Trip Day 4 - Rouen Day 1 - Part 1

Getting There

This was a 2-part trip - Eurostar from London to Paris, then express train from Paris to Rouen.  I got some good advice and some bad advice about the Eurostar Chunnel Train (I am the ONLY one who calls it that - everybody else calls it the Channel Tunnel Train.)  The good advice was don't bother taking it because it is underwhelming. The bad advice was to get there 90 minutes early. I ignored the good advice and followed the bad advice. Well, who knew. 

I got the bad advice when I checked at the station the day before.  The guy said 90 minutes was best, one hour was ok, and 30 minutes was really pushing it.  From what I understand, the tickets do not work after 30 minutes.  I think it was  mainly because of customs and passport control.  Almost like an airport.

It was underwhelming - we were above ground, and then suddenly we were in the dark.  No warning.  And it only takes about 20 minutes because the train goes so fast.  It hit speeds up to 230 kilometres per hour which was about 140 mph.  It could have hit faster speeds but I snoozed a bit.  It never seemed we were going that fast and the ride was very smooth.

I had to change train stations in Paris from Gare du Nord to St Lazare. I was going to take an Uber, but still wasn't sure how to call an Uber at a train station or airport. I know it sounds weird, but only certain areas are for non-taxi/limousine ride services, and they may not be implemented.

So I got scammed here.  I went to the accredited taxi line and a guy approached me and asked if I wanted a taxi.  I said sure and he took my heavy bag and started walking.  We got to the "cab" and he asked where I was going - I told him St Lazare Station and he said that they had a fixed price of 95 Euros.  That seemed excessive, since an Uber is about 12.  I told him no and took my bag back, but then his backup scammer arrived and asked what the problem was, like he was a supervisor (please do NOT ROLL YOUR EYES - I kicked myself enough!)  I said it was too much and he pointed to a long line of people who were watching me with interest.  He said they were all waiting on taxis (obviously, in hindsight, accredited ones) because there was a Metro strike in Paris.  I had read that it would start on the 7th, but hey, I thought maybe it already had.  I realized I would be standing there for a while, so I asked if I could pay by card and he said cash only.  I did have 100 note, so I figured, okay, what the hell and got in. 

Not only did I give him the 100, I let him keep the change.  Yeah, yeah, yeah.  But he did get me to the correct train station.  I actually had about a 90 minute wait for my train, but that was good, because I had to figure out how to print my ticket.  To make things confusing for folks who do not speak or read French, there are TWO different machines.  One is the one to print pre-purchased tickets, the other is to buy tickets.  Guess which one I kept stumbling on?  I even asked an attendant at a ticket window and in typical Gallic fashion, pointed at machines and said I should scram over there - he used a flick of his hand to do so.  So fucking charming.

I did find the right machine and got my ticket - it was so weakly printed, it didn't work at the gate.  I also got an email confirmation, with the QR code, but when I tried to use it, my Apple Wallet kept opening up thinking I was going to pay.  In the end, an attendant let me through when she saw my (faded) ticket.  I did read somewhere that it is possible to use the code when turning the phone landscape, so I will try it next time.

In addition to getting my ticket, I had time to stop at a cafe and have a wee snack with my coffee. 

I got to Rouen late, because guess what? There was an hour delay due to an accident. I couldn't understand the driver because he only spoke French (as they do in France) and my neighbor riders did not speak English or did not deign to translate..

Trip Day 4 - Rouen Day 1 - Part 2

The AirBnB or Size Matters

Some of this info is important to a subsequent story. 

The AirBnB I got is terrific and incredibly reasonable. Here are pictures of the bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, living room, and 2 outside views. In other words, it's a pretty big one. 

There are 2 disadvantages - it's on the 4th floor - 64 steps - ask me how I know. Trying to lug up a 40 pound suitcase, a 15 pound backpack and my svelte body was tough. Then I twisted my ankle and figured I would just lay up, but with enough Ibuprofen, I was back at it the next day and day 3. The other disadvantage is that the heat is inadequate in the apartment with just above freezing temps outside and Mr Shorts here was wearing sweats indoors.

The point is, there is loads of space in the living room.

