Bayeux

walking through Bayeux

one of my favorite spots

there are beautiful flowers EVERYWHERE in France

our lunch spot

French Onion Soup

Sausage with some kind of sauce. Ben didn't care for the texture of the sausage but said the sauce was yummy

how many goat cheese toasts can a salad possibly be covered with?

going to visit TaTa Renee in her assisted living facility

TaTa Renee was very puzzled at first and tried to figure out who we were

Danny showed her a picture of his mom Marguerite and with that connection made, TaTa Renee sat down and enjoyed the visit

Danny brought her some flowers and she was delighted to receive them

the main street. Our hotel, Lion D'Or is to the right

stopping for a little something sweet

Danny picked out an Opera Cake

Ashley picked one of these but she hadn't had Calvados (Apple Brandy) yet....it was really strong!

Ben's eclair was delicious

leave it to Ben to run ahead just to see where those stairs go down to...

Omaha Beach to the left

Omaha Beach to the right

The American Cemetery at Omaha Beach

The reflecting pool

The Memorial

Those who were jewish have graves marked with the Star of David

there are many buried that were not identified. Only God knows who they are...

These words are inscribed on the pillar outside of the chapel

The dome inside of the chapel

inscription inside the wall of the chapel

The Memorial

The landings on the Normandy Beaches

from the steps of the memorial looking back toward the chapel...rows and rows of crosses on either side

Found this on a side wall

even the drainpipes are decorated!

these three colorful shop sit across from the Cathedral and are a favorite site. Maybe one day I will actually go in them!

We see the spire of the Notre Dame Cathedral of Bayeux long before we actually see the Cathedral

The main doors

inside the Cathedral looking toward the altar

Looking toward the back of the Cathedral and the organ

the Pulpit

beautiful stained glass

Mary and Child

I love to see people's reactions when they realize that people are buried in the floor!

The 11th century Crypt beneath the Cathedral. It was much smaller than I expected and quite dark

the sun was beginning to set and the top of the Cathedral gleamed like Gold. Notice the scaffolding in the front that indicates that the restoration process of the Cathedral is not quite complete

glowing in the sunset

another little gargoyle

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The beautiful spire

Notre Name Cathedral of Bayeux

this tree symbol is from the Bayeux Tapestry...a embroidered history of The Battle of Hastings. This symbol is found on the ground throughout Bayeux

Ta Ta Mimi and Ton Ton Jean's house

Marie Francoise, her father Ton Ton Jean, and her brother in law Albert with Alice

TaTa Mimi

chatting before dinner

a light meal with champagne

Surprise Bread and here's the box so now we will truly know EACH layer!

Pineapple tartre

Apricot Tartre

pineapple, cherry, and apricot tartre

Calvados (Apple Brandy) is very strong and a favorite among our family members.

Danny and Marie Noelle have giggled together this entire trip! Ton Ton Jean pours the Calvados

Ben and Ashley give the Calvados a try

Danny with cousins Noami and Alice

Albert with his daughters Alice (L), and Noami (R)

Danny and Ton Ton Jean

Left to Right: Marie Helene, Marie Noelle, Marie Francois and Amy

Danny and his aunt, Mamarite's sister TaTa MiMi

Danny and the cousins

the whole family!

We picked Marie Noelle up at her apartment this morning about 9:45. She thankfully agreed to travel with us to Bayeux. On our last trip, we got lost trying to get out of Bayeux and it made for a very frustrating beginning to our morning. Today it was easy as pie because we had a great navigator! Marie Noelle took us through the center of town so we could see the Cathedral as we passed by. It was just beautiful! We had an uneventful trip to Bayeux except for attempting to pay our toll at the toll booth and finding that it said we had an invalid ticket. Another person had a similar problem next to us so we think it was the machines. We were able to back up (noone was behind us) and move over to the booth with the attendant. She was very helpful and we were able to be on our way. Marie Noelle said if it happened again that Danny should just drive straight through the barrier!!! We dropped by Ta Ta Mimi’s house to check on our schedule for the day. It was agreed that we would eat lunch in town and then Marie Francoise (Marie Noelle’s sister) would come and meet us at the hotel to take us to see Ta Ta Renee. We went to the hotel but were unable to check in as it was early. We walked down the street and ate a nice lunch at a local spot. We all enjoyed our lunch except for Ben. He didn’t care for the texture of his sausage although he said the flavor and the sauce was great. Danny had a huge salad with many toasts of chevre and he shared with Ben. Noone walked away hungry. We also stopped by a Patisserie and picked out a sweet for dessert. I think Ben and Danny had the best, an Opera cake and a chocolate eclair! After lunch we met Marie Francoise at the hotel and walked over to the nursing home to visit Ta Ta Renee. She was in good spirits and surprised to see visitors. She doesn’t recognize us anymore, but it doesn’t seem to matter because she delights in having visitors. We enjoyed our brief stay with her very much and are so grateful that Marie Francoise took us to see her. We traveled to the Normandy American Cemetery at Omaha Beach. It is always a sobering place to visit as it is a visual reminder of the war that restored peace but took so many lives to do so. We were able to spend a little more time in town when we came back and took the opportunity to go and see the Notre Dame Cathedral of Bayeux in town. Ta Ta Renee was always so proud of her view of the Cathedral Spire and I always think of her when I see it. The Cathedral is a Norman-Romanesque cathedral and is the seat of the Bishop of Bayeux. It was the original home of the Bayeux Tapestry, which is an embroidered history of the Battle of Hasting and remained the home for about 400 years. Dating back to the 11th century, the Cathedral is also a national monument of France. We drove to Ton Ton Jean and Ta Ta Mimi’s home to arrive at 6:30. We had a light meal with Marie Helene (another sister of Marie Noelle) and her husband Albert, their daughters Noami and Alice, Marie Francoise, Marie Noelle, Ta Ta Mimi and Ton Ton Jean. Ta Ta Mimi has the most beautiful smile and we caught a glimpse of it from time to time. Ton Ton Jean was his usual jolly self. We were so happy to be able to see everyone! Noami and Alice are very beautiful and we are amazed at how grown they are. The picture of their brother Carentan absolutely stunned us. He is 18 now and at boarding school and we haven’t seen him since he was 9! He has a big mop of curly hair just like Danny did at that age. After dessert (of 3 different tartes), we came back to the hotel to go to sleep earlier than past nights. We have an early train tomorrow to Paris where Axelle will meet us at the hotel to spend the afternoon with us. Until then....