K&G go to P&B part three

Ok, day... I don't know, all the days started to run together after a few. We took a day trip to Rouen which is a city in Normandy and used to be the capital of France. Cool place with really nice people. I want to live there. It also happens to be the place where Joan of Arc met the British and was subsequently burned at the stake. Remember to click on the images to enlarge.

This cross was erected at the very spot where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake.


Street scene in Rouen. Charming


Not a straight building in the whole place. Makes me wonder what the inside looks like.


There were people selling holly all over the place. Not something you see in the good ole USA.


This was my favorite part of Rouen. This is an art school now but at one time this courtyard was used as a mass grave for bubonic plague victims! Over a third of Rouen's population was buried here during that era.


The detail on the building around the courtyard depicts morticians tools and skulls. Awesome!




This is the strange monument thing in the middle of the "Courtyard of Death!"


At the end of the street is Rouen's city hall


This is inside the Notre Dame of Rouen. What's that you say? There are two Notre Dames, one in paris and one in Rouen. I don't know which came first but the one in Paris is in a lot better condition.


A few years back the saints on the exterior of Rouen's Notre Dame started falling off the structure. So, to ensure the safety of its citizens and the statues, they have been removing and retrofitting each saint. In the meantime, the saints are inside the cathedral lining the walls around the altar. It was fantastic to see them up close.


Those swans are NUTS! It was about 32 F and they were just taking a swim.


Back in Paris checking out the Champs Elysees






This was hilarious. An American food store. Near as I could figure, all they sold was american junk food.


On our last day in Paris, Christmas day, we went to Pere Lachaise cemetery. This is where all the famous folk are buried like, Chopin, Jim Morrison, Oscar Wilde, etc.


Don't know who this is but I love the tomb.




This is Chopin's tomb.


After we were done looking at dead people we went to the Luxembourg gardens to have our Christmas day picnic. The reason we decided to have a picnic was partially because every restaurant worth eating at was closed. The other reason was because it's cool and how many people can say they had a picnic in Paris on Christmas day.

Gina is feeding a sparrow. Very trusting birds.


Awe, the mini statue of Liberty. Luxembourg gardens has statues all over the place.


Gina met this really cool French pigeon and they really hit it off. Here they are chatting and enjoying the day.


This is the Luxembourg Palace/ French Senate building


I think this may have been this kids first encounter with birds. They were all around him like a swarm of bees.

Later in the evening we hopped on the night train for Barcelona and thats where I'll pick up next week. Have a great weekend.