France – Day 11 – 4/8/2018

When we arrived in Giverny, I discovered we were missing a hotel for the night following our stay there. So, I went online and made reservations in Rouen. It was on the way to Bayeux, our next planned stop. We had a bonus day. Hooray.

Once again, we showed up for breakfast in the morning but had to wait for Eric to go to town for bread. This morning’s breakfast consisted of coffee, baguette, and croissants. While we ate, Bob got out the map and asked Eric the best way to get back to the highway. He planned to drive and wanted to feel comfortable with the route. Fortunately, our English-language GPS worked pretty well.

We paid the balance on our bill—in cash. When we arrived, we were told this place didn't take credit cards. This information was not on the website nor on the confirmation email I'd received. The ATM in town was out of order during out entire stay. We brought enough cash to pay for the balance of our Normandy tour, so we had to use it in order to pay for the hotel in Giverny.

I had to ask for a receipt.

We finished packing, dropped off the key, loaded the van, and started on our way.

We arrived in Rouen before noon and followed the GPS directions to the hotel. Once again, we drove around a couple of blocks several times without seeing it. We finally saw a sign, turned around the corner and spotted a parking lot. We pulled in just as another car pulled out. As we looked for where to pay, a lady who spoke a little English let us know they didn’t charge on Sundays.

We left Bob and Bernie in the van and walked around the corner of the building. I have no idea what I tripped over, but I went down—fast and hard. It took me a few seconds to catch my breath. Then I needed to lie there for about a minute to check myself out. I knew I’d fallen on my thigh and knee (not the one I’d had surgery on a couple of years earlier). I expected bruising.

Then I realized I had also landed on my elbow and forearm. When I finally looked, my leg seemed okay, but the arm was scraped, and a large, dark bruise eventually showed up. Larry helped me get up, and I felt my most serious injury. I either pulled or tore a muscle in my chest. It hurt just to breathe.

But we still had to check into the hotel, so we went on around to the front and entered the lobby. I had the email confirmation on my phone and showed it to the desk clerk. She let us know there are several Ibis hotels in town. We were at the wrong one. She gave us directions to the one where we had our reservations—about half a mile farther down the same street. We had gone this way a couple of times before, but we hadn’t gone far enough. (The GPS said we’d arrived before we got there. This time, we didn’t listen to it.)

We pulled into the loading area. When I went to check us in, the others unloaded the car. Ibis Rouen Champ de Mars was a nice, new, modern hotel. It appeared to be a business hotel—clean, simple, sleek, and uncluttered. Our rooms  had nice beds and bathrooms. Again, the toilet was in a room separate from the shower and sink.

I was afraid if I lay down, I wouldn’t be able to get up. Besides, we had to find somewhere for lunch. The desk clerk gave us directions to the square. It was within a couple of blocks of the cathedral.

We checked out several restaurants but decided to go to the one closest to the corner, Le Cesar. We had a nice late lunch and then went in search of the cathedral.

Bob was happy because Monet painted this cathedral many times and at different times of day. He finally got to see it. After seeing all the paintings, this place felt familiar.

We walked around the cathedral and Bob took pictures inside and outside. Then we walked back to the hotel.

I had wanted to see Rouen because my father was there for a couple of weeks during WWII. 

In this city, it wasn't hard to sense the effects of the war. Rouen was heavily bombed, and the Germans, who occupied the city, would not allow any attempts to put out the flames. Many blocks of old buildings (some dating to the 14th century) plus the cathedral were allowed to burn. Throughout the heart of the city, blackened stones remained as evidence of the decimation. Within the rebuilt cathedral, many statues were blackened. 

I had no sense of my father there, but overwhelming sadness enveloped me. I love all the old buildings and fabulous architecture in Europe. When I realized how much had been lost just in this one place, the enormity of the destruction of the war struck me.

By now, I was starting to feel the bruising, and I felt as though I were in a bit of shock from the fall. We returned to the hotel where we all rested for a while. I did some writing and catching up on email while trying to find a comfortable position.

After a while, we heard a knock on the door. Bob and Bernie were going to find somewhere for dinner. I wasn’t very hungry, and Larry wasn’t either, so we stayed in our room and ate protein bars. (We always carry them with us when we travel.) They decided to go downstairs to eat in the bar. 

I could tell sleep might be a challenge. Every time I moved, the muscle in my chest hurt. I knew I  was going to have trouble finding a position where I wouldn’t be in pain. It was a losing battle.

Next: On to Bayeux