Originally published on September 18, 2025.
We checked out of the hotel and hauled our bags to the car, packed everything in, and… click. Nothing. Dead battery. I won’t bore you with all the sordid details, but let’s just say it took about four hours before we were finally on our way.
Rouen, France, is a four-hour drive from Antwerp, so by the time we arrived, fought through traffic, and found a parking spot, the day was pretty much gone. We did manage to get into our AirBnB, which is tucked inside a centuries-old building just two minutes from the cathedral. Rouen Cathedral, once the tallest building in the world, is famed for its Gothic spires and for inspiring a whole series of Monet’s paintings.
Days like this happen every now and then when you travel. The secret is not to let them define the whole trip. Tomorrow—it’s Rouen proper.
