The Road Home - Pt. 5 Bayeux and D-Day Beaches July 11

From our new base in Caen, we struck out to the D-day Beaches - kind of the opposite of what happened in 1944, where the goal was a base in Caen.  First stop Bayeux and the worlds longest comic strip ....aka the Bayeux Tapestry.  The Bayeux Tapestry tells the tale of William the Conqueror's defeat of England in 1066.  You can scroll through the 70 metre long tapestry at this site: http://www.bayeuxtapestry.org.uk/Bayeux1.htm

Below is the mill in "downtown" Bayeux.

The Cathedral at Bayeux, where Harold swears an oath to William.  Harold is the king's choice of successor, and the oath Harold swears is to make William king....it doesn't quite go down that way.

After Bayeux we drive to Omaha Beach the site of one of the US landings.  The monument below is to the US 1st infantry division.

Just in front of the ocean is this monument simply called "The Brave"

This is what they fought for....

Up on the ridge which overlooks Omaha Beach is this bunker, which sits at the side of the only road off the beach.  The sign says that the 467th Anti-Aircraft Artillery knocked out this bunker.  During the remainder of the landing operation at Omaha beach, this was the only road for men and equipment off the beach.

This church lies along the road off the beaches...the picture of the same area in 1944 is on the church wall.

Part of the "Atlantic Wall" at Longues-sur-Mer.  Situated between Omaha Beach (US Forces landing) and Gold Beach (British Forces landing).  The 152mm gun could put shells on either beach 10km away.

Juno Beach - Cross where General Charles de Gaulle returned to France.

looking down on Juno Beach where the Canadians landed.

Juno Beach - Cosy's Bunker, in honor of Lt. Cosy of the Royal Winnipeg Rifles who stormed it.

Canadian Juno Beach Centre

Canadian Forces memorial at Juno

Next stop Rouen.

The Road Home - Pt. 4 - Mont St. MIchel

Mont Saint-Michel sits on a lump of rock off the coast of Normandy.  The Mont has been a fortified site since ancient times, and the site of the Saint-Michel monastery since the 8th century.  The entire site is a UNESCO world heritage site.  Below is the view from the parking lot on the mainland.

As you walk down the causeway towards the island, you get a view of the fortified outer walls of the city.

The arrow slits in the outer fortified walls, where in days gone by "they" would be watching...., now "they" are still watching, but where are they?

View through the portal gate into the town.

On the walk up the mont to the abbey, we find a commemorative plaque, which reads on the 8th of May 1532 the abbot of Mont-Saint-Michel presented Jacques Cartier, the Navigator from St. Malo to Francois 1st.  The King of France charges him to explore the rivers of Canada.

The looking up at the abbey.

At low tide people will walk out on the mud flats to the mont

The refectory of Mont St. Michel abbey.

Next stop Caen.

The Road Home Pt. 3 - Carnac July 10

From Nantes we drive along the coast to the small village of Carnac.  The entire area around Carnac has many megalithic sites of dolmens and menhirs.  A dolmen is a single chamber burial site, with a table like top.  Below is a dolmen

Inside the dolmen, the walls are covered with mystic tic-tac-toe.

an alignment of Menhir's or standing stones.

LUNCH - we follow the advice and directions of our lonely planet guide to France, and eat in a traditional long-house which is in the centre of a circle of menhirs.

inside the long-house, hand hewn timber ceiling - very cool place.

Is that rock looking at me?

YUM.  Raspberry crepe, originally from Brittany, being eaten in Brittany.

Next stop Mt. St. Michel.

The Road Home Pt. 2 - Nantes July 9

We leave Bordeaux and drive north to Nantes.  One of the things to see in Nantes is a giant mechanical elephant (45 tonnnes and 12 metres tall).   You can ride on top and inside the elephant on a tour of the former shipyards where the elephant was constructed.  The elephant is powered by a large tractor behind it, but the legs move as does the head and trunk, which sprays water at small children.

Nantes, the former capital of Brittany, was the home of the Duke, and if you are a Duke you need a castle....like this one.  We tried to determine if the Edict of Nantes was signed in this castle, but the internet seems silent on this point.

The castle keep / chateau as viewed from inside the castle walls.

combination gargoyle and drawbridge shot.

One of the best gargoyle pictures we managed, the sun was in just the right position to illuminate the gargoyle, and not the wall.

In the old town section of Nantes, while out looking for an authentic Brittany Crepe and Cider we find a curious thing...Across the main street they have hung flags that are reminiscent of coats of arms ....until you look more closely

Imagine being the standard-bearer in a large medieval battle, what would the battle cry be? ARRGHHH...it burns!!...Men rally to me, I am Archduke burning crotch (the third).

other curiosities in the harbour of Nantes

Sarah, standing on the platform over the elephant's head.

now off to Caen, via Carnac and Mt. St. Michel.