This morning we visited the Bayeux tapestry before leaving town. It was commissioned by William the Conqueror to tell the story of his conquest of England. It's impressive, about three feet high and several hundred feet long, all one piece showing 50+ scenes. The museum was very well done. The tapestry wraps around a room and audio guides tell the story of each scene and point out interesting details, keeping everyone moving at the same speed. After a thousand years it's incredible what good shape it's in - the colors, the movement of the horses, the tiny details are all still forceful.
Omelettes and cafe au lait for breakfast before leaving Bayeux.
Next we passed through the little village of St Lo, where the German tank commander Michael Whittman singlehandedly destroyed a dozen Allied tanks and a larger number of transport and artillery pieces. It's a fascinating story worth reading more about: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Wittmann
We said goodbye to the Calvados region and headed south towards Falaise. We walked around (but didn't have time to tour) William the Conqueror's castle. He came from Viking stock (Normande means north men) as is clear from this statue.
None shall pass!
Nearby we toured the site of the battle of the Falaise pocket, which was the decisive end to the Normandy campaign and set the Germans on a fast retreat out of France. In August 1944 the Allies trapped 100,000 Germans on three sides. As the Germans fled east along a narrow corridor later known as the Road of Death they were decimated by air power and a Polish contingent on a commanding hill. Today there's a nice, small museum on the hill where the Poles were located, and the guide took us through what was happening in the valley below us. Like many of the sites its difficult today to picture it given the gorgeous scenery, but with the dramatic location you got a good sense of how the terrain could really come into play. She said it took a year before the water in the area was safe to drink and 20 years to haul the metal away.
We had a nice picnic lunch in a town down the road. We're in Camembert country! I know a few Seattleites who'd pay a premium for this raw milk cheese.
The countryside in this area is remarkable. Lush grass (hence the cheese), rolling hills, apple orchards, tidy little villages. And I found the perfect fixer upper, Jennifer!
On to our next lodging in Honfleur along the coast. It deserves it's own entry.
(super slow Internet access tonight so you'll have to wait for Honfleur photos. They'll be worth it)
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