We woke up to the most awesome breakfast provided by our dear Cecilia. She had croissants and pain au chocolat, grapes and plums, yogurt, toast and cheese and ham and sausage and butter and jam, hot milk with cocoa and juice...and a pretty new rose for mom. I mean really- I found my lost french-Italian aunt and uncle. They asked what our plans were for the day and gave us a little local advice.
First thing on our agenda was St. Michel, a large monastery and town built on a huge rock right in the middle of an expansive beach of sand. When the tide is in, the whole rock is surrounded by water and it is a castle on the sea. When the tide goes out, the beach expands almost 18 km out. But here's the really amazing part: the tide doesn't 'come' in, it RACES in so fast that it is dangerous. They say it comes faster than a galloping horse. Alain told us that he has see it only one time and he looked out when there was no sea and when he looked out again a minute later there was no beach. The sea was just there. I think I jus found the most spectacular thing to add to my bucket list: come during the season of he greatest tide differences and be there when it comes in.
Truly, St. Michel was an incredible site to see. The whole village is beautiful and you can explore all around and get up all the way to the monastery before you have to pay. So it's only the parking and monastery that actually charge admission. The structures are so beautiful and the view is incredible. I really can't use many words to describe it but the good thing is that my dad and I take a million pictures, so I don't have to!
After leaving St. Michel we drove to Bayeux (I slept) and we visited he Tapisserie, a museum with a near 50 meter long tapestry that tells the story of William the Conqueror. It isn't like the tapestries I usually think of, tall and thick and very colorful. This was long and skinny, a thin linen with about four colors of wool yarn.
You're supposed to view it with the audio guide but I didn't and I rather liked trying to find the little details on my own before my dad told me about them.
After the tapestry museum my parents went off to find the lace factory but the morning adventure and my increasing congestion took all the energy out of me so I slept in the car. Well, except for when a wedding car procession passed by blazing their horns.
Unfortunately my energy did not return. As my parents visited a number of historic world war sites in Normandy I continued to sleep in the car. If there were any day it had to happen, I'm glad it was that day. I had enough energy for all of St. Michel and then all the rest if the stuff would have bored me. But they did wake me up to go help take pictures at the American Cemetery (Omaha beach) when my dad got to raise a 48 star flag that belonged to Heidi Robbins' dad. It was a very special moment and my dad got choked up every time he explained to someone why he was doing it.
So I apologize if you wanted details about Normandy and the historic sites my parents visited. You'll have to ask them.
I still LOVED the day. St. Michel will definitely be a highlight of the trip.
For dinner we walked around Bayeux and found a little cafe called Pourquoi Pas which means Why Not? I like that. And we discovered, there is no reason not to. It was well priced and the portions were huge, and it was delicious. Their vegetable soup was perfect for me, the invalid. And dad and I got two huge stuffed potatoes while mom got a delicious quiche Lorraine. We all split a crème brûlée for dessert.
We were VERY satisfied as we plopped into bed.
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