Cruising through history in France

The excursions in the program of the third day of the CroisiEurope/Transat Discoveries Seine cruise took passengers along the Abbey Road, in the country of Caux, and explored the winding streets of the old town of Rouen, the capital of Normandy. It was a gala night and Chef Laurent Metzer had prepared a special menu for the occasion.

When we woke up in the morning, the Botticelli was moored in Duclair. The main merit of this small town, located 80 kilometres from the mouth of the Seine, is that it is an ideal access port to access the "Abbey Road," also known as "the road of fruit," because it is lined with orchards. At Jumièges, we walked in the ruins of the 17th century abbey, ransacked during the French Revolution. The abbey of St. Wandrille, founded at the same time (as the Abbey of Fontenelle), is also home to a Benedictine community. There are 32 monks; the youngest is 25 and the oldest 83.

The original buildings have been repeatedly ravaged and destroyed, due to the looting and fires throughout history. The monastic buildings date from the classical period and the abbey church, with its old large oak beams, dates from the 15th century. The monks have bought and fully rebuilt it, a project which took two years to rebuild piece by piece. The property, converted into a place of worship, replaces the old abbey Saint-Pierre demolished during the Revolution.

By late morning, we returned to the boat crossing a beautiful forest of oak and beech.

While we enjoyed lunch (an excellent pie followed by a fish sauce with capers), the Botticelli sailed to Rouen, which is the main city of Normandy. We landed around 3 p.m. and after a 10 minute walk, we arrived in the old city, which has remained the commercial centre of Rouen.

On the site of the pyre of Joan of Arc, Place du Vieux Marché in Rouen.

As is the case in St-Jean, Quebec, a McDonalds franchise is now located in a 14th century house in the rue du Gros-Horloge, which is certainly one of the most important pedestrian arteries in France. Fortunately, as is the case in Quebec, the golden arches are not brandished above the floor and it blends discreetly into the Tudor row homes (in Normandy they say "half-timbered houses") that line both sides of the street.

"There are about 2,000 in Rouen," the guide tells us, when we come up Old Market. There, a huge structure covered with black tiles, evoking either a Viking ship (the Normans are proud of their Viking ancestry) or a dinosaur covered with scales, is located on the site of an old church destroyed by bombing in 1945. It is the Sainte-Jeanne d'Arc Church. Inside, light filters through the stained glass windows salvaged from St. Vincent, another place of worship which was destroyed. In the same square, a cross and a small sign reminds that "the Maid of Orleans" was burned there on May 30, 1431.

After stopping at Place du Vieux Marché, we went up the Rue du Gros-Horloge, which is named after the 14th century clock affixed to an arch on which the belfry rests. Before reaching the cathedral, the guide took us into the maze of narrow streets. Arriving at the front with its two towers, it did not fail to point out that its melting arrow, which darts its peak at 151 meters above ground, is the highest in France.

"We face exceptional climatic conditions for Normandy," our guide said, lamented before taking us to an ice cream stand, which was doing booming business this afternoon. The thermometer showed 36 degrees in the shade.

When I returned to the boat around 6 p.m., we started with a bottle of Crémant d'Alsace in the lounge bar. Chef Laurent Metzger had prepared a special menu: duck foie gras, accompanied by a caramel with spices, rack of veal with shallots and tarragon and, as a cheese, roast cabécou on toast, which preceded a Norwegian omelette flambéed with Grand Marnier. All of it was accompanied by a Gros Manseng of Côtes de Gascogne (a sweet wine that made me think of Montbazillac) and excellent Cotes du Rhone-Villages. While we were in the dining room, the ship sailed and began its course to Paris.

This is the third part of a four-part series. Click to read part 1 and part 2.