) Rouen Frost Fair Various churches and Abbeys throughout the Rouen Autumn Season flea market region (16/06 - 02/09) Rouen District Council Congress Saint-Jean’s day Fair (07-09/09) JANUARY 2013 Saint-Gorgon’s day Fair Rouen Winter flea market Mont-Saint-Aignan (18/06) French Nationwide Cultural Event: Canteleu (14-15/09) Rouen District Council Congress Sisley la Seine à la Bouille, coup de vent Cinema from the South Festival © C. Lancien, C. Loisel / Musées de la Ville de Rouen French National “All Day Music French Nationwide Cultural Event National Heritage Days Seine Maritime cinemas (25/01-02/02) Day” (21/06) Rouen Fine Arts Museum (27/04-29/09) Midsummer Fair (15-16/09) Le Mesnil Roller FEBRUARY 2013 MAY 2013 Petit-Couronne (23-24/06) French Cup Rouen skating rink Rouen 24 hours Powerboat Races French Nationwide Cultural Event: Le-Mesnil-Esnard (16/09) Independant Normandy Artists “Enjoy the Silver screen” film Book Festival On the river Seine in Rouen Rouen (16/09) Halle aux Toiles de Rouen Rouen Springtime Festival festival (24-27/06) Retro Photo Market Winter Fair Bonsecours Rouen Books and Reading Fair, and Fun packed program: free Museums entries Workshop Rouen District Council Congress (22-23/09) and cultural heritage events Comic-strip and Cartoon Fair MARCH 2013 The 26th annual Circus Arts Festival Rouen, Halle aux Toiles de Rouen (25-26/06) Normandy Creative Workshop Music Festival ‘Archéojazz’ Darnétal (29-30/09) Grand-Quevilly Rouen town centre (Halle aux Toiles 03-26/03) French Nationwide Event: Visit a Blainville Crevon (27-30/06) OCTOBER 2012 French Nationwide event: 15th Annual Museum tonight Sotteville Street theatre and music Arts Festival ‘Autumn in Normandy’ festival ‘Printemps des Poètes’ Festival "yes or not" festival « Viva Cité » Throughout Upper Normandy (October- 13rd annual Trans European Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray Sotteville-Lès-Rouen, bois de la Garenne November) Music festival (in CREA) The Garden Seed Festival (29/06 - 01/07) Mineral and Fossil Fair All about Art: Rouen Diocesan Art Jardin des plantes, Rouen Rouen, Halle aux Toiles (30/09-01/10) Festival Cliff Race JULY & AUGUST 2012 Moulineaux Exhibition: “Le temps des A celebration of diverse art forms in churches Thursday pm Rock’s Joan of Arc Days and Festival collections” throughout the Diocese Rouen (Every Thursday in July) Rouen International Fair National event: Tour de France 2012 Rouen Fine Arts Museum, temporary exhibition rooms (12/10-may 2013) Rouen District Council Congress JUNE 2013 Rouen: 4 july-arrival, 5 july-departure Militaria surplus and bric a brac Heritage and book Festival « Les Fresques Darnétalaises » Armada 2013 Darnétal Town Festival Old weapons, military memorabilia etc. Saint-Ouen Abbey, Rouen Rouen - (from 06 to 16/06) Rouen District Council Congress (14/10) International Roller Skating Darnétal (6-7, 12-13/07) Annual Gourmet and Normandy Rouen - Quai Jean Moulin Rouen on Sea Summer Festival Food Festival Annual Rouen Carnival Enjoy all the fun of the seaside quayside! rue Rollon Rouen (20-21/10) (27/06-25/07) Tennis Tournament "Enfants de la Bastille Day and Fireworks APRIL 2013 Terre" Bois-Guillaume (29/10 - 01/11) Rouen International Fair (14/07 and 13/07 dates to be decided in

For full details and further information online: www.Rouenvalleedeseine.com 90 4-MUSARDER2012 Uk_Mise en page 1 12/06/12 16:17 Page91

Address book

Docks 76

Open Mondays to Saturdays Tél. : +33 (0)2 35 70 63 33 Fax : +33 (0)2 35 98 68 60 Menus from [email protected] 13,90€, 19,50€ et 28,50€ www.restaurant169.fr Traditional French restaurant 30, rue socrate 76000 Rouen Espace du palais fountain

91 4-MUSARDER2012 Uk_Mise en page 1 12/06/12 16:17 Page92

rge des Ru be ine Au s Closed Sunday evenings and Wednesdays

Chr i stophe Mauduit FOR FINE DINING Place de la Mairie • 76480 Jumièges • Tel: +33 (0)2 35 37 24 05 www.auberge-des-ruines.fr

Welcome to the Bar des Fleurs

Fancy a drink?

