PALACE OF VERSAILLES

Thursday, April 30, 2009 Chateau de Versailles

We woke up early to a beautiful day full of sunshine and decided to change our plans and head for the Palace of Versailles, also known as the Chateau de Versailles, today instead of the planned Fontainebleau.

Heading due east at seven thirty in the morning put us directly into the sun; beautiful but blinding for short ladies! Somehow we made the right decision instinctively because we were unable to read the directional signs and we found ourselves on the right highway! At the first opportunity we pulled off; put gasoline in the car and verified that we were indeed headed in the correct direction. Things went well until we took the shorter route and headed due north on a four lane divided highway. Half way there we decided that half of France was taking the same shortcut as we were moving about ten mph down the highway. It took us nearly three hours to go seventy miles! But, we arrived at Versailles by ten o’clock. They are celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of the opening of the palace as a museum this year; to celebrate they are doing extensive work including the spending of five million euros to replace the two hundred sixty foot long Royal Gate in the center of the courtyard that is decorated with one hundred thousand gold leaves. The original disappeared during the French Revolution. With the sun shinning directly on the fence it was blinding; they are also adding gold leaf to the roof edges so the whole appearance from the front entry will be golden when completed. Unfortunately the Opera House is totally closed by the restoration and we were unable to see that gem.

The crowds today were huge and we couldn’t imagine how it can be any worse but we understand that the summer months are unbelievable. We took our time and enjoyed the tour at our own pace; sometimes waiting for the large tour groups to disappear so that we could enjoy a room without them. The hall of mirror was spectacular as always.

After touring the state apartments and the galleries we headed out into the gardens and caught the mini train that took us out to the Petit Trianon where we enjoyed touring Marie-Antoinette’s restored “home away from home” and then walked through the gardens to visit her “Hamlet” with the thatched roof houses, the pond full of catfish who we enjoy teasing so that they would come up for feeding with their mouths open hoping for some food. The lone swan graced us with a visit before we strolled back through the garden to the Petit Trianon to catch the mini train for our ride back to the palace.

We stopped only for a minute outside the Grand Trianon that has centuries of history for the French Presidents and now houses important state visitors and also hosts state functions. We decided to pass on touring this one in favor of the one built for Marie-Antoinette. We also stayed on the train when it stopped at the Grand Canal for those that wanted to spend time there and maybe even rent a rowboat. During the reign of Louis XIV the Grand Canal was a true miniature sea with many ships of various types for his guests to enjoy riding around on in the canal.

Prior to the French Revolution, the Domaine de Versailles covered an area of the size of the present city of Paris. It was approximately 7,800 hectares surrounded by walls of 43 kilometers. Today the size is approximately 800 hectors. Sorry, you’ll have to look up the conversion as I don’t have it with me!

By the time we returned to our car we’d spent about four and half hours touring this world renowned site; time well spent as we truly enjoyed our day at Versailles in the sunshine. The last time I was here it was freezing cold in late October; I really enjoyed it much more today.

We headed out towards Fontainebleau; we knew that we needed to go south and east to the A6 Autoroute. We had some trouble and kept getting turned around so decided to take a road out of the city to find some of the streets outside of town. Down one road and then another; on country roads, on city roads, and suddenly we saw the same people standing in a field that we’d passed twenty miles before! Opps…we’d somehow made a wrong turn when we were going around a round-de-round too many times! Well, we didn’t make that mistake again! We just kept heading in the right direction and at one point Mary became so frustrated with trying to figure out where we were that she offered to drive and let me take over the maps! She did a great job; we never lost our tempers and even laughed now and then but suddenly we found that we were on the A6; who knows how…but we were home free! From there we followed the signs to Fontainebleau, arriving nearly three hours after leaving Versailles. We stopped to look at the Chateau that was closed and then drove on to find our Formule One Hotel for the night outside of town. It was a fun day full of ups and downs but mostly ups. We only covered less than two hundred miles but we were driving for nearly six hours. Tomorrow’s another day!

LOIRE VALLEY: CHATEAU CHAMBORD & CHARTRES CATHEDRAL

Wednesday, April 29, 2009 Chambord Chateau and Chartres Cathedral

The rain had stopped by the time we left Cheverny and we enjoyed driving the countryside roads as we searched for the largest of the Chateaux: Chambord. Located in the center of a forest it is massive in size. Mary’s foot was bothering her so she asked to forgo the visit of four hundred fifty rooms. We took lots of outside photos and then back to the other side of the forest as we searched for the A10 Autoroute for a fast trip around Orleans and north towards Chartres.

Along the road we stopped to take a photo of Mary standing in the yellow fields that we’ve seen ever since Dijon. At that time we thought that it was mustard. Lately we’ve decided it must be something else and we’ve been asking around. Finally today, while we were walking in the rain around the Chartres Cathedral, a lady finally told us. It is called Rape Seed and they make a vegetable oil for cooking from it.

We also stopped for a photo of a very ancient windmill in the center of a field. Then as we entered Chartres we saw the steeples of the Cathedral and our hotel. We went into town confident about the location of our hotel and enjoyed visiting the Cathedral that is know around the world for the shade of blue in their stained glass windows.

Again, restoration work on the outside and inside was extensive. The entire choir of the main alter was hidden behind canvas. But there were still many things to see and enjoy in this wonderful old church that was originally built in 1194 and housed the much-venerated veil of Mary. Today it is considered one of Europe’s best examples of pure Gothic.

We enjoyed our visit even though we had to walk in the rain from the parking structure. Heading back to the hotel on the edge of town we got a bit turned around but managed to arrive safely before three o’clock. Another day completed as we near the end of our journey.

LOIRE VALLEY: CHATEAU de CHEVERNY

Wednesday, April 29, 2009 Chateau de Cheverny

We enjoyed our night in a “real” hotel with an in suite bathroom, tiny but in our room. Best of all was the BBC on the television. But, we listened to the rain all night long and sure enough it was still raining this morning as we left on our day’s journey.

