Fall Break ~ Bayeux, Normandy, Honfleur, and a Bit of Étretat

Wednesday morning, we set out to see the town of Bayeux.  Up to this point, we had only seen it in the dark when going to dinner.  And, we found it to be a charming town!  We had two things on our agenda: 1. See the Bayeux Tapestry and 2. Visit the gorgeous cathedral we kept seeing from a distance.

The Bayeux Tapestry is in here.  Of course, you can't take pictures.  It is actually a 70 meter embroidered cloth that depicts events leading up to the Norman conquest of England.  You walk along the tapestry listening to an audio guide that explains what is happening in each section of the cloth.  That was the fastest talkin' audio guide I have ever listened too.  I think the kids probably caught about half of it.  So, we bought a book to read at a normal pace.

La Cathédral Notre-Dame de Bayeux
For such a small town, it was a massive cathedral!

Love that red door!

I have a thing for stained glass windows.  Especially stained glass windows with the sun streaming through them.

We wanted to make one more stop at the American Cemetery and Omaha Beach.  It's not that we felt rushed on Monday, we just wanted to spend a little more time there in private and on our own time.  I think Chris and I both felt like we needed more time to take it all in.

We decided to stop into the visitors center to see what it had to offer.  A movie and videos were being shown in the lower level that told the personal stories of soldiers.  Their families were interviewed, pictures of them at home were shown, letters were read, etc.  It would then follow up with how they died in the war.  Oh my word, I was a bit of a disaster.  But, I'm so glad our kids were able to see this.  I really think it made the whole experience more personal and tangible.  Stopping in there was a great decision.

Walking down to Omaha Beach.

A beautiful day on Omaha Beach.   

Yes, I packed USA gear.  I couldn't resist.  They are proud Americans. 

Thomas's sand art
"Vastines love America!!!"

Allison's sand art
"Vastine....Omaha Beach...2013"
Sand art is a tradition on our trips.

Trying to imagine what it must have been like the morning of June 6th.... 

The ceiling of the chapel at the American Cemetery.

We had to grab a shot with a Sherman tank. 

Early in the afternoon, we left the beaches and headed for Honfleur, France.  It was recommended by a number of our expat friends because it is adorable...and that it was.

Very unique cathedral that reminded me of an upside down boat. 

  

It really doesn't get much cuter than that.  

Okay, well, they are pretty cute.

After a couple hours in Honfleur, we continued up to Étretat.

This was his souvenir from Mont-Saint-Michel.  He had NEVER played with Army guys....until our visit to Normandy.  It changed him.... 

The cliffs of Étretat at night.  It was beautiful! 

These two couldn't wait to see the cliffs in the daylight.

We had dinner at Le Galion...a Michelin Star Restaurant.  The food was amazing. 

And, this was heavenly.  A caramel butter sauce over chocolate mousse.   I was so sad to see it end.

One more day on our Fall Break.  Next up Étretat by day!

Until next time,
Wendy