Normandy; Rouen, Part 2, 2017
Rouen's Notre Dame cathedral facade is a marvel of gothic complexity, but the rest of the structure is equally compelling, with its flying buttresses and copper spires. It was (reputedly) the tallest building in the world in the mid-1800s.
The facade is now provides a giant screen for projection of lighted tableaus and moving images of the history of the town and the cathedral. Much of that history is fraught, the cathedral having been repeatedly struck by lightning, damaged by fire, partially destroyed by bombs (RAF and USAAF), and repeatedly rebuilt. Many of the light-show projections consequently depict flames.
White-light projection outlining cathedral's features
Here are a few samples of many different images projected. The plaza was almost completely filled with captivated spectators.
Rouen, resilient after so many periods of strife, knows how to both charm and entertain visitors.
Clock tower (Gros Horloge)
Clothing store window
For fans of Jeanne D'Arc, here are the macarons she would seemingly prefer. And, by the way, Jeanne was not actually imprisoned in the Rouen Castle (tour Jeanne D'Arc) (the dour tower I mentioned in the last post), but was merely threatened there with torture.
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After a lifetime of mainly expressing myself with words, my postings here will mainly rely on images. They will speak for themselves to some extent, but I'll usually add a few comments of explanation. I've taken photographs for decades, since the 1950's, inspired in part by my father's photographic skill. Four years of photo assignments and quality darkroom time eventually gave way to decades of casual and family picture-taking. I re-immersed myself when I left film and turned to digital.