We came to Bayeux to see the famous Tapestry. Despite the academic debate over when and who -- it is a rare treasure and well worth a journey to see. It hangs in a specially-built building - The Centre Guillaume le Conquerant. The Tapestry tells the tale of William the Conqueror's invasion of England through a series of panels.
The town of Bayeux is located about 30 km north west of Caen. The river Aure runs through the town so there are plenty of good photo shoots of canals and stone buildings along the way. But, as we said above, the main reason most come here is to see the tapestry.
We did not see it, and it is on our list of places to see when we return to this area, as the Bayeux War Cemetery is the largest British cemetery from the Second World War with over 4,600 graves.
This town was the scene of intense battles during World War II, but also many years previously when in 1346 England's King Edward III attacked the town as at the time it was the richest in Normandy. King Edward's troops killed some 3,000. In 1955 it was Operation Charnwood that destroyed much of the city but the Allies were able to seize the western quarters of Caen. Throughout this battle many of the towns people sought refuge in the Abbaye aux Hommes which had been built by William the Conqueror some 800 years before.
Re-construction of the city took 14 years (1948-1962). The next time I get to Ottawa, Canada I will like to see the Canadian Army Film and Photo Unit exhibition which includes film of the D-Day offensive and the efforts of the town to recover several months later. The film is called "You Can't Kill a City" and it is kept in National Archives of Canada.
After our drive from Paris along the Seine River, stopping in les Andelys and Rouen, we finally made it out to the broad estuary where the Seine flows into the English Channel. Either have it planned as to which of the auto routes you will take or you will have to cross the estuary via the impressive Pont de Normandie - the toll bridge that opened in 1995. It was when it opened the world's longest cable-stayed bridge.
This is one scenic place, and Honfleur is noted for its picturesque port with slate-covered houses. The harbour is the stage for many painters. We enjoyed the harbour, walked about the town and ate the Monsieur Croquet - a cheese sandwiches with bechamel sauce. Mm mm.
We left to continue down the coast driving along the D513 to see towns that included Trouville-sur-Mer and Deauville. Neither one of them really impressed us and after being in Honfleur we had to ask ourselves why we left after a relatively short time to do the coast drive, which was not the highlight we had anticipated.
Explorer Jean Denis left from here in 1506 and discovered Newfoundland - there you go, a little local history linked to Honfleur.
Of course this was on our list of places to visit. It is an experience. Le Mont-Saint-Michel sits on a small island a kilometre off the coast of mainland France. With the tide up, it is completely surrounded by water. When the tide is low marshlands and water surround the island.
This is the number one tourist destionation in the Region. It was two decades ago when we where here. While the island and abbey looked charming and magical from a distance. Once we parked the car and walk to the entrance of the old town and streets that lead up to the abbaye, it became very different.
Tourism is the primary source of income for the commune.
Toughen up. Get through the tacky souvenir stores that line the streets as you enter the island. Plastic medieval swords where very popular at the time. As I read about his history, it seems that a "retail secene or sorts" has been part of the winding road that leads up to the church since medieval days!
During the French Revolution the monastery was desecrated and it was used as a prison in the 19th century but it s back! You will enjoy your visit to the church and the cloisters.
On our visit there was a causeway that we drove on to reach the island. That I believe caused damage in terms of the natural water flow around the island. In 2023 a hydralic dam project was completed that elevated a pedestrian bridge and ensured proper water flow into the bay, making the it a true island again.
Mont Saint Michel
Not my photography, but this photo provides a sense of the stunning beauty of the island sitting surround by water, or water and mud flats. A unique place.
Giverny is located about 75 km from Paris. On one of our first tours of France, this location, with Karen being an artist, was one of our mandatory stops. I was concerned that I would not have enough to keep my interest. How long could I look at flowers? Well not to worry, the visit was great, there is plenty to see. Despite the large number of people who visit Giverny each year, we found numerous walkways that provided an opportunity to get away from the others. Now I saw that, and must recognize our visit was over twenty years ago and with the level of tourism, I am not sure how bad the crowds will be. But given it takes a bit of effort to get to Giverny that will always help to keep the crowd factor a bit lower. This is the second most visited location in Normandy, only topped my Mont Saint-Michel.
