After plenty of sightseeing in Vienna and Copenhagen, France was our next stop. Specifically, Rouen in Normandy. A lovely little city, with adorable townhouses and impressive gothic churches. We visited our friend here and stayed in one of these townhouses.

Example of high quality coffee in a hip little café in Paris: Braun Notes

Generational coffee culture clash

Following a pleasant walk around the old town we sat down in one of the prominent cafés facing a church. The location was perfect, attracting tourists and locals alike. However, only the boomer generation seemed to appreciate:

  • drinking beer and strong spirits,
  • allowance to smoke cigarettes,
  • low quality coffee.

As millennials, my friends and I prefer modern and hip cafés with:

  • high quality coffee beans,
  • availability of different brewing options,
  • plant-based milk,
  • smoke-free zones,
  • and usually without alcohol.

It's intriguing how starking the contrast was. After visiting countless cool cafés around the world, I was surprised to discover such an old-school place catered to a different audience.

Townscaper IRL

One thing that truly caught my eye in Rouen is the quaint style of the old town. Some buildings had engravings dating back to the 1500s. But what's even more surprising is that most of them are very well maintained. Serving generations of tenants for hundreds of years.

The colorful facades and visible wooden beams reminded me about Townscaper. A video game by Oskar Stålberg that perfectly encapsulates cute uneven structures of European townhouses.

Play Townscaper in your browser

This type of old school houses evoke warm homey vibes. Such townhouses typically lack elevators, heat-isolated windows and other modern infrastructure. Like our apartment. Still, I understand why many locals continue living and preserving them for posterity.

Exquisite cuisine with great company

It woudn't be a proper trip to France without tasting French delicacies. Therefore, I'm glad to discover two great restaurants. The first one was in Rouen, where we had a fabulous dinner with my partner. "Chez Clara" La Belle Époque was a typical brasserie (French style restaurant) run by a lovely and energetic lady. She emphasized that recipes are slightly altered every day according to her unique cooking style, which is reflected in the daily menu. And indeed, we felt her passion for cooking in the delicious quiche she served.

Veggie soup and quiche in "Chez Clara" La Belle Époque

The other culinary experience was in Paris. A Polish friend who I knew from Japan relocated to France some years ago. To celebrate our reunion, he invited us to Maslow — a fancy vegetarian restaurant where guests wait in long lines to get in. Luckily we had a reservation. Once we tasted the dishes, we knew why this place was so in demand. The global veggie fusion menu included crunchy mushroom tonkatsu (Japanese cutlet) and fried cauliflower among other delicacies.

Churches in Rouen

Global citizen friends

While the allure of nomading around the world is often very visible, it's key with whom you're sharing these experiences. Therefore, I feel blessed to reunite with dear friends in another European destination on our tour. It really makes a difference.

Rouen's parks and art