We’re all going on a summer holiday

I suspect that I am not alone in regarding Rouen as the base camp for a succession of childhood summer holidays. Striding purposefully along the Rue de la Republique caked in sun block and clutching a fist full of tourist memorabilia, I’ve got the town lodged firmly in my memory as day three of an annual jaunt to the north of France. The day after having stepped off the ferry.

Despite the fact that I have the capital of Haute Normandy bound up in my childhood recollections, Rouen, a relic of one of Europe’s most prosperous medieval cities is well worth a revisit in the present day.

Known for its Notre Dame cathedral and it wonderfully old astronomical clock, sights abound for day visitors. Its buildings also huddle around the banks of the meandering River Seine, giving romantics the chance of late night’s strolls and an essential geographical landmark. However, it is in its social history that Rouen really comes to life.

Traditionally the city was considered to be the capital of the Duchy of Normandy, which immediately drags up connotations with William the Conqueror. Before the archetypal ‘Iron Duke’ started stomping around England, ‘harrying’ its populace, he was raised in Rouen.

Sixty years later, the first Norman king of England achieved the dubious honour of being the first recorded King of England to explode. Bizarrely, following William’s death a fire broke out in the church before his burial had been completed. Hurriedly the Normans attempted to squeeze their dead king into a small sarcophagus, which ultimately proved to be an unwise decision as the body exploded: ‘creating a terrible smell that sent mourners running for the exits.’

Three centuries later on, at the Vieux-Marche, Joan of Arc was bound to a tall pillar and burnt by the nasty English on the pretext of having made an utter nuisance of herself. Thorough as ever, the English burnt her two more times to ensure that she was dead enough.

If these facts are not sufficient fodder for committed history buffs, then they can scoop deeper into accounts of D-Day in the Second World War or the spats between the Normans and the other French regions over the decades as the city is crammed full of interesting museums. Bloody, fascinating and formidable, Rouen has a little more on offer than I gave it credit for when I was eight.

Rouen sits a short drive from the northern French coast and is easily accessible from a P&O Ferry crossing. To find out the latest fares, the best online prices, exclusive offers and latest availability, visit the P&O website.

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