The tall ship had receded into the distance by the time our river tour boat gave chase. Had we been at sea and the ship under sail, we would have had no chance of catching her. But on the river she was out of her element, and we were able to slowly close the gap and overtake her. The sight of a tall ship in the middle of the countryside is not a common one – but it is available for a few days every four or five years.
An armada of the world's largest sailing ships made their way from the Channel port of Le Havre, up the winding River Seine, inland to the city of Rouen in Normandy, which this year was a host port to the Tall Ships Race.
Mir in Russian means 'Peace' and The Mir is the flagship of the Saint-Petersberg maritime academy. She is one of the greyhounds of the fleet, and is used by the Russian merchant service to train cadets and officers in the art of seafaring.
Mir appeared huge alongside the ever- increasing number of tiny tourist boats that were churning up the water in welcome to the incoming ships.
Privileged people clearly revelled in the honour of being on the ships as they made their way into Rouen. Lining the deck rails, they waved and shouted greetings in answer to the firecrackers, horns and cheering crowds that welcomed them from the shoreline of the river.
The Amerigo Vespucci from Italy had the honour of being the first ship into Rouen. She was launched in 1931 and at 101 metres long is one of the largest sailing ships used by military academies in the world.
With the armada assembled, the quayside became a hive of activity.
With the sun shining, and a gentle breeze ruffling the colourful ships' flags, a carnival atmosphere engulfed the city.
Crowds queued to get on board the ships, while others were just happy to walk along the quayside taking in the opportunity of seeing so many beautiful ships in such a fine setting.
Britain is represented by Grand Turk, a copy of an 18th century English Naval frigate. And by Tenacious, a 65-metre long barque.
Launched in 2000, the three-masted Tenacious gives people with disabilities the chance to experience the working of a large sailing ship. She is run by the Jubilee Sailing Trust Foundation.
Away from the waterside the city tries to carry on as normal. But with the vast numbers of visitors arriving for the event, pedestrians, and traffic find the going slow.
In the evening a whole new scene emerged.
With the ships' rigging lit by thousands of sparkling lights, they take on a fun-fair like appeal, as music both live and canned played into the early hours.
And the daily firework display stopped everyone, on ships and shore alike, turning all heads skyward.
Looking across the city skyline the eye is drawn to the famous frontage of Rouen Cathedral.
A light show, entitled Rouen Monet's Cathedral in pixels, is projected on to the cathedral frontage.
Inspired by the 30 canvasses of the cathedral painted by Claude Monet, the resulting show is striking – and is running all through the summer until September 20.
Rouen is in an area rich in culture and art.
The town of Giverney is not to be missed. Here the house and gardens of Claude Monet attract thousands of visitors every week.
Le Havre, my first stop, is probably known best as a cross channel ferry port, but it's well worth a closer look – a modern city with an interesting coastline.
And the Museum of Art should not be missed.
I stayed in the Casino, a modern hotel overlooking one of the old dock areas.
In Rouen the Suitehotel was right in the centre of the city, and just a stone's throw away from the action on the tall ships quays. This hotel was ideal for all the attractions of the city, with the cathedral only 25 minutes walk away.
After the bustle of the city it was nice to arrive in Forges-les-Eaux a small town ideal for a walk in the countryside.
The Forges Hotel is the only hotel I have ever had to catch the lift down to my room – it is built on a slope with reception at the top and rooms on a sub-level.
The armada of tall ships has left Rouen and is now in Liverpool until this Monday, July 21. From there the ships will sail to Norway and The Netherlands.




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