Searching for Joan of Arc in rural France, Episode 284

<p><span dir="ltr"><span class="_3l3x">On this trip report Annie takes you on a quest for the Maid of Orĺéans with her guest Kim Loftus. Have you ever wanted to go searching for Joan of Arc in rural France? She's in a lot of villages in northern France! That was the theme of Kim's latest trip to France and she tells us about several of the must-see sites related to this world-famous heroine.</span></span></p> <p>Book recommendation: <a href="https://amzn.to/2A4zWzq">Joan of Arc, a Life Transfigured</a></p> <h2>Hotels Recommended in this Episode</h2> <p>In Reims they stayed at the <a href= "https://www.booking.com/hotel/fr/campanile-reims-centre-cathaa-c-drale.en.html?aid=954523&no_rooms=1&group_adults=2"> Hotel Campanile</a>. This is a great location where you could walk to the city center and they have parking. Campanile hotels are typically inexpensive as well. In Reims they also enjoyed the restaurant Au Bureau near the Cathedral and Au Café de Reims.</p> <p>The best hotel of the trip was in Rouen: <a href= "https://www.booking.com/hotel/fr/hotelduvieuxmarche.en.html?aid=954523&no_rooms=1&group_adults=2"> Best Western Hotel Gustave Flaubert</a></p> <h2>Searching for Joan of Arc in Rural France</h2> <p>Joan was born in the middle of the 100-year war which went poorly for the French, particularly with the terrible battle of Agencourt (listen to episode 89 for the story on how that went). France was being ruled by an English King.</p> <p>She was born in Domremy, which has now been renamed Domremy-la-Pucelle. You went there and will tell us what you saw there in a moment. Her father was a successful farmer and she was the oldest of 5 children. She was extremely pious and went to pray in the village church several times a day.</p> <p>Joan started hearing voices at age 13 telling her that it was her calling to deliver France from the wicked English rulers and put a French King on the throne again. At age 16 (or was it 17?) she set off to meet the rightful heir of the throne, raised an army, inspired French people to