Arrived in the small village of Cheverny and easily located the Chateau that was scheduled to open about fifteen minutes after our arrival. This is another of the small but beautifully appointed Chateaux in the Loire Valley.

The Chateau de Cheverny was built in the seventeenth century by the Hurault family and is still owned by the Hurault de Vibraye family, descendants of the original builders. Each succeeding generation has enhanced, maintained and preserved the beauty and character, guided by their personal taste and that of the period. The private apartments on display were lived in until 1985; the family reserves the third floor for personal use and it is closed to the public. There are many family photos, both very old and current that are displayed in the public rooms that we toured. The large glass stag’s head in the slideshow is a contemporary design in Baccarat crystal.

The single story building behind the Chateau is known as the Orangery and may be reserved for conferences and receptions. During WW II, this building was used to house part of the treasurers of the State, including the Mona Lisa painting from the Louvre
Museum in Paris.

LOIRE VALLEY: CHATEAU ROYAL D'AMBOISE

Tuesday, April 28, 2009 Chateau Royal D’Amboise

A short drive away from the Chateau du Clos Luce we visited the Chateau Royal D’Amboise; the home of many Kings of France; built in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. This Chateau actually had a tunnel that connected to the Clos Luce, allowing the King to easily visit with Leonardo da Vinci.

The chapel is reported to be the grave of Leonardo da Vinci but rumors float that no one is absolutely sure. But it is a beautiful chapel built on one corner of the ramparts that surround the Chateau. Lots of steps and ramps to climb; beautifully furnished rooms from the nineteenth century and gardens full of beautiful flowers surround well manicured lawns. We’ve decided that one of the best things about this time of the year is all of the flowering trees that add so much color to the landscape.

LOIRE VALLEY: CHATEAU du CLOS LUCE

Tuesday, April 28, 2009 Chateau du Clos Luce

Our second adventure today was in the city of Amboise located on the River Loire. The sun was shining when we arrived contrary to weather reports. We visited the home where Leonardo da Vinci spent the last years of his life having left Rome with several of his favorite paintings, including the Mona Lisa. He was offered the position of engineer, architect, and painter to the French King who enjoyed his intellectual company in the early sixteenth century.

The house and grounds display a vast exhibit of the many designs by Leonardo with both drawings and models; he was prolific in his advanced thinking and interestingly wrote in mirror image. There were many groups of school children in this museum, all working on projects in various rooms with their teachers. Although he died more than five hundred years ago, he is credited with inspiring the technology behind many of the developments of the modern age such as helicopters and airplanes; as well as many different types of guns and other means of defense.

LOIRE VALLEY: CHEATEUX de CHENONCEAUX

Tuesday, April 28, 2009 Chateaux de Chenonceaux

Yesterday we arrived at the hotel just as the rain began before three in the afternoon. It rained all night long; we were concerned about our plans for today as the weather reports were predicting a full day of rain. But, by eight o’clock this morning the rain had stopped, the sky was still full of dark clouds; but other than light sprinkles it was great!

Based on yesterday’s experience we got on the autoroute immediately and paid the toll to take us to our first destination: the Chateaux de Chenonceaux, my favorite of all of the Loire Valley Chateaus. One of the unique things about this particular site is the fact that everyone has the opportunity to walk through the forest before viewing the Chateau that is built in the river, as the parking is about a fifteen minute walk to the actual chateau. Once you leave the forest there are beautiful gardens surrounding the front entry that leads over a draw bridge into the Chateau.

Built in the sixteenth century on The Cher River, it is known as “the chateau of the ladies” because of the many different Royal Women who lived and loved in this beautiful edifice. The most famous were Diane de Poitiers, the Mistress of Henry II and Catherine de Medicis, the wife of Henry II and the mother of future kings. During WW I it served as a hospital and during WW II it served as a passage between the German held France and the Vichy free France; each having access to one side of the structure.

The rooms are all staged with furniture dating from the sixteenth century and throughout the Chateau there are unusual floral arrangements that keep me astounded with the variety each time I visit. If I only had the opportunity to visit one Chateau, this would definitely be the one! Small, unique and very beautiful with a captivating history about women!

LOIRE VALLEY CHATEAU de VILLANDRY

Monday, April 27, 2009 Afternoon at Le Chateau de Villandry

Our drive over to our second Chateau was much shorter; we followed directions back to the toll road and easily found our destination just down the road. Arrived there just after eleven o’clock and although there were many more tourists it still wasn’t very crowded. But, the rain had finally come so we did our tour in our poncho raincoats.

The best thing about this Chateau is the gardens. Actually the full name of the site is “Le Chateau de Villandry et ses Jardins”. Some tour books even say to pass on the building and only do the gardens but we did both and were glad that we had.

The rain was very light and we were able to do almost the entire garden area before heading into the Chateau. Then, we had the added enjoyment of seeing the views of the gardens from each of the rooms. Again, there were many fresh floral arrangements, even more than at Langeais, and a more nineteenth century décor inside. The gardens and the restoration of the inside of the home were the work of Dr. Joachim Carvallo, after he and his wife, an American heiress, purchased Villandry in 1906. It was originally built about 1536 and was the last of the large Chateaux built on the banks of the Loire during the Renaissance. There were many photos of their family in the home and it looked “lived in” as opposed to a museum. You will even see a photo of the stage for the children’s puppet show.

We even climbed all the way to the top of the tower for a view of the gardens and surrounding village from the top before heading down and out to find our new lodging for the night.

