I totally love Rouen. As I said, there is so much to love here. The place, the food, the history. And in no small part it is because we are staying in the most beautiful B&B. Hands down, the nicest place I have ever stayed. Better than any fancy hotel. Even the linens are nicer than the five star hotel we stayed in in Brussels. Le Clos Jouvenet is a short walk from downtown in a residential neighborhood on a hill overlooking the city. Maybe 10 minutes from the city center and less if you take the metro, the stop for which is just down the hill from the B&B.
Our hostess, Mme deWitte, is wonderful. Knowledgable, accommodating and speaks English. I cannot think of a concierge in a hotel anywhere who could do a better job of understanding and meeting my needs. The B&B has lovely gardens, a sweet cat, and parking. Navigating the streets around here is another matter but I like a challenge.
The breakfast aspect of the B&B is awesome, I hear her leave at 7:30 in the morning to go to the boulangerie for fresh bread and croissants. Her coffee is fabulous and the fruit jams seem to be home made. If they aren’t it makes no difference since they certainly seem to be. And I don’t know anyone but my mother who makes rhubarb and I doubt it’s sold anywhere.
Which brings me to the three things my mother would love about this place: Soft water, baked apples and rhubarb compote. There are many more things to love about it but those would be top of the heap for mom.
