How to get lost in… Pays Rouennais

Detour no. III – Cider, rare books, and fine leather goods

Rouen should be considered the capital of Upper Normandy (Normandy is divided into two parts: Upper Normandy lies north of the Seine’s estuary, and Lower Normandy to the south). Located less than two hours from Paris and under an hour from the Atlantic Ocean, Rouen has stood along the Seine since the end of the Bronze Age. Nicknamed the “city of a hundred spires” for its rich architectural heritage, Rouen embodies the discreet charm of the French bourgeoisie.

I spent a long time deciding on how to name this itinerary, and a rather amusing story convinced me to invent the term Pays Rouennais. Historically, Normandy is divided into pays or regions: Pays de Caux, Pays de Bray, Pays d’Auge, as well as Roumois and Lieuvin. Rouen sits at the center of all these zones but doesn’t quite belong to any of them, reigning over the area like an authoritative yet charming grandmother presiding over a family Christmas.

Now, a quick note about Normans: they have a reputation in France for their indecision. The joke goes that a Norman never answers a question directly, opting instead for a diplomatic, “Maybe yes, maybe no,” seemingly indifferent to the turmoil of the world. Once again, I found that clichés often have deep local roots. When I asked the very cultured bookseller Elisabeth Brunet (whom I’ll mention later) whether Rouen belonged to any particular pays, she replied: “Rouen is neither in Pays de Caux nor in Pays de Bray. Rouen… is Rouen.”

Faced with the impossibility of a clear answer, I decided to take a simple approach: a pays is defined first and foremost by its people’s sense of belonging. If the people of Rouen don’t feel they are anything other than Rouennais, then their natural region is Rouen itself – the city and its immediate surroundings. This zone of influence extends far enough that one can easily escape into nature within a radius manageable by an amateur cyclist.