We arrived at our Formule One north of Tours about two in the afternoon; just before the rain started in earnest. A quick run to the local supermarket has us stocked for meals for the next three days! And, we’ve got free wi-fi tonight! Hope you’ve enjoyed the new format I’ve decided to use on the balance of the trip. So much information that I thought I’d give you little snips instead of lump sums! Au Revoir

LOIRE VALLEY CHATEAU de LANGEAIS

Monday, April 27, 2009 Chateau de Langeais

We had a leisurely morning as we didn’t have far to travel to reach our first Chateau on today’s agenda; left the hotel about eight thirty and then the fun began. Remember, we were in a Formule One in an industrial area on the outskirts of Angers so the road out was somewhat of a gray area since we don’t have a detailed map.

We were trying to take the small roads so we bypassed the toll road and headed east. We kept following signs and suddenly we realized that we were headed north instead of east; the skies were full of clouds instead of sunshine! Bottom line, we made a large triangle and ended up traveling an extra fifty miles or so; but, what a wonderful serendipity experience in the French countryside! We finally managed to find a toll road that got us straightened out and moving in the correct direction.

We arrived at Chateau de Langeais about ten fifteen; an hour later than we’d planned to be there. It is located in the center of a small village and has a drawbridge entry. Its claim to fame is that this was the place that King Charles VIII was married to the fourteen year old Princess Anne de Bretagne. Each of the rooms was beautifully staged with fresh floral arrangements, many tapestries, many pieces of period furniture and mannequins in the room with the marriage scene recreated. Mary enjoyed touring at her own pace with a descriptive card in English in every room as we entered. Not a huge Chateau but very charming and easy to tour in an hour.

LOIRE VALLEY CHATEAU d'ANGERS

Sunday, April 26, 2009 Angers & The Tapestry

We decided to get an early start this morning since we were not quite sure how long it would take us to drive from Dinard to Angers. We left under overcast skies just before eight o’clock and about half an hour later the sun was out and as we were leaving the Brittany area we received an Irish Blessing in the form of a beautiful rainbow in the western sky.

We pulled into the city of Angers at ten thirty, about two and a half hours for the one hundred fifty mile trip. The roads were dry and well marked, a combination of four lane divided and two lane country roads. We had a four lane divided highway for the first fifty miles to Rennes; then the type of road continued to change back and forth for the next one hundred miles. The changes were general heralded by a round-de-round and a series of bumps on the road to remind us that a change was coming!

The best news was that we were traveling on a Sunday morning and traffic was almost non-existent. When we entered Angers we immediately spotted the Chateau just after we passed the off ramp. I took the next one and then proceeded to head in the direction of the Chateau. The roads led us right into the narrow medieval streets that surround the Chateau and Mary was rather upset with my choices. But, we managed to keep going until I pulled out right across from the Chateau and we were able to park on the street at the entry.

The Chateau d’Angers is very distinctive with its security wall of barrel shaped towers located very close together all around the wall that is surrounded by a mote. Originally built in the ninth century as the Fortress of Saint Louis, the towers had beautiful pointed roofs but they were leveled in the sixteenth century and remain flat topped towers connected with a wall that surround the ruins of the beautiful Chateau and royal gardens used by the Anjou dynasties from the ninth to the twelfth centuries.

Our main reason for visiting Angers was to see the Apocalypse tapestry that is displayed in a specially constructed building within the Fortress with very low light to preserve the delicate material. It was commissioned in 1375 by Louis I, Duke of Anjou. It is exceptional in size being one thousand meters long and four and half meters high. There are seventy scenes surviving today. The tapestry depicts the last book of the Bible, written by Saint John at the end of the first century. It is the oldest surviving tapestry of this size.

We enjoyed watching a large tethered owl on the lawn and then discovered that Mary had lost her hat! Went back through the entire complex and no hat could be found. But as we were leaving they notified us that someone had found the hat and it was waiting for us at the front desk! Another happy ending.

ST. MALO

Saturday, April 25, 2009 Saint Malo, Dinard & St. Enogat

Out the door before nine am for the short drive over to Saint Malo. We got a bit turned around at first because the signs to the Centre Ville suddenly were gone. Stopped and checked Rick Steves and the sign in this particular city is “Intra Muros”….not sure why but it worked and we were soon at the Ancient City Center. Parked and walked in through the gateway under the ramparts. I thought it was brisk but Mary said it was “very cold”. She had two jackets with both hoods up, a scarf and her gloves. I was dressed lightly in my windbreaker and no socks with my sandals but loved the brisk wind in my hair as we walked around the ramparts from the port to the chateau. The tide was in and actually splashing over the wall along the port at the beginning. We could barely see the outline of the swimming pool wall near the center of the ramparts above the port. By the time we reached the far side the tide was beginning to recede and people were starting to walk out onto the tidal basin to reach the off shore fort that only moments before had been surrounded by water.

Walked to the center of the city to visit the Cathedral of St. Vincent; over the centuries it has had its problems but WW II was very difficult for the structure. Eighty percent of St. Malo was damaged during the invasion in 1944. There were photos of the damage and the church was basically a shell with partial walls, partial towers and not much else left. It’s amazing to realize the restoration process that has been done over the past sixty years. This church is dedicated to sailors and explorers, two of the people buried here in this cathedral are Jacques Cartier and Duguay-Trouin.

Our three hour exploration was over too soon but we were ready to return to Dinard. We will go over to St. Enogat for Mass at six this evening and possibly stop by to check the tide levels while we are out. . The sun was shinning brightly for our morning excursion, coming home we noticed some dark clouds and now two hours later it is raining. Nice to be home and watching the rain out of our window!

Our evening trip was under sunny skies with fabulous clouds. Arrived in St. Enogat early and took the extra time to explore the beach area in this little “Newport Beach” of Dinard. Beautiful old stone vintage homes, several of which had signs on the gates indicating that they may be rented for a week at a time.

The church was beautiful and we enjoyed the Mass even though many people were coughing and sneezing all around us. But, all in all, it was a nice way to end the week.

