Half Timber Houses

I was surprised to see architecture that I had only ever seen in England before. Then, it struck me that Rouen was for a long time, an English town. These half timber houses are called half timber because they use for their frames, half a log of oak split down the middle. Oak is very hard and durable. It still boggles my mind that churches made of stone have fallen apart, but 4 storey blocks made of mud and wood are still standing strong.