On the third day, I woke up in Paris and left early to travel to Rouen, France. I was sad to leave Paris. There was still so much to see.

Rouen is a part of Normandy and was one of the most prosperous cities in the Middle Ages. The buildings were constructed with timber framing. They look quintessentially medieval to me. As we walked the narrow streets, I could sense history all around me. 

Our tour director told us of the cities impact on history. We learned how Joan of Arch was burned at the stake here and saw the spot/memorial (shame on me for not taking a picture of the memorial). We visited what was once a cemetery for those who died from the Black Plague and the buildings were adorned with skull and bone woodwork. So eerie! The buildings and cemetery have since become a school. Um, I don't know about you, but going to school were thousands of people suffered, died and were buried seems creepy!

We visited the Rouen cathedral. It was one of the more humble cathedrals we visited but the most peaceful.

We were given time to explore on our own for lunch and shopping. Andrea and I found a little restaurant and again encountered great service. We were having difficulty figuring out the menu and the madame next to us, on her own free will, translated the items for us. The waitress was also very nice. We had yet to experience the stereotypical French arrogance. I was beginning to think it was something Americans made up. Our meal was GOOD! We ordered a veal and potato dish. My first time eating veal, and I liked it, and the potatoes were so rich and flavorful. After lunch, Andrea and I perused a few shops and soon it was time to meet up with our group and head to the cheese factory.

To be honest, the cheese factory was one of the low points of the trip. The factory seemed to be closed. We didn't actually see the the cheese being made in person. At the end of the tour, we were allowed to sample some cheese. I didn't really like the taste of any, but I did buy some yummy caramels from the gift shop. The day ended with checking into our hotel and dinner (which was at the hotel). The night ended with Skyping with Nathan and Hudson and an early bedtime.