Tomorrow morning we head south to the Lorie Valley and a week of visiting the Chateaus along the Lorie River before our final days in Paris.

LE MONT SAINT MICHEL & DINAN

Thursday, April 23, 2009 traveling west to Le Mont Saint Michel

This morning we took the autoroute west out of Caen, but unlike the rest of France, there are no tolls to be paid for using the autoroutes in Brittany. A little benefit in the Brittany area of France (the north west corner); a right given to this area for “free roads” was gained in 1491 when the French King Charles VIII forced the fourteen year old Duchess Anne to marry him. This union made Brittany a part of France and the Queen compensated her subjects with a few special bonuses!

After we passed Avranches we veered off the highway unto the country roads…and I’m talking country…one of those roads where you have to pull over when passing an oncoming vehicle! Fortunately the traffic was nearly non existence and we had the road pretty much to ourselves.

Located not far from the renowned Le Mont Saint Michel, near the tiny village of Huisnes-sur-Mer; the German War Graves Commission commenced work in 1956 to bring the fallen German soldiers together from small plots throughout Normandy into six cemeteries. This one is designed as a circular crypt with two layers that house the remains of nearly twelve thousand German soldiers. At the end of the second level there is a viewing area of Le Mont Saint Michel in the distance. There is a photo in the slideshow that is hazy but taken from the German Cemetery.

Back on the country road to look for the American Cemetery but without any luck and suddenly we were at the causeway leading towards Le Mont Saint Michel. The sun is shining and we enjoyed the view all along the route that connects the mainland with the “island”. Today the tide was extremely low and people were enjoying the opportunity to walk far and wide on the marshy sand for unusual views of St. Michel.

We were able to park very near the entrance to the village at the base of the Abbey; this was great as I had secretly planned to get Mary to walk all the way up and actually tour the Abbey at the top! Many, many steps later, she was so glad I hadn’t told her just how many steps, we walked into the Chapel of the Abbey during our tour and found that Mass had just begun. Of course, we stayed for the whole Mass and it was a chilling experience in more ways than one. I was probably the only one there without a jacket and it was very cool in the old stone building. But, with four monks and half a dozen nuns, the music made the chills worthwhile! The Mass was definitely an unexpected added experience.

We decided to stop at one of the little Crepiere Shops and purchased a ham and cheese crepe to eat for a late lunch as we continued our walk back to the car. We were long gone before the tide came in but we did so enjoyed our three hour adventure at Le Mont Saint Michel!

Back on the highway; the big two lane one with restricted entrance made the next fifty miles fly as we headed towards our Formule One Hotel between Dinard and Saint Malo. The hotel is very nice and only a block from the supermarket so we’re set for the next three nights. And so ends another day that began in Normandy and ended in Brittany.

Friday, April 24, 2009 Dinan and English Channel Mudflats

Sun was out early when we awoke about eight; it’s amazing how late the sun is out in the evening, at nine o’clock last night it was still daylight. But then I remember when I was here in 2004 in July, it didn’t get dark until nearly midnight! Something about the northern equinox I think.

Around nine we headed out to the main highway towards Dinan; a city that is caught in the middle ages. Since there was little or no damage to it during the war, you know that what you are seeing is original! The town dates back to medieval times in the ninth century give or take a century. There is a city wall complete with ramparts connecting the different towers that divide the old town with the port town. The old town inside of the ramparts was always safe but the port town was the victim of many invasions over the centuries.

There is a long, narrow and very steep street that connects the two parts of town; dangerous to walk when raining and treacherous for old ladies who tend to trip on the cobblestones. So locked arm in arm, we slowly descended all the way to the port from the old town above. With one photo opportunity after another it was easy to go slowly and then Mary spotted a B&B that looked perfect for her plan to exchange novels as we’d finished reading both of our books; I didn’t think she’d find someone exchange books.

Well…at the very first stop they were very happy to help us once she understood what we wanted to do. Mary again, with no French language skills, had managed to convey what we wanted. We walked away with photos, new novels to read; she actually gave us three for two, and a promise to put her B&B on our blogspot for being so nice. It was at the Le Logis du Jerzual, her email is ronsseray@wanadoo.fr and their site is: www.logis-du-jerzual.com . Highly recommend them if you’re ever in the area.

Soon we were at the Port on the river and stopped to enjoy a cup of coffee before we elected to walk along the river from the port until we reached a switch back trail that took us up to a road from where we walked back into the old town at the top. After visiting the Church of St. Sauveur, dated back to the year 1000 or so, we found our car and headed back towards Dinard and our hotel.

Along the way we decided to head towards the English Channel and see what we could see. What we did see were vast mud flats as the tide was out, many small villages, and passed many tractors going between their fields. Brittany is known for the influence of their Irish heritage; Mary commented that all we needed to see was a thatched roof to feel like we were in Ireland. You guessed it; we saw two houses with thatched roofs before we arrived back in Dinard.

In Dinard we also stopped along a beach, the sun was shining brightly; the tide was still out so the water was at least six blocks away from the beach with many boats sitting on the mud flats in between Dinard and St.Malo across the bay. And, on the beach a bikini! There were about a few people taking advantage of the warm weather for some sun bathing on the sand. We came back to the same beach about three hours later and the water was lapping the sandy beach and dozen of people were enjoying the sun. The tide had come in and filled the bay!

In our photos today we’ve included a sign about the “round-de-rounds”…very few stop signs as they use round circles at almost all of the intersections. Just go around until you find the directional sign you need; it’s ok to go round more than once! But, no right turns on the red lights. Also, because of the small cars every stoplight has a miniature light low on the pole so that you can see them from your car. Also, crosswalks are not at the corner but about six feet from the corner; actually much safer for both the car and the pedestrian. Probably more information than you need!

