RA asked about the different towers at the Rouen Cathedral. The one on the left was built in 1164 introducing Gothic art .. it's known as the Saint-Romain tower. The other tower was started in 1485, financed by alms paid to compensate for the right to use dairy products during Lent, thus being known as the 'butter tower'.
Today we're cruising to Vernon on the Seine.
After lunch, after docking in Vernon, we took a short bus ride up to Chateau de Bizy. Construction began in 1675. It is known as the 'Norman Versailles'. It has had a long list of owners including Dukes & Kings.
The building section behind the 'horse' pond housed 64 horses. This was often used as a hunting lodge. In fact, one of the tasting stops was in these stables to taste four different cheeses on bread.
We then toured a few rooms of the chateau. The current owner who is 93 years old still lives in part of the chateau. Chandelier is made out of 'hunting horns'.
Then it was on to the 'music' or 'dancing' room :
The men were shown how to bow and the ladies how to curtsy. Then the husband-wife period actors showed us the minuet dance.
Here's a pic of the main entrance to the chateau :
Our last stop was a tasting of apple ciders :
A fun tour. Back to the boat for dinner.
Appetizer was .. grilled atlantic shrimps, lime risotto, tomato salsa, cress.
Main course was .. slow roasted beef tenderloin, gravy sauce, pate foie gras, sauteed vegetables, pumpkin mash.
Tonight we cruise to Paris, arriving approx. 7:30. We're still deciding what excursion we'll want to do, or maybe we head out on our own on the Metro.
Take care, Joe & Jan
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