Trip Day 4 - Rouen Day 1 - Part 3

Dinner with Alice

So why Rouen? Well first of all (sorry Peter) I dislike Paris but I love the smaller cities. I was looking for a new city and remembers I knew one person in Rouen.  I met Alice, whose id is Livanart.Workshop on Instagram.  She is a Cos player who has won many awards including Cos player of the year of France in 2019 and she lives in Rouen. I sent her some pics of the Cosplay work Rose had done. Alice is now doing Cosplay costume design full time and she and her boyfriend agreed to meet for dinner with me.

We went to a placed called Walsheim and they convinced me away from the Italian dish I wanted and said I should eat a French dish.  They wanted me to eat entrails (kidney and other yummy treats and I declined.)  They both ordered it and I ordered what they said.  The pasta was good, but the meat thing (perhaps a shank?) was yucky.  Nate gave me some of his and it was actually better than mine had it not been what it was.  I think I've become squeamish living in America.  Alice and I had Creme Brulee for desert and Nate had the chocolate mousse.  Somehow, those got devoured before pictures could be taken.   The total bill for the 3 of us, including tip, was 82 Euros which is about $87, not bad at all considering we had entrees, desserts, and drinks.

Trip Day 4 - Rouen Day 1 - Part 4

Losing my phone

After getting back from the restaurant, I lost the whereabouts of my phone. Since it's my lifeline, I was devastated. Did it fall out while I was fumbling for keys or maybe when I pulled my hat out because it was cold? I checked my iPad for its location (Find My App) and it was listed at #1 of the street the AirBnB is on - I'm at 25. 

I got dressed right quick and I ran down (64 steps - just imagine ME!!!) to see if it was still there. Of course, my iPad lost its WiFi signal and was blind, but I did at least have a flashlight (it was dark already).

I couldn't locate #1 so I went to the restaurant next door to the AirBnb.  Ludna immediately went outside with me (!!! who does that!!!) and helped me search for the location.  It was at a closed shop and she said it might be inside and I should check the next day there. 

I went back upstairs and then had a flash of insight. I didn't see the ring device option because it was hidden, but finally found it and pressed it. There was a sound in the bedroom. I had put it on the bed while I was unpacking/undressing and it was still there! Phew!

I went back to Texas HotDog and thanked Ludna profusely for helping me and told her I found my phone. I really didn't want hotdogs, but they had burgers and chicken and I promised I would be back the next day.  They work literally 7 days a week from 11 AM to 2:30 PM, then 6:30 PM to midnight. Food is greasy, but it is very tasty.

Trip Day 5 - Rouen Day 2 - Part 1

Twisted Sister (Ankle) and How Sweet it IS!

Last night on the way to the restaurant, I was almost hit by a bike because I was paying more attention to cars. I moved my bulk out of the way as quick as possible, but misstepped and sprained my ankle. I thought nothing of it until I got back to the AirBnb after dinner (there are 64 stairs.) Then it hurt like hell overnight and I was afraid I'd be stuck in the cold apartment, but with enough drugs (Acetaminophen and Ibuprofen), it didn't hurt as much. I was running low on Acetaminophen, so went to a pharmacy to replenish. Here it is called Paracetamol, though probably most pharmicists know the term Acetaminophen.  Fun fact - the drug comes in 1000 mg size.  I believe that the bulk package I buy at CostCo is 500mg.  I'm pretty sure Ibuprofen is 200mg usually.

My ankle is fine - thanks for asking. No pics of the swollen member (my foot you pervs!) 

I went on a Sweet Tour and invited Alice along. Her boyfriend said he didn't like sweets. The guide, Ludovic, is lovely, and I'll be taking a Tour of Rouen tomorrow.  One of the treats, the one below that is half-eaten, is covered in charcoal.  I wanted to so badly say, so THAT's what they did with Joan, but thought better of it.

This I learned today - I was trying to pronounce Rouen as a Frenchie saying Roo-EN, but I had heard Alice, Nate, and Ludovic say Roo-AN as one syllable - it's hard. Try it - ROAAN - sounds like a baby (with a deep voice) crying.  Every time I would say it to folks, they smiled, so the probably were laughing their ass off at yet another foreigner who was fooled by the big city joke.

Trip Day 5 - Rouen Day 2 - Part 2

Trusting complete strangers with your life (both ways)

House guests

After the Sweet Tour on Rouen Day 2, I went and had the CHIKIN sandwich at Texas HotDog - no, it is not the vegan version - with onion rings and fries.  Aaaah - in France, they have mayo on the tables.  I always get mayo on my fries and onion rings.  I should move to France just for that. 