Site : www.bar-des-fleurs.com • Courriel : [email protected]

Open ust a few minutes from Rouen. 12h-14h and 19h30-22h Closed Well-known chef Olivier Sunday and Wednesday evenings and all day J Mondays except public holidays. and Nelly Lelong welcome you to a symphony of fine dining and elegant cuisine.

We can accommodate 20-200 people for private events or business functions.

The Auberge has a private car park and offers open-air dining in the summer. 547 route de Gournay 76160 Saint-Jacques-sur-Darnétal ¥ +33 (0)2 35 23 79 04 • Fax: +33 (0)2 35 23 38 66 4-MUSARDER2012 Uk_Mise en page 1 12/06/12 16:17 Page93

Office de Tourisme d’Yvetot et sa Région **

Le Musée Municipal des Ivoires L’Eglise Saint Pierre

In this Museum you will discover there an abounding «The Saint Pierre Church, finished in 1956, is assortment of art objects which origin and period are a circular Church which posseses varied. the most big window in Europe».

Gived to the townhall of Yvetot on 1929 by Louis Féron (1848-1929) This real wall of light of 1 046 m² among this exceptional collection you will find statues of baked clay present a meticulous assembly of a dozen made by Graillon and marvellous earthenware from Rouen, glasses parts redrawing the life of Saints Normands.

Lille and Nevers. Office de tourisme d’Yvetot et sa Région © This museum created on 2001, belongs to the Ivory and Spices Road. Office de tourisme d’Yvetot et sa Région © 8, place du Maréchal Joffre • 76190 Yvetot Tél. : +33 (0)2 35 95 08 40 • Fax : +33 (0)2 35 95 65 02 • Mail : [email protected] • Site internet : www.ot-yvetot.fr 4-MUSARDER2012 Uk_Mise en page 1 12/06/12 16:17 Page94

The Touristic Train of Etretat Pays de Caux offers two kind of courses with the rail-bike or by train. The rail-bike traffic combined with the train circuits are making shuttles, exclusively in the down way of the slope, departure from the station of Les LOGES in direction of ETRETAT station. By this means, the passengers can go from Informations Reservations: LES LOGES down to ETRETAT with the TTEPAC rail- bike and come back by train Touristic Train without being tired. Etretat Pays de CAUX Rail-bike can also be rented for Centre d'Exploitation “Athletic course“ (a round-trip 76790 LES LOGES Les LOGES/ETRETAT). Tel: +33 (0) 2 35 29 49 61 This activity is more suitable for per- Fax: +33 (0) 2 35 27 60 58 sons with a good physical condition. E-mail: [email protected] In all cases, departures are regularly Web: scheduled from the station Les LOGES www.lafrancevuedurail.fr to the Station ETRETAT. No junctions. GPS: 0,28393 E 49,70166N 4-MUSARDER2012 Uk_Mise en page 1 12/06/12 16:17 Page95 4-MUSARDER2012 Uk_Mise en page 1 12/06/12 16:17 Page96

