les falaises d'Etretat et cathedrales de Rouen

J'ai passée un bon week-end!

This past weekend, I set off with two of my friends from Argentina (Florencia and Macarena) to see the town of Rouen and the cliffs of Etretat, in Normandy. We went by train, which is a wonderful experience in itself.

The day before I left, I was able to pick up my package from the post office here in Compiegne. What a treat! Not only did it contain my railpass from my generous aunt and my new (beloved) camera, but my dad also slipped in my illini blanket that he gave me when I registered at U of I, a few valentine's chocolates, and two sweet notes from my parents (the notes are on my dresser, making me miss them whenever I see them). My favorite valentine never lets me down!

Unfortunately, I am still tethered to my phone for internet, so I have felt very removed from home for the past two weeks. I have still been enjoying my time, but of course I miss talking to the people I love!

More importantly...on to Rouen!

Monet loved the different ways the cathedral caught light at different times

In Rouen, there are many things to see. It is the site where Jeanne d'Arc was burned at the stake, home of the university of Rouen, and a place loved by Monet. The paintings above (Cathedrale de Rouen) are Monet's interpretations of the Notre Dame Cathedral in Rouen. The cathedral is massive, with unbelievable intricate detail on every surface. Monet captures the magnificent light, but what is hard to see in the painting are the countless statues carved into the face. Inside the cathedral is an endless space. There are not walls dividing the different areas of the church, only different items that indicate the purpose of the area (font for baptism, an alter, candles for the saints spread out around the whole room). I can't help but wonder what mass must be like in a cathedral of that size: Which parts are used each week? How do they divide up the space during worship? In such a large sanctuary, can a priest be heard from any corner? It was also interesting to walk around and read the Latin inscriptions on the old tombs. Of course, my latin has slipped away, so I could only read some... but it was an interesting exercise!

A sharp and fascinating contrast to the old church was presented by a much more contemporary piece of architecture. On the Place du Vieux Marché, where Joan of Arc was burned, sits the sprawling Église Jeanne d'Arc. This building is beautiful. Inside, the space is bright and inviting. The stained glass windows are much newer, so they let in beautiful colors. The roof gave the feel of an arc, sweeping upward. Outside, there is a beautiful area of large stones and grass.

Also in Rouen, we saw many of the houses built in a style typical of Normandy -- Wood panelling, slightly leaning with age :) there is also the Gros Horloge, a Gothic belfry that has on each side a one-handed medieval clock. The time was wrong when we went, but impressive none the less. For lunch, we found a small restaurant to have some panini; we wandered down the stairs to find a cool little stone den, with tiny stools and low tables! They even had an old foosball table in the room.

Look closely -- the artist painted the lower surface, but the image in the tube above is a reflection of the painting!
Amazing.

The other highlight of Rouen is the Musée des Beaux-Arts. There are numerous beautiful paintings housed there, including several beautiful impressionist works (many were Monet). I saw some paintings that I knew and like, and I discovered more that will be some of my favorites. An interesting work is the one above. The artist has painted a surface, which is beautiful and blurred, looking like only smears of paint. However, when one looks at the image in the glass tube, a beautifully clear image can be seen! It is very much like the impressionist paintings; the art changes so much depending on perspective.

Seeing the impressionist paintings in person was one of the most important experiences of the trips. Looking at the paintings up close, I can see the brush strokes and beautiful colors the artist combined. However, when I step back, I suddenly can see the beautiful scene the painter was witnessing when he sat to paint the piece. At this museum, I splurged on an important souvenir. Growing up, our favorite past time was playing cards (I Doubt It or Gin Rummy). However, every vacation we would forget to bring cards, so we would buy a deck as a souvenir. While at the museum, I saw this deck of cards with impressionist paintings, including some of our favorites (You can see a few of them in the picture!). I couldn't resist! When I got home, I taught my friend to play gin. Teaching him to play reminded me of sitting on Mom's bed, playing gin and trading backrubs. She's my favorite lady to play with; I will have to challenge her to a game when I get home!

My souvenir from the Musée des Beaux-Arts

We stayed the night in Rouen. We used couchsurfing, an organization intended to help travelers find local hosts, to find a place to stay. What a way to travel! We met two French guys who were very happy to tell us all about Rouen, delicious cheeses and pastries of Normandy, and patiently spoke with us in French. It was the best practice I've had yet in conversational French! Many of the people I've met I've had a difficult time understanding, but their accents were very clear to me. They were very curious about us and our lives; one had studied in Brazil and the other in Argentina. Not only did I get to speak a lot of French, but I listened to a lot of Spanish also.

In the morning, we got up early to catch a train to Le Havre and then a bus to Etretat. From Le Havre, the 1.5 hour busride cost only two euro! Small price for a priceless journey. This tiny town is renowned for its beautiful cliffs and free standing arches. We were worried that we would not be able to enjoy them, as this time of year can be very clowdy. Florencia, on the bus, began singing "The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow" as a joke...and then we saw the clouds slowly clear ahead! The sun came out in Etretat for Florencia. We climbed the pair of peaks, looking out over the other side of the Atlantic.

We brought our lunch with us, so we were able to sit and enjoy both views. While sitting on the peak with the church, we discovered "Van Gogh grass"! The texture instantly explained where Van Gogh got his inspiration for his long swirling strokes.

 This is definitely a trip that I will always keep with me. The sights were remarkable! We also learned a lot. We had practice with the trains, and I learned to always keep my metro ticket in my pocket (so it's easy and fast to find). We also managed to miss the last train to Compiegne from Paris Sunday night, and we had to stay with someone who lives (fortunately) very nearby. We learned never to trust a paper schedule and to always check the expiration date! I have several more trips planned, and I cannot wait to tell you about them.

I have taken so many pictures (over 200 on this trip), and they are all on Facebook. Once I have internet, I may find another site to post them on as well. You can always click on the ones that I post to see them larger. I must get to bed now... I have an early train departing in six hours :)

Love you all!