Monet lived 40 plus years (1883 to 1926) of his live at his house surrounded by his gardens. It took him a number of years to transform the location to see what we see today.
The walk ways take you through the flower gardens and then through the wooded area, where there are streams, ponds, bridges and of course the famous water lilies. He actually has the Epte River diverted to create the water areas in his gardens. He had seven gardeners to look after the gardens.
After Monet dies, the gardens and house sent to members of his family. It was left in various states of ruin. World War II took its toll and not much was left. Through donations and a foundation a great amount of work was completed to rebuild parts of the house and save the gardens. In 1980 the Fondation Claude Monet took after as the estate was declared public and now the location is well looked after.
On our visit we drove to Giverny as it was part of our tour of the Region. But it is easy to take a train from Paris to the town of Vernon. At the Gare Saint-Lazare train station there are buses that meet all the trains or you can take a taxi. You an buy tickets to Vernon from ticket machines (buy from the machines signed: Grandes Lignes, on the day of travel, or in advance. It is a busy exciting train station with metro lines, a shopping centre and the train station all in one location. Just look for the signs that say Grande Lignes. Tickets can also be bought on-line. Remember when you are buying your train ticket, you are travelling to the town of Vernon, which is 5 km from Giverny (a village of less than 500 people which does not have direct rail service.) It will take about 1 1/2 hours to take the train and then the shuttle bus to Giverny.
If you are seeing the gardens on a day trip, when you return to Paris, to bring the whole experience home, visit the Musée de l'Orangerie. This museum holds eight of the great Nymphéas [Water Lilies] compositions by Monet created from various panels assembled side by side. These compositions are all the same height (6.5 ft/1.97m) but differ in length so that they could be hung across the curved walls of two egg-shaped rooms. It is an experience what we will remember many years later.
Musée de l'Orangerie
Jardin des Tuileries, place de la Concorde, Paris, France
Maison et jardins Claude Monet – Giverny
84 rue Claude Monet
27620 Giverny
Tel : +33 (0) 2 32 51 28 21
Monet House at Giverny
photo: G Marcus, mytravellinglens.com
Monet Gardens
photo: G Marcus, mytravellinglens.com
Our visit to Rouen date back to 1990 and 1991. Photos have been lost, but memories of the town of course remain forever. We recall that approaching the city by car was not the most pleasant experience. Rouen is the 4th largest port in France. The waterfront is an industrial centre so you drive through a fair amount of ugly before you get to the charming old port. Once in the centre of the old town, the streets make up a pedestrian area lined with countless half-timbered houses to look at.
We stayed at a small hotel, the Hotel de la Cathedral, which was located right in the centre of the town. Although this hotel was not a high end hotel, and very small with 23 rooms. It gave us a French experience. Interestingly, in 2011 when I looked it up again, it was rated on Trip Advisor as #15 in terms of hotels in Rouen!
Hotels are really all about location, and we were centrally located and we walked about the Place due Vieux Marcheé, where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake back in 1431. There is a modern church now on the square, but it did have some impressive 16th Century stained glass windows.
The Notre Dame Cathedrdal is one of the cathedrals of France to see. It is a knock-out example of Gothic architecture and holds the title of being the tallest cathedrdal in France. You won't forget this cathedral. It was a long time in the making, with construction started in the 13th Centre and finish 300 years later. Monet painted the doors of the cathedral numerous times.
Another impressive church is the Abbatiale Saint-Ouen, a massive 14th Century church of the powerful Benedictine monastery or Saint-Ouen.
Aître Saint-Maclou is quiet now, but during the Black Death plague of 1348, one-third of the town perished. The courtyard was used for burials. Inside decorations include skills, bones and gravedigger tools!
The Rue du Gross Horloge leads through the famous Gros Horloge Archway - a large clock. Our hotel in 1900 was right beside the clock.
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