NORMANDY COAST

Monday, April 20, 2009 Normandy Coast to Caen by way of Lisieux

Today we decided to take the scenic route to Caen but with fog we won’t see much of the countryside. We arrived at our first destination about ten o’clock. We’d decided to stop at the town of Lisieux, located about half way to Caen. We’d read on the internet about St. Therese of Lisieux and that they have created a Sanctuary for her similar to those at Fatima and Lourdes. Our first stop was at the Cathedral of St. Peter’s where St. Therese worshiped as a child and was known as Therese Martin. She was born in 1873 and joined the Carmelite Order when she was only fifteen years old. She died at the early age of twenty four in 1897 and was proclaimed a saint in 1925 by Pope Pius XI. She was known as Sister Therese of the Child Jesus and of the Holy Face as a Carmelite Nun. She is also known as Sainte-Therese De Lisieux.

St. Peter’s was a very large and beautiful Cathedral of Norman gothic style built in the end of the twelfth century; it was very interesting to visit and see all of the detailed information on Sainte Theresa’s years as a parishioner. We drove to the house where the Martin family lived in the late nineteenth century when Therese was a child. The Carmelite Nuns conduct tours of the house for the public; an audio tape plays in your language as they guide you through the house.

From there we drove to the Sanctuary where there is a huge Basilica that was built above the city in 1929. Its walls and those of the Crypt are covered with mosaics that illustrate the message of Saint Therese. Not as large as Lourdes but definitely very impressive.

Three hours later, the fog had lifted somewhat and we were back on the three lane road headed towards Caen; about an hours drive north west of Lisieux. Had intended to find the road that circles the city and use that to get to the northern edge where we wanted to go; no such luck…we ended up driving straight through the center of town. We found signs that said “Le Memorial”…assuming that this was the WW II Memorial Museum we followed the signs. Our hotel instructions had said to take Exit 7 from the Ring Road and those were the same instructions for the Memorial so we easily found our hotel once we found the Memorial. Checked in and then headed over to the Museum.

Built in 1988, Le Memorial de Caen is probably the best WW II Museum in France. We spent a couple of hours there and plan to return tomorrow for a few more hour tomorrow as our tickets are good for twenty four hours. It’s been a good day full of new things and several serendipity driving experiences that we could not repeat if we had to! But we always managed to find our destinations in plenty of time and that what really matters in the end.

Tuesday, April 21, 2009 Bayeux Tapestry and Omaha Beach

We enjoyed a leisurely breakfast in our room and then headed over to the WW II Museum nearby so that we arrived there for the opening at nine o’clock. We spent an hour finishing up the Museum portion and then watched the movie about the D-Day Invasion that lasted nearly an hour. It was a split screen with the Allied Forces on the left side and the Germans on the right as each prepared for battle and then the actual fighting. It was difficult to watch both at the same time but a fascinating way to show both sides of a story.

It was nearly eleven o’clock by the time we headed out of town towards the Bayeux. The sun was out early this morning and we enjoyed the bright sunshine as we drove along the two lane highway for the short trip of about thirty miles. As we approached we could see the tall spires of the Cathedral of Bayeux miles before we arrived.

Bayeux is only six miles from the D-Day beaches and was the first town liberated after the landing. Because the Allied Forces had been informed ahead of the invasion that there were no Germans occupying the town and it was not of strategic importance; the town was spared the bombs and survived intact.

The Bayeux Tapestry is made of wool embroidered onto linen cloth; a seventy yard cartoon that tells the story of William the Conqueror’s rise from duke of Normandy to King of England. Long and skinny, it was designed to hang in the nave of Bayeux’s Cathedral about 1070 to tell the story to the masses who could not read or write. Once each year it was hung in the Cathedral for a short period of time. It has survived fires in the Cathedral, many wars, and other misuse over the centuries. Today’s enemies are light and dust but they work hard at making sure this historical work of art survives for the enjoyment of future generations. Drifted through the gift shop and headed to the Cathedral.

We’ve seen some large cathedrals over the past few months but this seems to be one of the biggest ever! The matching tall Gothic spires cap two towers and setting on top of the roof of the church below the towers is a small building that was built as a home for the caretaker of the eleventh century cathedral. There is a small crypt under the main altar that we were allowed to enter.

By two thirty we were back on the road again and continued west towards the WW II beach of Omaha and the American Cemetery. Both are awesome in their simple beauty and history. The cemetery sits on the bluffs above Omaha Beach and has continued to change over the years. Today we visited a new Visitor Center that was completed in the past few years and is devoted to honoring the values and sacrifices of the World War II generation of Americans. A section honored families who had lost multiple members. One family shown was the family that the movie “Saving Private Ryan” was based on.

From the Visitor Center we walked out to view the beach and then over to the original Memorial featuring a twenty two foot statue of “The Spirit of American Youth Rising from the Waves”. In front there is a water feature and at the far end the chapel. In between are the hundreds of grave markers of fallen soldiers. Some were prior to the invasion date from airplanes that’d been shot down; most were from the actual invasion and subsequent fight that continued for months and resulted in the ultimate end of the war in Europe.

We then ventured back behind the memorial to the new “Garden of the Missing”. The walls are lined with engraved tablets with lists of the missing in action; they are still carving the final names on these tablets as we watched one lone man with a hammer and chisel slowing chipping away to complete the project

It was a somber drive back towards Caen. We made one final stop at the village of Longues-sur-Mer to see the four German bunkers with guns intact that still stand today on the bluff between Omaha and Gold Beaches. They formed a critical line in Hitler’s Atlantic Wall defense. Parking along the road we walked out to see the bunkers and then further out to visit the bluff where the observation bunker was built. The guns could accurately hit targets up to thirteen miles away. We arrived back in Caen before five pm and called it a day! Tomorrow is a full day off; we’re taking a rest and relax day in the hotel; probably our last one for the trip. On Thursday we head further west along the Normandy Coast.

