Normandy
Filed in France
Normandy echoes the history of past struggles: the Norman Conquest woven into the tapestry at Bayeux, the perils of Jeanne d’Arc recorded in Rouen, the drama of the D-Day landings recorded along the Normandy beaches. The violence of its history is at odds with the ethereal landscapes that inspired Corot, Monet and Pissarro, a region to take it slow by boat, balloon or bicycle
An inspiring gateway to Normandy is Giverny, a village that would be sleeping still had it not captured the heart and imagination of Claude Monet. While the great painter’s pink farmhouse is charming and now a museum, Monte’s masterpiece was his garden, still complete with water lilies. Travelers following the route from here to Rouen can detour to Les Andelys, crowned by the fragmentary remains of Chateau Gaillard, a fortified castle built by Richard the Lion-Hearted in 1196 overlooking the River Seine
Like Paris, the Seine also divides Rouen, a city bristling with spires and bell towers, while cafes and half-timbered houses crowd the cobbled Rue Gros-Horloge, the pedestrian heart of town, named after the Renaissance clock tower. On the market square, Joan of Arc was burned at the stake in 1431; a mosaic flagstone marks the spot, and nearby stands one of France’s most striking Gothic cathedrals, Notre-Dame—a favorite subject of Monet.
Less than an hour way on the coast is Honfleur, the most picturesque of all Normandy seaports and artists haunt for centuries. From Impressionist paintings, the visitor will recognize the picture-postcard harbor filled with yachts and fishing boats, just a short walk along cobbled streets from the little wooden church of Ste. Catherine with its quaint belfry.
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