On our family sojourns in France this summer, we had the occasion to visit Rouen and the old market square where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake in 1431 after being captured by the English. Wandering around this historic city that has been a major business center in one form or another at least since the middle ages, we stumbled upon a luthier's shop, "Il pleut des chordes..." on beautiful rue Damiette, and stopped in. Large street-level windows allow passerby to watch work being done at a work bench at the front of the shop, while a side door down a covered alley leads to the display room to the rear of the shop.
Although the building itself has probably housed a street-level commerce for several hundred years, it turns out that the young owner, Baptiste Bernard, just opened the shop this year. A graduate of the École Internationale de Lutherie d'Art, he put down his custom violin in progress to talk to me about his work. He carries stringed instruments from baroque to modern, and is available for repairs, restorations, custom orders, and sales of beginner to professional instruments. I was interested to learn that he does have clients seeking American-made guitars and mandolins, particularly vintage instruments from the C.F. Martin Company. Besides the beautiful instruments, I couldn't help but admire this young luthier's entrepreneurial spirit and his beautiful shop. It's a tough economic time to be starting a business in Europe, but I wish him the best and look forward to visiting again. Be sure to stop in if you happen to be in town. I'll let the pictures whet your appetite... 
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