Bayeux

       I must admit that my mom seemed a little bemused when I told her that when we were in France I really wanted to go to Bayeux and see the Bayeux Tapestry (it's an embroidery, really), but she booked the tickets and made the plans because she's so sweet. I think we were all pleasantly surprised at what a wonderful day it was! Certainly a highlight for me, maybe my favorite thing of this portion along with Stratford.
      The transportation was very smooth unlike when we went to Versailles, and though the train ride was pretty long (about two hours and twenty minutes) it passed peacefully. It rained along the way, and we saw several beautiful rainbows! As we walked into town from the station, one greeted us from over the cathedral itself, which was breathtaking. What a tower!

The clouds look so different in these but it was like a five minute lapse!

       Our first mission was lunch. We had two options, a fancy one and a casual one, and today we opted for the casual one. It ended up being very fun! Daddy and I had pasta dishes and mama had chicken, which we accompanied with a local, hard Normandy cider! It was bright pink and tasted just like kool-aid!
       Then on to the Tapestry (embroidery)! The woman at the museum desk told me I spoke French very well, which made me feel so happy I almost floated off the floor--how generous of her, as my French is struggling at best. But I did get by! They gave us very nice audio guides that told the story of the Norman Conquest as you walked along the Tapestry. It feels endless in how long it is, stretching down the room and around a corner. The colors and pictures are so vivid and alive. I am particularly interested in the margins, so took lots of pictures of them! Once the narration was finished, we went back and studied each segment in more detail.

        There was a little exhibit attached with a reproduction of a viking ship, models, and an explanation of how the embroidery was made, which I really liked. They also had the most wonderful video! I thought I'd post one to go with this entry, though this is not the one we saw the museum. Also there was a great gift shop and I got a poster :)

      After we finished in the exhibit it was a deluge outside! We raced up for sanctuary at the cathedral. Inside it was a typical melange of Romanesque and Gothic but I particularly liked this one, especially the linear patterning along the Romanesque arches of the nave and the tower. The linear designs in this part of Normandy are very similar to those in Durham, reflecting the relationship between England and this part of France (another result of the Norman Conquest, like the Bayeux Tapestry!) Daddy was particularly interested that a man was created a 3D image of the cathedral's interior while we were there.

       During our last few hours in Bayeux, we took some time to explore the town itself. It was quaint and very charming, with rows of shops along cobbled streets. We went into a epicerie where I helped my parents buy some cider and the on to have tea in a very cute little tea shop!

      By the time we made it back to Paris it was late and we were pretty worn out, so we just grabbed some chicken kabob from a turkish place right down the street, but they were tasty!