Catching up - Bayeux to Amboise

Sept 19, 2018

I don’t know what happened, but my last two blog entries seem to have disappeared. So I will try to at least summarize what we’ve done and fill; in details later as necessary.

Mont Saint Michelle, Sept 16

Mont Saint Michelle is a memievel abbeybuilt on an island in the Atlantic Ocean, just off the coast of Southern Normandy. It is accessible by a modern causeway most of the time, but on occasional high tides it is completely isolated from the mainland. In ancient times, a much lower earthen causeway would be flooded with the daily high tides.

It is a gorgeous sight.

We took a full day tour by minibus for the 1.5 hour drive from Bayeux. Our driver/guide was a Dutchman who went by the name Boy. (In his off time he plays keyboards in a Dutch techno-hip hop band called King Bee.) We shared the ride with several other very nice tourists.

Mont Saint Michelle is an Abbey built on top of this giant rock in the sea. Over the years, due to its isolation, an entire village grew up on the rock below the Abbey. Today the village houses restaurants nd shops to serve the multitude of tourists who visit every day.

It is really an unbelievable place. (See photos)

Bayeux Tapestry, Sept 17

The Bayeux Tapestry is on of the key sights in Bayeux. It was created in the 11th century to chronicle the Normandy invasion of England for peasants who couldn’t read. This ancient “document” is 70 meters long and tells the saga of William the Bastard who became William the Conquerer.

We also visited the museum of the WWII Battle of Normandy, which again tells the story complete with photos and artifacts from all participating countries.

To cap off the day before dinner and packing, we went to the MAHB museum which contains artifacts ranging from Roman times up through the 18th century. I’m sure it was a wonderful museum, but we both felt that by that time at the end of our last day in Bayeux we were a little “museumed-out”.

Hotel Tardif: This incredible place we stayed in Bayeux is worthy of its own added note. Owned and operated by a young man named Anthony and a staff of four young women, this place was simply exquisite. Dating back to 1720 when it was the Bishop’s house, it has been completely modernized without losing a single bit of its historic charm. When you walk out the gate onto the little side street where it is situated, there is the Notre Dame cathedral, as site that inspired awe every single time we walked by it.