Weekend in France

It was half term break (no school for a week) and Matt was back in the UK after nearly 3 weeks of working in the States, so we took advantage of the opportunity to travel and headed south.  Across the Channel. 

We took an overnight ferry (like a cruise ship with parking) which left Portsmouth at 8 pm and landed us in St. Malo, France at 8:00 the next morning. 

We had a cozy little cabin and spent some time playing card games and counting out Euros before going to sleep.  We also had our own bathroom complete with shower, towels, etc. so we could clean up in the morning and go up on deck to see the ship dock.  It was a great way to travel!

From St. Malo, we headed east to the cute little town of Villedieu-les-Poêles in Normandy, France - a town renowned for its craftsmanship. Artisans have been living and working in this town since the Middle Ages and we particularly enjoyed visiting the Bell Foundry, and the Atelier du Cuivre (Copper Workshop).

Quick stop for croques monsieur and chocolate eclairs before heading to our hotel.

We stayed in a small hotel right in the heart of Bayeux.  We walked to the cathedral that evening and explored a little bit.

Next morning we went to the Musee Tapissiere to see the famous Bayeux Tapestry.

It is over 70 metres long and although it is called a tapestry it is in fact an embroidery, stitched not woven in woollen yarns on linen.  The 'tapestry' depicts scenes from the Battle of Hastings when William the Conqueror (of Normandy) invaded England... and won by killing King Harold II with an arrow to his eye.  (The French are always so dramatic!)  William's coronation was held on Christmas Day, 1066 in Westminster Abbey (also depicted on the tapestry).

At over 70 metres long, there was quite a story here.  The colours and details were most interesting for fabric and thread over 1,000 years old.  Most historians agree that it was embroidered in Kent, England. Sometime around 1470 it was transferred to Bayeux, France where it was displayed annually inside the Cathedral (perhaps a 'ha ha, we conquered England'?) Now it lives at the museum just across the street from the Cathedral.

Oh, we liked this sign at the entrance:

Lost in translation?  We wondered if they were offering a special rate to adults with 3 or more handicapped children?  Or handicapped adults with 3 or more children?  Or is it really if you are bringing handi-CAPED children?  Which, one would guess, means they are wearing their favourite super hero outfit? 

Anyway, moving on... from Bayeux we headed northeast to the D-day beaches of Normandy. 

First, we stopped at Juno Beach where Canadian forces invaded.  There is a lovely museum here, built in 2003, with great exhibits, movies, and hands-on activities that taught us so many valuable facts about World War 2 as well as Canadian history.  I really liked that the staff at this centre were Canadian citizens - young, university students that come over to work for a time.  They were very friendly and it was nice to hear a Canadian accent again!

After exploring the museum, we headed out onto the beach itself and climbed through some of the German bunkers and on top of gun towers, etc. 

Over 1,400 Canadian and British soldiers lost their lives securing this beach on D-day.

In comparison, over 9,000 American soldiers perished during the invasion of Omaha Beach.  Just looking at the two different landscapes, it's not hard to imagine why so many more Americans died.

Omaha Beach is much higher and full of brambles, etc.  The beach is much larger during low tide.  Here, we visited the American cemetary and hiked down to the seaside.

After Omaha Beach, we visited the American military museum (just a couple miles down the road).  It was pretty old-school compared to Juno Beach, but had some interesting artillery displays and a good film re-cap of what happened on D-day.

a Sherman tank:

We spent our last day in France at Le Mont-Saint-Michel - a small rocky island about 1 km from the north coast of France, on the border between Normandy and Brittany.

The mount is best known for the medieval Benedictine Abbey and steepled church that occupies most of the island. There are also several little tourist shops and restaurants along the way to the top.

Before the construction of the first monastic establishment in the 8th century, the island was called Mont Tombe. According to legend, the archangel Michael appeared to St. Aubert, bishop of Avranches, in 708 and instructed him to build a church on the rocky islet.

But Aubert repeatedly ignored the angel's instruction until Michael burned a hole in the bishop's skull with his finger. That did the trick. The dedication to St Michael occurred in October, 708. The mount continues to be an icon of the region and was even depicted in the Bayeux Tapestry (that we visited the day before).

We were quite hungry after all that climbing through the abbey.  We indulged in some old-fashioned French omelettes - cooked in copper pans over an open fire.

We found dessert back in St. Malo while we awaited check-in for the ferry.  These beignets were like giant bismark donuts filled with whatever you wanted.  Matt had strawberries, I had raspberries, Emily had apples and Amy had Nutella.  YUMMY!

What a great way to end another fun trip to France.