We made it to Bayeux a little after 9am. We went first to see the tapestry, just beating the tour groups. The Bayeux Tapestry is a 70-meter long embroidery sewn in the 1000s just after the Battle of Normandy during which William the Conqueror took over rule of England. The tapestry, which was originally hung in the cathedral, tells the history of that battle. We were given audio guides to listen to as we walked around the tapestry following the story. After seeing it, we went upstairs and watched a movie about it. The movie told how it was made: using ten colors and four stitches. It also ended with a comment about how William conquered England, but his descendents returned hope to help France in her time of need (D-Day).
Bayeux was one of the only towns not directly effected by Germany bombings and the D-Day landings. This is intriguing because it’s basically halfway between Carentan and Caen, both of which were important cities that the Allies struggled to recapture. This means that Bayeux maintains its old buildings and small downtown area free of ruin. We walked around a bit before stopping for some much-needed coffee and a macaroon for Jessica. She got one that was raspberry flavored and had custard, cream and raspberries in the middle. She said it was delicious. Macaroons are a wheat-free dream, except they’re made with almonds, so I can’t eat them.
After our mid-morning snack, we headed to the War Museum where we saw a comprehensive exhibit on the D-Day landings. The big museum is in Caen and would have taken us half a day to see (and cost way too much). This museum gave us a feeling for the events in the area. There was a lot of reading involved, but it was interesting, and there was a section on journalism during the war. In addition, we could see some old guns, tanks, and a jeep, as well as gear (which was behind glass cases). We also watched a movie about the landing. The movie ended with the same sentiment as the other one – the British decedents of William the Conqueror returned home. This is in reference to the British war cemetery which is located in Bayeux.
We left Bayeux and drove to Longes Sur Mer where we visited a German Batterie. The Germans built cement structures to house their huge guns. These cement structures, which without the gun almost look like mini theaters, can be found dotting the coast of Normandy. Longes Sur Mer has four of them and they’re mostly intact. There was also a lookout/command post we could go inside. From it, we got a feeling for what it would have been like to be standing there watching the water as the Allies were attacking. After touring the site, we took the car down the cliff to the beach below and walked around it. The beach was small and this was not one of the five landing beaches. It was also very rocky.
We drove west toward the American Cemetery, which is maintained by an American organization. America owns that piece of land, along with a few other pockets of land in Normandy and all over the world. The cemetery overlooks Omaha Beach. We arrived too late to see the visitors’ center, so we walked towards the gravestones. About 9,000 men are buried there. Their graves are marked by marble crosses and Stars of David. There is a monument at one end, a chapel in the middle and some statues at the far end of the space. The monument has maps showing where the Americans fought and how the battle progressed. Adjacent to it, there is a rose garden where the names of the dead are listed on the walls. We were there as it was closing and “America the Beautiful” was playing as we were walking out. It’s a really peaceful place and it’s also well maintained.
From Istanbul, I had booked us a bed and breakfast to stay in during our tour of Normandy. We had the directions and had located it on the map. We decided to get dinner in St. Lo, one of the larger towns, which had been completely demolished during the battle. When we arrived, the main street was closed because there was a music/street fair going on. We parked and went off in search of food. Most carts were selling sausages (hotdog style – in a bun) and fries. We found a little shop where I bought some brie, a tomato, and some mushrooms. Then Jess got a sausage and we got some fries to split. Brie and fries make a surprisingly good combination. The brie gets a little melted and gooy on top of the warm fries.
After dinner, we had a hard time getting to the B and B because we didn’t know how to get out of St. Lo. Many of the streets were closed and I picked the wrong exit. Luckily Jess is great with a map and could figure out another route to take. We wound up on small back roads which were only wide enough for one car. I whizzed along and eventually we made it to the B and B, which was run by a British couple: June and Colin. They showed us to our room and asked if we needed anything. They were surprised that two young girls just wanted to sleep. We explained our trip and they understood.
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