REIMS CATHEDRAL AND GIVERNY'S GARDENS

Friday, April 17, 2009 On the road again….

We packed the car and hit the road before nine o’clock. The skies are overcast but the sun kept peeking out from among the clouds. We decided to drive the country roads today instead of the autoroute; saves money and it’s also much prettier. Driving north from Beaune to Dijon through the vineyards and then after we passed through Dijon we drove through field after field of mustard; some still green but many of them already sprouting yellow on their tops. This is a winding two lane road with little ups and downs and many small villages. Plus only light traffic!

Spotted a village that was so quaint looking we had to explore so turned off highway 974 onto D105 at the village of Gemeaux. There are some photos in the slideshow of this very small and beautiful ancient village. The chateau of the town looks like it has a new owner; the roof has been replaced and scaffolding is all around the outside as they pour “beaucoup” bucks into restoration. Several of the houses in the village had roofs that were collapsing over part of the building; but overall the village appears to be alive and well in the twenty-first century.

We arrived at Langres, a walled and fortified ancient village on top of a hill; probably built to protect the French from the Germans. We didn’t stop to investigate this one as our destination was getting close. Soon we arrived in Chaumont, a large city about half way to Reims, our destination tomorrow; this afternoon we’ll spent time together in our hotel. Tomorrow will be a busy afternoon after we arrive in Reims.

Saturday, April 18, 2009 Reims Cathedral

On the road just after seven o’clock we headed for the autoroute under very cloudy skies; soon it was raining and foggy but we continued north staying out of the fast inside lanes as much as possible. We saw a sign that said “accident ahead” just as we had two police cars pass us as though we were standing still! We were doing about one hundred so they must have been at one hundred fifty kilometers. From that point on each of the roadside emergency telephone post that were placed about every kilometer were flashing a yellow light. After we finally passed the fender bender of an accident they were no longer flashing. Their emergency system is very hi-tech we decided.

Stopped for gasoline; a gallon is equal to about four liters; the gasoline was 1.279 euros per liter making it very close to six dollars a gallon for gas. Glad that we’re driving a very small economic car on this trip.

Coming into Reims the sun came out briefly and we thought that we were finished with the rain. We ended up going into the center of the city quite by accident while looking for our Hotel. For some reason, I’ve been really turned around ever since we arrived; must be the lack of a steady sun for orientation. We discovered the Roman Arch and the WW II monuments before we could find our way out of the massive construction going on to create a more tourist friendly city of walking areas without traffic. After many wrong turns we finally found the Formule One Hotel for our night outside of Reims in the town of Tinqueux; a bedroom community for Reims.

We rested for a while and then headed back into Reims and actually found the Cathedral rather easily and parked on the street about four blocks up; giving us a wonderful stroll down the boulevard with the view of the Cathedral all the way there. We spent over an hour in the Cathedral; entranced by the stained glass windows and massive architecture. Originally begun in 1211, this Gothic masterpiece has been damaged by wars and now by the environment and has been repaired and/or rebuilt several times over the centuries. It has served as the place for the coronation of twenty five French Kings; Joan of Arc led Charles VII to be crowned here in 1429. During WW I it was severely damaged by bombs and John D. Rockefeller financed the rebuilding just in time for the start of WW II.

Today they are still working on replacing the many stained glass windows that have been broken over the centuries. One set was replaced by the Champagne Industry of the region and tells their story with scenes about the industry. Another set was replaced in 1974 with biblical scenes painted by the artist Marc Chagall; each faithfully recreated by a master glass maker. Chagall had carefully recreated all the old colors found in the original ancient glass windows; many of which still survive today thanks to people who removed and stored them during the wars.

We walked outside and found that the light rain had returned; put on our rain ponchos and enjoyed our stroll back down the boulevard to our car. We were sure that going back to the hotel would be a breeze! Oh how wrong we were! One way streets did us in and soon we were totally lost again. We’re not sure how but after about twenty minutes we were somehow back on the autoroute and headed towards Tinqueux!

Once there we were ok; headed for the large shopping Mall located about five blocks from our hotel. There we purchased a bottle of wine and another new map to help us navigate our way around Paris tomorrow as we head north for Giverny to see the home of the artist Claude Monet. We’ll be staying in nearby Vernon at another Formule One. . I must say that we’ve really enjoyed our stays at Formule One; the rooms are extremely clean, the beds are good, the linens are white and ironed; and although the showers and toilettes are down the hall they are also very clean. Overall, they are a really good value for the money.

The one thing that we missed most today were the flowers; as we’ve come north we’ve noticed that the towns have not begun to plant the multitude of flowers that are generally everywhere in the European cities in the summer. I hope that by the time we reach the Loire Valley they will have planted the flower beds for us to enjoy before we head home in May.

Sunday, April 19, 2009 Claude Monet’s home in Giverny

We were on the road just after seven this morning under cloudy skies but dry roads and only a light fog. We popped on to Autoroute 4 in the direction of Paris. Today the road tolls were paid in advance a little at a time in increments of less than four euros each. We entered from the east headed southwest as the Autoroute emptied directly into the Ring Road known as the “Peripherique” that goes all the way around the city of Paris. We’d planned well: it’s early Sunday morning and the route was, according to the electric road condition signs: “a French word that I knew meant fluid” meaning that traffic was moving and there were no accidents! Whoppie! I know that Mary was clinging to the door and holding her breath for most of the time until we saw the signs for Autoroute 13 that was our destination and would take us away from Paris. By nine o’clock we’d made our way out of the city and stomach muscles unclenched as we continued northwest towards Giverny, our destination for today. I’ve truly gained a whole new perspective of my husband Jim and his years of driving in the cities of Europe on our trips.

