Down by the Bayeux

Aboard the train to Bayeux

Yesterday Kevin and I started part 1 of our grand France train trip. We arrived in Bayeux at 12:15 ish and headed straight for the Bayeux Tapestry. Everything we wanted to see was in walking distance. It was awesome.

Bayeux's Notredame

The tapestry was beautiful. The museum entrance included an audio guide, which you absolutely needed to view the piece. It pointed out what was going on in each scene, and who the key players were. It also pointed out random details you may have missed on your own. Plus there was medieval music in the background, so you can't help but love that.

After the tapestry, which we both thoroughly enjoyed, we visited the Notre Dame cathedral (France is just full of those things!). It was truly mesmerizing. So many spectacular stained glass windows and intricate stone work. Kevin and I did some Pie Jesu singing in the little anteroom at the entrance. The acoustics were to die for.

rainy streets of Bayeux

inside the cathedral

Old French Style

Next, we went for lunch at a restaurant Kevin had researched called "Le Rapiere". They had a set lunch menu for 18€, that given the quality of the meal was an absolute steal. It had quite a strong French feel. After so many tourist sites, that was a big deal. Honestly though. The food was unreal.

For a starter, Kevin had this tuna cake thing. It was like, bread...but fishy. Weird. But apparently it was good. I had smoked haddock in a risotto. It was delicious, but either had mysterious gluten in it, or was just too rich for my sensitive stomach, because I spent the rest of the meal (and afternoon) in a fair bit of tummy pain. Kevin helped me with my main course- some sort of fish (Rouget?), and he tried veal kidney. So adventurous, that boy. Kevin's dessert choice was a homemade pear brownie, and I took home my local cheese plate for later, when I didn't have feisty ninjas battling it out in my stomach (throwing stars and everything).

After lunch, we walked over to the Normandy Memorial Museum. It was very informative and interesting. In the middle of our visit we caught a short film (en anglais) detailing the various operations along the coast. There were neat artifacts and photos and accompanying facts. At the entrance to the museum, there was an Eisenhower quotation that really spoke to me:

"Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Force! The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you."

When we finished at the museum we walked a bit further to the Commonwealth War Memorial Cemetery. We found the corner with Canadian graves and walked up and down the rows, paying our respects. There were ages on some of the headstones. 25. 23. 22. 19. I found myself thinking how if either of my grandfather's hadn't returned home from the war (which so easily could have happened), me, my brother, my parents, my aunts, uncles, cousins...none of us would be here. So strange. Many of the graves had messages of love and memorial on them. I got pretty teared up by a few.

"He gave his life so others could be free"

"He gave his tomorrows for our todays"

I know the term "ultimate sacrifice" is overused and ordinary, but it really speaks the truth.

Canadian Section at the Bayeux Commonwealth Cemetary

After that solemn and moving experience Kevin and I took the main road around Bayeux back to the train station and took the train to Caen.

When we arrived there, we rocked their public transit system (which itself rocks), taking the tram and then bus to our hotel. We had both hoped that at 60€ a night (the cheapest option in Caen) we'd be getting pretty pampered, but our hotel was a bit of a hole. Oh well, we made the most of it!!

Hotel Crocus had pink walls and green doors inside, and bathroom like in an airplane and a mystery soap dispenser in the shower that apparently provides hand soap, body wash and shampoo all in one. But the heater worked (after we inquired how to use it), so at least things we cozy.

We arrived at our hotel around 7:30 or so, and left shortly after to a different hotel down the road with an Internet-recommended restaurant. We were the only people there for most of our meal, and had an awkwardly absent waitress. The food was good though (well, except for the rock solid complimentary dinner rolls). Kevin had steak and I had a massive salad with prosciutto and cheese cubes in it. We got back to our hotel around 10, found an English news channel on the tv, planned out our next day and eventually went to bed.