Easter In A Church

In the name of trying to get back up to snuff with my blogging, I harken back to Easter Sunday of this year. For whatever reason, I seem to end up in locations other than Paris every time this particular holiday comes around. This year, I did not spend the day in places quite so exotic as Italy or Scotland, like I have in past, but in the small town of Rouen, France.

The main reason for my taking the train to this quaint little metropolis was to see my dear Dancer Friend from Ireland perform in a musical tribute to classical Irish music. She hasn't been able to make it over to France since I moved here, so it was a perfect opportunity to show her a bit of France while supporting her artistic endeavors. I therefore happily hopped a train on Easter morning and spent a couple of hours touring the scene before meeting Dancer Friend for lunch. It turns out Rouen is a truly charming spot to wander about. There are cathedrals peppering the skyline, cobblestone streets lying underfoot, and timbered facades lining the town houses. I was very lucky that, while the wind remained strong throughout the day, there was no hint of rain, so I was able to take a million photos of the fairy tale backdrop.

In due course, I met my friend at the church that she would be performing at later on, and we sallied off to grab some lunch. Now, the one thought I had managed to completely neglect when planning the day was the fact that it was Sunday in France, which means that many things are closed. Not only that, but it was EASTER Sunday, so even places that may have deigned to open their doors for a few hours to accommodate the lingering tourists were resolutely fermé. Fortunately, we managed to grab a sandwich and some water before hunkering down in the dressing rooms at the venue. 

The performance itself was quite delightful in the end. There were unusual instruments to ponder, interesting tunes to hear, and I was able to reminisce while watching my friend dance the Irish steps of our youth. It was of course fascinating to be sitting in a church on Easter Sunday, considering the fact that Easter is considered the most important holiday in Christianity, and I have not considered myself religious in years. But as a performance venue, it is stunning to behold and a lovely event for the day. As we took the train back to Paris and ate a Cadbury Creme Egg or two, I was quite content with my annual Easter jaunt.