We arrived in Vernon, a larger town near Giverny and headed towards to the banks of the Siene River that flows between Vernon and Giverny. As we entered town and passed by the Chateau de Bizy I notice several old cars parked outside. We pulled a u-turn and came back to take some photos for the husbands. As we entered the parking area we saw a dozen or so Triumph Automobiles parking very uniformly against the wall as thought for a car show. Suddenly we notice that there was a long line of additional ones arriving. We were able to take many photos and cheered them as they entered the parking area before we pulled out as the last ones entered. There had to be nearly fifty of them by the time they’d all parked.

Pulling out we continued into the old part of town near the Siene River as I knew there was a church located near the river and sure enough as soon as we reached the river I started hearing church bells; looked around and there it was; the bells rang for a good ten minutes and we were able to find parking and walk to the church arriving just before the ten o’clock Mass began. It was a high Mass with all the bells and whistles; not quite the Reim’s Cathedral in size but definitely as tall as any Cathedral in France, including Reims.

After Mass we found our new Formule One; registered, emailed the husbands and then drove over to Giverny to visit the home and gardens of the master artist Claude Monet who spent the last forty three years of his life here. One of his most famous paintings: the Water lilies that line the walls of the L’Orangerie Musee in Paris are based on his lily ponds on the grounds of this estate.

We had so many beautiful flowers it was hard to decide what to take photos of. The gardens opened on April 1st and they have been very busy planting their living artwork for the tourist. Do hope that you enjoy the photos that we put on the slideshow on the blogspot for you.

One final stop as the sun was out but clouds are on the horizon; the church and graveyard that is the final resting place of Monet and his family. Tonight I’d sent this journal out as we prepare for our trip tomorrow to Caen and the Normandy Coast. Au revoir…

BEAUNE FRANCE

Tuesday, April 14, 2009 Beaune France

We stayed at the Hostel yesterday until after five o’clock and then pulled our luggage the few blocks to Termini Train Station for our overnight train to France. We’d decided to go with the four person couchette, we were guaranteed the bottom bunks and that the cabin was reserved for only women. Two young girls joined us; the first one in Rome was Italian and now living in Paris, the other got on in Florence and she was French and returning home. Our train was scheduled to go all the way to Bercy Station in Paris but our journey ended in Dijon.

In the couchette coaches, you have a porter who collects the tickets and passports when you get on the train; at the French boarder they don’t have to wake you up for customs. We left Rome just before seven pm and arrived in Florence about ten o’clock. There we picked up our fourth person and then we made our beds and everyone went to sleep right away. We actually made up the middle bunks as they had a bit more head room between the bunks. The porter woke us up about six am and by seven o’clock we were at the station in Dijon France.

We had to wait until eight am for the car rental place to open and although we were originally scheduled for ten o’clock they processed our paperwork and soon we were on the road headed south towards our Formule One Hotel just south of Beaune. We have a two door Ford, manual transmission, with a small trunk just big enough for our two suitcases. We decided to take the local roads instead of the autoroute and enjoyed going around the tall tractors that were moving from one vineyard to another as Vintors are very busy in their fields right now with springtime upon us.

Arrived in Beaune before noon and skirted through the edge of town and on to the south to locate our hotel. We dropped our luggage, got back into the car and headed into the center of Beaune where we parked on the street (free!!!!) and walked a few blocks to the center where we toured the Hospices de Beaune, now the Musee de L’Hotel-Dieu. The original building dates back to the fifteenth century and was actually used as a hospital until 1971. Today it is a Museum and has been staged for visitors as it was originally. The mannequins of nuns added some realism to the displays and many of the original Altar pieces and other works of art are still on display as well as many of the medieval medical instruments. Note the word “hospice” in the name; it was a place for people to die, especially the very poor.

Walking back to the car we saw Jim’s favorite French Restaurant here in Beaune, very tiny and only French spoken. We also saw the hotel where Jim and I stayed twice on trips. Back to the hotel, good practice as we only got turned around once this time; we turned on our computers and found out that there is a wi-fi service available but we have to pay for it by the hour. It’s not connected to the hotel but a service throughout France called “Orange” and we will be able to use it many different places. But, it’s not free…it’s four and half euros per hour; so we’ll be rather cautions on how and when we use it.

We each signed up for an hour and then realized we couldn’t get the passwords without some access. So, back into Beaune we went and at the Visitors Center we were able to sign on to the Internet and get into our gmail accounts where we found the codes. Now we’re back at the hotel and happy campers; expensive but we’re definitely hooked on the Internet and especially wi-fi service.

Wednesday, April 15, 2009 Exploring Burgundy

We left about nine thirty and headed south from Beaune on the route towards Autun that winds through the “Route des Grands Crus”. Workers were in nearly all of the vineyards making repairs and pruning the vines within the stone walls that mark the boundaries of each field. There were occasional villages that were full of ancient stone buildings where they live and have their caves for the precious wines. A village that the wine connoisseurs might recognize was Pommard.

Our destination was the Chateau de la Roche Pot in the village of La Rochepot. Originally build in the fifteenth century by the Pot brothers, very famous in France; it was destroyed like most other castles after the French Revolution. In the late nineteenth century Madam Carnot purchased the property for her son and he spent the next twenty five years restoring it to its original fifteenth century condition. One exception was the kitchen that was updated to nineteenth century amenities because his family lived in the finished castle. The well in the courtyard has an emergency escape route about twenty five feet down that goes into some of the limestone caves that run throughout the region and are used for caves to age and store the wine because of their constant temperatures. This particular castle was built on top of a rock with a drawbridge entry; they never lost a battle to the enemy according to history; but just in case they had their escape route by way of the well.

This very Burgundian castle rises above the trees and is easily seen from the village. Many of the turrets and roofs are of the multicolored glazed tiles that are so prevalent in Burgundy. Tiny but a treasure to visit; the tour of the chateau was in French but we were given an English translation to read as we walked from room to room as a group.