Rouen and Seine Valley District Tourist and Conference Information Centre The Tourist Office offers you a wide range of ser- Full details about the city and its surroundings (museums, monuments, entertainment, sports, leisure and practical information). Local and national tickets for shows, concerts, festivals.... Reservation of hotel rooms, bed and breakfasts, and self-catering accommodation for Rouen and the region. Guided tours of Rouen's historic centre for groups and individuals. Rouen Excursions for groups and individuals throughout Normandy. Conference Office: Promotions and Information for conferences, events, receptions, seminars and business meetings in the Audio guide Visit CREA area. Gift Shop: a selection of regional products, ideas for gifts, souvenirs: Thanks to the audio guide, visit the historical centre Confectionary (apple flavoured barley-sugar, toffees made with delicious Isigny butter,) cider, by yourself. calvados, Rouen gift boxes, Impressionist or ‘Heula’ product range, books and stationery. Available in six languages it cannot be simpler to visit the city by yourself or with your family! Contact the main desk: Just ask our front desk for an audio guide which will Reservation: Tel. +33 (0)2 32 08 32 40 - Fax: +33 (0)2 32 08 32 44 be given with a map. Marked steps on the pavement [email protected] - www.rouenvalleedeseine.com and the narrator's voice will reveal secrets of the monuments of Rouen and the artists it inspired. Take your time to have a good look! From the Cathedral to place du Vieux Marché, passing the Gros Horloge and the Aître Saint Maclou, offer yourself a cultural journey through the Tourist Office Capital of Normandy. Day rental of an audio guide (according to the front desk opening Opening Hours time): €5. May to September: Monday to Saturday, 9 am to 7 pm Reservation to the Sundays and bank holidays Rouen and Seine Valley 9:30 am to 12:30 pm and 2 pm to 6 pm. District Tourist Office Normandy Rest of the Year: +33 (0)2 32 08 32 40 Monday to Saturday, 9.30 am to 12:30 pm and 1:30 pm to 6 pm. Closed on Sundays and bank holidays except for special events. Bureau de change Tel: +33 (0)2 35 89 48 60 Opening hours: from May to September: Monday to Saturday 9 am to 12.30 pm and 1.30 pm to 6.30 pm. The rest of the year: Monday to Saturday, 9.30 am to 12.30 pm and 1.30 pm to 5.30 pm. Public holidays (when the Tourist Office is open): 9.30 am to 12.30 pm and 1.30 pm to 6 pm. Closed on Sundays. Purchase or sell travellers-checks - We buy foreign bank notes which were quoted before the euro

No part of this magazine may be reproduced without the written permission of the Rouen Seine Valley Events and Tourist Office. This document is non-contractual. This magazine is published by the Rouen and Seine Valley District Tourist and Conference Information Centre 25, place de la cathédrale - 76000 Rouen - Tel: + 33 (0)2 32 08 32 40 - Fax: + 33 (0)2 32 08 32 44 [email protected] - www.rouenvalleedeseine.com Director: Guy Pessiot Advertising: B&L Associés, Normandy representative: Fabienne Bougault. Editorial Director: Yves Leclerc Legal deposit: second term of 2012 ISSN : 2015-133X Journalists: Stéphane Nappez (except pages 26,27 : Marie-Noëlle Hervé) Impression : Photographer (unless otherwise accredited): Jean-François Lange Copyright: Mai 2012 subject to permission from the Rouen and Seine Editorial assisstant: Marion Rabiller Artwork and conception: Bruno Voisin - Veo Communication Valley district Tourist Office Normandy. The information provided here was believed to be correct at the time of going to press.

RECEPTION AND INFORMATION OF TOURISM OFFICES This mark shows conformity with the standard NF X 50-730 and the certification rules NF 237. It guarantees that the ease of access, on site customer reception, by telephone and mail, condition of the location, available and consultable information, availability, competence and training of the personnel, management and customer satisfaction are monitored regularly by AFNOR Certification - 11, rue Francis de Préssensé – 93571 LA PLAINE SAINT DENIS Cedex – France – www.marque-nf.com 4-MUSARDER2012 Uk_Mise en page 1 12/06/12 16:17 Page97 n e

ill nt

Centre d’art contemporain de Saint-Pierre-de-Varengeville 425 rue du Château 76480 Saint-Pierre-de-Varengeville

OPEN TO ALL FROM WEDNESDAY TO SUNDAY FROM 1.00 PM TO 7.00 PM TELEPHONE RECEPTION : +33 (0)2 35 05 61 73

access, on competence e Francis de 4-MUSARDER2012 Uk_Mise en page 1 12/06/12 16:17 Page98