Bayeux

Yesterday was our last excursion in the north, to Bayeux. Our first stop was at Bayeux's main claim to fame, the tapestry of William the Conqueror. At over 100 feet long, this tapestry, which was hung in the castle on high festivals, tells the tale of William the Conqueror's triumph over his cousin, Harold, to gain the English throne. What is more impressive than the sheer length of the tapestry is the intricate detail. All hand stitched, it depicts epic battle scenes, royal fleets of sailing ships, coronation ceremonies, elaborate armour, and herds of horses in exquisite detail. You just can't imagine how people could have created this, let alone how long it must have taken them. As you walk around the room in which the tapestry is displayed, an audio device describes the event that each scene on the tapestry depicts. Simply beautiful, and proof that the written word isn't necessary to pass down hundreds of years of history.

We then walked down the street to visit Bayeux Cathedral. Ok, I've said it before, but I'll say it again....I want a cathedral. I will never tire of wandering aimlessly in these hulking behemoths, with high Gothic windows, flying buttresses, stained glass mater pieces, and cold stone immanence. And Bayeux has now taken the honored position as my favorite cathedral. I've never seen stained glass in such brilliant colors. The outside is covered with gargoyles and statues of saints, guarding the base of four towering spires. Inside there is a crypt, which for a time was lost, and has just recently been rediscovered (I know, how do you lose a crypt?). We got to go down inside of it, which was cool, sans the fact it did smell like something had died down there.

We finished the day wandering the shops and restaurants of Bayeux. We ate eclairs in a tea shop that made you feel as if you were sitting at an English garden party. We all attempted to get our American food fix at McDonalds, but as it was 2 miles away, we settled for some amazing pizza (I know, eating pizza in France, what am I doing?) All in all, a fun last stop in the north. Tomorrow we make our way by bus to Paris where we will catch the high speed train to the south, to Avingnon. Then another bus will take us to our villa in St. Maxime, a few miles outside of Uzes. We've all loved exploring our little fishing village of Honfleur, and will miss having cafe au lait and croissants on the harbor. But we are excited to finally find some sun in the south, where its been in the 90s all week!