SUNDAY, AUGUST 24, 2008

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We were up early – again – and off the ship, this time for good. We boarded a bus to transport us to the town of Caen. Caen is the capital and largest city in Lower Normandy; it was devastated in World War II.

It also is home to the Caen Memorial, a Museum for Peace. Built in 2002, the Museum has examined peace and war, including terrorism.



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In spite of its noble aims, we found it a place of great sadness – it seemed more like a museum of war than of peace.




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After lunch, we headed to the small town of Bayeux, population about 14,000. Located just 6 miles from the allied landing beaches, it was the first town liberated after D-Day.










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The Bayeux Tapestry is a medieval masterpiece, though it's not really a tapestry at all, but a 200-foot long embroidered cloth; the art, the needlework, and the detail are stunning. The work is thought to have been carried out by nuns in England, commissioned by Bishop Odo, William's half-brother, in time for the inauguration of the Bayeux Cathedral in 1077.
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The tapestry relates the tale of William, Duke of Normandy, who set off to conquer England in 1066. More than 900 years after it was first created, having been hidden and saved from destruction many a time, the Bayeux Tapestry has been named as a “Memory of the World” by UNESCO.
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The story goes like this: William, Duke of Normandy, was named by King Edward of England (his cousin), as his successor. When King Edward dies, William’s rival Harold tries to take control of the kingdom. He places his entire army with all of their horses on hundreds and ships and crosses the Channel in just one night. On his arrival on the English beaches, he begins preparations for one of history’s most famous battles – the Battle of Hastings. On 14 October 1066, the Norman army celebrates a victory which will take William the Conqueror to the throne of England.

After admiring the Tapestry and watching a movie that helped explain it, we walked over to yet-another Cathedral of Notre Dame. It was the first home of the tapestry and it’s unique for its Romanesque architecture. The crypt and towers date from the original work of 1077. The interior walls are covered with very elaborate carvings.










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We had hoped to spend more time wandering around the town, but it started raining and most of our group wasn’t excited about seeing the sights in the rain. So – back on the bus.

We arrived in Trouville-sur-Mer about 6PM. Trouville is a charming resort town on the English Channel; it is just across the Touques River from the better-known (and more upscale) resort of Deauville.











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In the heyday of Napoleon III, during the 1860’s, French “gentlemen” used to bring their wives and families to Trouville and stash their mistresses in Deauville (seen here across the river).


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Our hotel is the Beach Hotel – a great location right between the beach and the casino, but … a bit of a dump compared to the classy atmosphere of the ship we just left.







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At the suggestion of our ace program director, we went to a restaurant called Les Mouettes (The Seagulls) for dinner. This is an old fishermen’s bar serving local seafood at reasonable prices. We had wonderful mussels and other fresh seafood, and ended the meal with our first taste of Calvados, the locally-brewed apple brandy. Pretty potent stuff! We sat outside on the sidewalk with some folks from our group – good food, good drink, good time had by all.



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And a nice sunset to end the day.