The Serenity of Bayeux

Today we decide to stay in Bayeux, a bit of an antidote to all the driving and the intensity of the beaches yesterday. But first, time to re supply ...we go out in search of groceries, after failing to find an open grocery last night at 8pm. At the end of the block is a small grocery where we get yogurt, milk, cheese, apples, and cookies. Across the street, we go to a cave with all sorts of alcoholic specialties, and get a large Calvados and a small sampler to take home. After depositing the groceries, we go off the the Bayeux Tapestry Museum, a few short blocks away. e go around the back side f the cathedral ... it is beautiful from every angle, and we can see it just as we step out the front door of the place we're staying.

We enter - it is not too crowded - and get the audio guide which is included. And wow. No photo can do this tapestry justice. It is actually an embroidery on linen, 70 meters long (about 200 feet) filled with stories and  people and horses fairly bursting out of the fabric. This work is simply stunning, and like nothing else you'll see ... telling the story of William the Conquerer and how Harald's betrayal led him to invade England and then become its king. The time and creativity required to make this piece is unimaginable. The tapestry is hung in a long oval, and the recorded audio guide gives you the story as you go along, I recommend going through once with the audio guide,and then going again without it to see all the things you missed the first time. The exhibits on the second floor provide great context for the era, William and Harold, a replica of the boat they sailed in, details on embroidery of the time, and the aftermath of the invasion. We both found this place quite inspiring. Across the street are two wonderful shops, one with all kinds of fabrics and memorabilia with images of Normandy and her own designs of  Poppies which are quite lovely. Poppies,of course, became a symbol of veterans during the First World War, based on the poem "In Flanders Fields," and they are all over items here, but hers are the most attractive. I find a lovely tote bag, made here in France of unique fabrics. Another nearby store sells beautiful embroidery kits of the Bayeux tapestry and more. I fantasize about having the time to do embroidery, and decide that if I buy the kit I will be more motivated to do embroidery, which I do find quite relaxing.

Off to lunch ... at La Moulin de la Galette, a block away. It is lovely outside today, so we sit outdoors at a table shaded by a tree, next to the small river that runs through the town, and turns a nearby mill wheel. Barney orders a nice main salad with Camembert on toast and tomatoes, olives, pine nuts, chicken, pesto, and lots of nice lettuce. We've both been a little salad starved here, it has been heavy on the protein and carbs, so having this was great. I have a delicious galette with egg, chicken, caramelized onion, and Gorgonzola cheese, and we trade halfway through. There's plenty of interesting people watching here, and lots of folks walking dogs along the other side of the river, which makes me miss Atlas a little.

We still have a bit of shopping to do, so back to the Main Street to get bread, eggs,lettuce and tomatoes, and two small quiches for a dinner at the gite. The off to the other big musuem in Bayeux, the Musuem of the Battle of Normandy, which traces the whole nearly three-month battle starting with D-Day until the whole northwestern part of France was liberated. Bayeux was the first town liberated (others were villages) and De Gaulle landed on the Gold Beach and came here to proclaim the restoration of the French Republic and the provisional government. There were photos of him walking alongside Montgomery, and De Gaulle is a full head taller than Montgomery, which surprised me, I did not realize he was so tall. There was much more that happened after D-Day, as the troops fought through the hedgerows, tried three times to take Caen, swept up to Cherbourg and rebuilt the port within days, and joined up with Patton's Army to begin to march toward Paris. A very educational afternoon. Afterwards, we walk over to the British cemetery- 4,000+ urged here - and the memorial to the unknown soldiers and those for whom no remain were recovered. These memorials and cemetery are are the first we've seen since arriving in Normandy, and they are quite moving.

A nice walk back to the gite, and dinner out in the garden ... heavenly. Tarama and Chabicou with local cidre as we listen to the fat bumblebees nearby. All of the flowers are in bloom and the garden is gorgeous. I think that their garden is about the size of our entire lot. We have the quiches, and I make a nice salad with the lettuce we bought, as the sun starts to move down the sky and the birds are singing. Eventually, we go back in the house, typing notes and writing cards, and Howe at 10:15, there is still light outside. A truly lovely day.