We spent the afternoon in Beaune where we enjoyed the Wednesday Market and shops in the Center. We walked the village finding many Artist Studios, as well as the Cathedral of Notre Dame of Beaune. It is a beautiful church and the altar was still decorated with flowers for Easter. Another surprise for us is the multitude of flowers that have been freshly planted throughout the towns. We hadn’t expected it to be so warm here or finding all of the flowers. We’ve truly experience spring at its best as we’ve traveled from the southern part of Europe northward. The trees are in bloom and the ends of the gnarled vines have begun to show green sprouts; life begins again!

At two thirty the Petit Train began its route and so we signed up for the forty five minute trip. Mostly around the town but with English explanations, we saw a few new things and also spent about five minutes in a vineyard near the edge of town. We enjoyed the ride and also the company of a very nice American couple sitting behind us from Texas. They are on a whirlwind two week tour and envied our three month leisurely tour that we are enjoying.

Soon we were back at the hotel and another day has come to a close. Tomorrow is another challenge.

Thursday, April 16, 2009 The Lady A on a rainy day

Woke up to overcast skies but decided to go on our serendipity trip anyway. Mary had agreed to drive about forty miles east with me to see the hotel on a barge called the “Lady A”. We’d stayed on this boat for three nights back in 2000 along with Bonnie and Terry; now old friends of ours and also my sister Mary and her husband. They live part of the year in St. Petersburg Florida, so we’ve seen them while visiting my sisters in Florida as well as at their home in the north over the past ten years.

We got on the A6 and headed east towards Paris. The rain started coming down shortly after we left and continued most of the day. But we did get to see the Lady A and also drove though the hilltop town that surrounds the Chateau Chateauneuf that sits above the nearby Burgundy Canal. We had a bit of a jaunt when we got on the wrong roads a few times but managed to get ourselves turned around and headed back to Beaune, arriving back at the Hostel before noon.

Our intention had been to go straight to the Laundromat but decided to wait to see if the rain lets up before going there this afternoon.

Tomorrow we head north to Chaumont for one night and then to Reims.

EASTER SUNDAY IN ROME

Saturday, Sunday & Monday….April 11th, 12th, 13th, 2009

An overview of the slideshow:
St. Peter’s Saturday afternoon as they prepared for Sunday Morning
Photos as we waited for 3 hours to enter for the Easter Vigil Mass in St. Peter’s
Darkness inside of St. Peter’s Basilica …
Priests as they began the lighting of the Fire in the vestibule of St. Peter’s
View from darkness of St. Peter’s into the Vestibule
Our seats for Easter Vigil Mass; started at 9 pm…over 3 hours long
View of inside St. Peter’s after lights were turned on at the Gloria
View of large TV screen outside for those that had tickets but no seats
Our 8 am Easter morning Mass at church in the Baths of Diocletian near our Hostel
Lunch with Mary Frances, her friends and Father Jim
Monday morning at daybreak at St. Peter’s for private Mass
Mary reading during Mass in Pope’s tomb under St. Peter’s Main Altar
Group Photo
St. Veronica holding veil with stain of Jesus’ face above entrance to tombs
Pieta

Saturday evening about six pm we got on the bus headed for Vatican City and our special opportunity to attend the Easter Vigil Mass inside of St. Peter’s Basilica. We arrived and found that the line was already across the front of the colonnades but fortunately daughter Mary Frances had arrived earlier and we were just in front of the obelisk in the center of the square. We enjoyed the company of several nuns and priests that Mary had met in line as we waited for several hours to enter. We were one of the fortunate ones as the line was twice as long when we started to enter and we were one of the last ones to obtain seats inside of St. Peters. The rest who had tickets but no seats inside were seated outside and watched the Mass on large television screens in the square.

We had to leave just before eleven pm in order to catch the bus back to our hostel but the whole experience was extremely moving. Close your eyes and imagine that you are in St. Peter’s in total darkness with the Pope chanting his Latin litanies. Amazing! Then suddenly as the Gloria is sung … the lights are all turned on at once and it’s brighter than the sun at midday! Hated to leave but knew it would be a very expensive and late taxi ride otherwise.

Sunday morning we were awake early and walked to several different churches near our hostel before finding an eight o’clock Easter morning Mass. It was nice to quietly sit and appreciate a simple Mass without distractions.

We then headed towards the bus and St. Peter’s Basilica; without entry tickets we were really not too sure what we could do but wanted to be there for the Pope’s noon blessing at the end of the outdoor Mass in the square. When we arrived we asked if we could enter the square without tickets and a very nice policewoman gave us two tickets to enter. By this time there were no seats left but we were in the square and by using cell phones actually found my daughter and her friends who had tickets for Mass in the square this morning. They’d overslept and didn’t get there early enough to get seats but we all stood together in front of the huge television screen and watched the very powerful scenes of Pope Benedict officiating at the High Mass outside in front of the Basilica. During the homily, Mary spread her raincoat and sat on the stones along with thousands of other people. The square was full and spilled into the wide street leading from Sant’ Angelo to the Vatican.

After the Pope’s blessing from the balcony above the main door of St. Peters; we met Father Jim, a college friend of Mary’s friends who has been studying in Rome for three years, and walked about twenty minutes to a delightful outdoor Italian Restaurant tucked into a small piazza. There he treated the whole group to a truly Italian meal that lasted for several hours.

Monday morning we were up at five thirty and headed for the Vatican for our last Mass in Rome. Father Jim arranged for us to have a private Mass in a small chapel in the tombs of the Popes under the altar of St. Peter’s Basilica. My sister Mary was allowed to read the Responsorial Psalms during the Mass and I told Father Jim afterwards that the rest of our trip will be an “after thought” after this morning’s experience.

We are now in a resting mode as we spend our last day waiting for our overnight train to leave this evening. Tomorrow morning we will wake up in Dijon France. Ciao