Blogs from Bayeux, Lower Normandy, France, Europe - page 2

Wednesday 20 May 2015 We seemed to have arrived in Normandy at the same time as a rather wet cold weather pattern descended on the region from the North Atlantic. It reminded us of occasional days in Dunedin. So with appropriate layers of clothing we headed off for Bayeux. The car park was only a few minutes drive away and to those with a tight budget this might have seemed extravagant but the weather was being quite unpredictable. Just as we arrived so did a heavy shower of rain and hail. The cathedral offered us sanctuary from the patchy weather. The interior was quite outstanding. It has been lovingly restored and well worth a visit. The cathedral was built by Odo, the brother of William the Conqueror. It seemed like an English invasion today with many ... read more

Special Note: this blog is for two days, specifically 7&8 May, 2015. I spent most of May 7th in my new car. My first task was to fiddle with the controls and figure out better how things work. After I accomplished that, I drove to Giverny to see the Monet Gardens. Along the way I passed through several small towns in the French countryside. I stopped at one and took a picture of my little black car parked in front of a church (see picture) just because the town was so quaint and picturesque. The Monet Gardens are bright with colors and there were lots of tourists there to see them, along with a number of gardeners to tend them. I got a photo of the famous Japanese bridge (see picture). My next stop was Chateau ... read more

For those of you following along and know that I spent a few days in Paris, perhaps expecting a blog about Paris, let me say this... Fuck Paris, except for the Louvre. In fact, if I had made the mistake of not coming to Normandy, which I considered after my experiences with Parisians, I would have robbed myself of one of the most impactful and enjoyable days of my life; not to mention, been sour on France. For those travelers considering France for the first time, please do not spend the majority of your time in Paris. Get in, see the Louvre and whatever other cultural sites mean something to you, and get the hell out! Now, having said that, let me tell you about the first 24 hours of my life spent in Bayeux, France ... read more

November 15 , Bayeux tapestry and the Museum of the battle of Normandy – I visited the Museum of the Battle of Normandy and the Bayeux tapestry. Both were impressive. I was awed a bit by the Bayeux tapestry. It was fascinating. I have booked a bed in the Smart Place Paris hostel next to the Gare du Nord station. So tomorrow morning I will head to Paris. I will take the train from Bayeux to Caen, then transfer to another train to Paris. It arrives at the Paris-St-Lazare station and I will have to take the RER or a bus to the Gare du Nord. From there I will have to walk over to the hostel. I’ve started out with 3 days in Paris and I will see how much more on Monday. 15 novembre ... read more

November 13 – Bayeux – I just didn’t want to give up on the day last night and stayed up late doing homework. A s a result by the time I got up and had my tea and thought things over, and did a little homework it was pushing 2PM……good Lord! So I quickly got dressed and walked over to the train/bus station here intending to have a look around and then catch that “bybus” into town. While waiting for the bybus I noticed that the buses were very infrequent in the afternoon and just decided rather than wait just walk into town. So I started walking and when I got to the roundabout I took the wrong road off to the right and ended up walking all the way to the Eisenhower Circle before I ... read more