Rouen, Harfleur, Le Havre (France): a little weekend away from the Parisian gloom – 2022
After a stopover in Germany, JB and I take the train to the Paris region, where we stay for just over two months for family reasons. The Parisian vibe is never extraordinary, especially when the weather is gloomy and gray. One day, on a whim, my friend M. and I decide to stop putting up with this bleakness and head off, leaving our respective husbands behind, for a girls’ weekend.
It’s the first time we’ve traveled together, so I’m a bit apprehensive. We’re both picky, with our own travel habits—will we come back as best friends like before, or as worst enemies? Luckily, everything went smoothly.
For the first destination, I suggested Rouen, because I know Rouen is always a good idea. I spent several months there right after the lockdown in 2020, and I have great memories of that beautiful city. On the train crossing Normandy, with half-timbered houses and little rivers, M. and I quickly put together the weekend itinerary. We’re both planning experts, so naturally, we divide the tasks without any difficulty: one looks at hotels, the other at train/bus schedules, and we agree on the following route: (day 1) Rouen (day 2) Le Havre & Harfleur (3) Étretat. None of these destinations are unknown to us, but we’re happy to revisit them.
Rouen
As soon as we arrive in Rouen, we feel instantly recharged. The train station isn’t far from the city center, so we walk to enjoy the nice weather. M. has never spent the night in Rouen before, so it’s a chance for her to really see the city. We drop off our small bags at Mercure Rouen (Booking link), just steps from the cathedral. I recommend this hotel; the interior is nothing special, but the location is top-notch, and they have a private parking lot if needed.
We tour the city center, and I visit my favorite shops. M. tells me she didn’t understand what I could do in Rouen for two and a half months right after the lockdown, but now she gets it better, having explored the little streets and small shops with me. There’s a gentle way of life in this neighborhood, my favorite in the city.
The cathedral has never looked so beautiful. The street on the left side of the cathedral leads to another church and a very pretty square; don’t miss it! (For more info on Rouen, I’m pulling out my articles on Rouen, , and also here).
I stop in front of the haberdashery shop Fabric & Moi, where I bought fabrics to make cushions for my friends’ babies. My niece was just born, so it’s a good excuse to buy some. For the first time, I take a close look at the baby clothes the lady makes by hand, and when I examine the seams more closely, I’m extremely surprised: it’s the first time I’ve seen such perfect clothing. Every detail is perfect, everything is precise. I should mention that I’ve taken professional sewing classes , so I know what I’m talking about. For info, she also offers sewing classes if you’re interested. For adult clothes, it’s only made-to-measure, so the wait time is a bit longer. Her prices are excellent!
At the shop next door, M. buys me a skirt made by a designer, so beautiful <3
In the evening, M. and I plan to treat ourselves to a gourmet meal at the Michelin restaurant l’ODAS, but the tables are already booked weeks in advance, so we dine at the little square not far from Joan of Arc’s church. The waiter serves me a nice entrecôte with straw on the side. Without warning, he sets fire to the straw. Before the fire alarm sounds, another waiter comes to put out the fire by placing a cloche over my plate. They explain that it’s not straw, but dried aromatic herbs, and burning them this way, under the cloche, flavors the meat. M. and I really enjoyed the experience.
The next day, we enjoy the all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet at the hotel (very good) before taking the train, leisurely, to Le Havre.
Le Havre
Here too, the station isn’t far from our hotel, Mercure Le Havre (Booking link, breakfast included), so we prefer to walk. This hotel is a bit out of the way, but it’s well served by public transport. After dropping our bags in the room, we take the tram and then the bus to go to Harfleur (the train would have been faster but it was cancelled). Harfleur is tiny and has very few points of interest, but we’re the only tourists and we’re quite happy.
On the way back to Le Havre, we walk 30 minutes to the beach. The beach is full of pebbles, but the salty smell and the gentle sound of the waves really delighted us. We stay for a long time, sitting on the pebbles on the beach, until sunset.
We struggle a bit to find a restaurant that still has space. I don’t know if it’s always like this, but the good restaurants are swamped as soon as they open. Luckily, we stumble upon a restaurant that has sauerkraut with three fishes on the menu. I’ve never heard of this recipe before, but against all odds, it’s absolutely delicious!
Thanks to our long walks, we slept really well. The included breakfast was a real treat. However, instead of continuing our road trip to Etretat, I had to head back to Paris for various reasons. But that’s just a postponed adventure; now that we know we share the same travel style, our husbands will be left at home from time to time again 😀 We didn’t do much sightseeing this time because we were too busy chatting, and these are cities we’ve already visited. We came just to recharge and enjoy the surroundings.
Anyway, if you ever get tired of Parisian gray skies, hop on the train—there are regular, inexpensive trains to Rouen. You can even do a day trip there and back.
