Bayeux Day 2

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This morning I did a bit more exploration around Bayeux. First of all, I went to see the famous Bayeux Tapestry (see picture of facsimile. I saw the real one, but photography is not allowed.). It is a cartoon embroidered on linen that tells the story of how William the Conqueror came to invade England in 1066. The tapestry was made only a couple of years after that, so it is nearly 1000 years old. My next stop was the World War II Battle of Normandy Museum just down the street from the Tapestry. Yesterday's tour dealt with the initial invasion on D-Day, but the museum goes beyond that to recall the events of the next three months that it took for the Allies to drive the Germans out of Normandy altogether. A highlight of the museum for me was the quad 50-caliber machine gun that is like the one my father fired when he was an antiaircraft gunner (see picture). Bayeux is famous for its cathedral, but there is no good angle to get a picture of the front of it, so I had to be satisfied with this view down the street (see picture). For lunch today I had a local specialty called a galette. It is basically a crepe, but made with buckwheat and filled with hot and hearty ingredients rather than sweet things. Mine had sausage, cheese, and potatoes (see picture). This afternoon I got my hair cut at the only place I could find open: a hair salon. It involved more ceremony, more attention, and more money than I am used to when I visit a barber in the US. At least my hair is short again! I washed out some shirts in my room and cleaned the bugs splatter of my car windshield. I took a nap and made plans for tomorrow. I leave Bayeux tomorrow, but I'm not sure how far I'll get. We shall see!

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