Now in Normandy

Travelled from Loire to Normandy, via Mont St Michel – another repeat visit for us but it was on the way to the campground so made a great stop over. It’s supposedly the second most visited place in France (second only to Paris)...and there were certainly plenty of people here. I guess we’re coming into the peak holiday season now. While we’d been there before I’d forgotten how impressive it is – a massive church perched on a rock outcrop that at high tide is surrounded by the sea (although not completely now thanks to the causeway which links it to the mainland).


Today we visited Bayeaux to see the famous 1000 year old tapestry depicting William’s battle over Harold at Hastings. Hard to believe that at one point in its history it was used as a cover on a cart that was transporting stuff to Paris! We then took the kids to the largest of the Commonwealth D-Day cemeteries. Unlike the American’s, who buried most of their dead in the one cemetery, the Brits buried them near where they fell. Also unlike the Americans, the Commonwealth cemetery includes Germans (who, it’s easy to forget, actually suffered far greater casualties during the D-Day battles then the combined Allied forces – over 200,000 died in fact). There are 4000 odd graves at Bayeaux and its hard not to be moved by the sight of all the marble gravestones lined with military precision. What’s most poignant of course are the ages – some as young as 16 and 17. I’m not sure the kids totally appreciated what it was all about, but I feel better for at least trying to make them understand!