While I was there, in walk these 2 folks, Marine and Samuel. They sit at the next table and we start chatting with each other (as Andy does). Next thing, they come over and sat at my table (only 2 tables in the place) and we had a great chat.  Marine and Samuel had hitched from Paris to Rouen - not really their destination, but they just kept going until they hit a place they thought was interesting. Just a leave Saturday and come back Sunday adventure. They do it for fun. They have hitched all the way up to Lapland. They have a tent and sleeping bags. They also are just friends who met at University and are not romantically hooked up (yeah, I'm a busybody!) 

I asked where they were staying and they said they would find a place, since it was too cold for a tent. Since I had a huge AirBnB, I offered them the couch. They accepted and we walked the far distance to the apartment (the 64 vertical stair distance.)  I said I would work on my blog and Marine came over to watch while Samuel played chess on his phone in the couch - you can see him in the background in one of the shots. 

Now this almost seems like a setup if you're a suspicious person, but as you all know, I'm very trusting and gullible. HOWEVER, it was almost like Samuel was a pimp (he wasn't) offering his sister (she wasn't - oh, and she didn't.)  Yes, I called him a pimp and he thought it was hysterical on Facebook and we messaged about it - he said he thought it was a funny post.

She knows graphic design since she works on documentation for something I have no clue what - I also don't know what Samuel does though he said he was a consultant (yeah, pimp.) She suggested changes to my labeling of pics - let me know what you think versus what I had before since I've started using those. 

We all spent a nice night and the next day, we headed out to breakfast. I had a Nutella (kinda Nutella) Croissant and had a bite of whatever Marine was having which was much better than my croissant. We split up afterwards and said our goodbyes. They were happy and I enjoyed their company.

Trip Day 6 - Rouen Day 3

The Second Tour (de Rouen de France)

I took a small group tour and it turned out to be a private one, probably because it's not tourist season and it was cold. My guide was Ludovic, the same guy for the Sweet Tour yesterday. He showed me a lot of stuff and he has podcasts on YouTube if you want to listen to some interesting Rouen History. 

My favorite part was Joan of Arc's Place where she was burned alive, because she was one of the reasons I came to Rouen. We also saw the church named after her, but it's a modern affair with the original stained glass windows saved from another church before the Germans blew it to smithereens. No pics.  Ludovic did carry on how it looked like an upside-down Viking Boat, in tribute to the Vikings who had settled down the Seine.  Unfortunately, I never did get to go to the museum.

The Seine comes in at Le Havre and flows through Rouen to Paris.  Because of it, it became a major trading market and grew in wealth and prosperity.  That's why the Rouen Cathedral is the largest in France and Ludovic's favorite church. There are 39 churches in Rouen which is a good number for 110k folks. Though it was Sunday, it was nothing like the States with a ton of people heading to church. It's kind of a dying tradition here. 

We also saw a place where bones were buried during the Black Plague.  The center was where the commoners were buried, the outside lower floor, was for the middle class, and the upstairs was for the upper class.  The area later became a school, because where better to learn about ancient history other than directly for the bones.  Yeah, there were some who wrinkled their noses just like you, and then the school was moved, but they left a school bell for dead people to ring.

Rouen

Final Thoughts

I love France, but dislike Paris. The people of Rouen (and others) told me I should give Paris another chance. Even though they do not have the highest cathedral in France (Rouen's is the highest) - Ludovic thumbs his nose at Paris!

People in Rouen are very friendly to a tourist like me, even if they do NOT speak English. I have some very broke French, but it was not enough to figure out the Lavarie (Laundromat). A lady stepped up and explained how it all worked. The lady at the hotdog shop left the restaurant in freezing cold whether to help me find my phone. Alice, who does not know me from a hole in the wall and is an Internet personality (Livanart.Workshop) met me and we hung out. Ludovic, the guide, made me feel welcome as a friend.

Tipping is not required here - you present your card and get a receipt that includes the tip. Waitstaff make a living wage. People are very industrious here but they also get a lot of time off.  (This applies to Paris too though.)

I'd love to come back to Rouen because there is so much to see. I will practice my French, because the next time I'm here, I will be able to comprehend and speak. If you come here, do not expect to find many fluent English speaking people here.  They really will try to help, but when the language fails, communication breaks down.  That is why the language the French use so well is the Language of Love.