Dateline: Caen and the Bayeaux Tapestry Sunday 24th April 2011

Fine and warm.

Bayeaux is located 30 km north-west of  Caen, a short journey from where we are staying.  

The Bayeaux Tapestry was made to commemorate events in the Norman Conquest of England in 1066.  It may have been designed and woven in England and is now displayed in a museum in the town centre. 

The large Cathederale Notre-Dame de Bayeaux consecrated in 1077, was arguably the original home of the tapestry.  It is not a Tapestry in the full sense of the word. It is an embroidery. It was constructed from eight separate pieces of linen which were joined to make up its length. It is approximately 70 metres long and half a metre wide. It is evident that at one stage it was even longer, probably by as much as seven or eight metres are missing.  

 

Like so many artefacts, the Bayeux Tapestry survived through luck and endeavours of certain individuals and groups. Following its construction in the decade following the battle, the exact date or time it took to construct is not known, it was transported to Bayeaux. Here we assume, it was put on display in the Church of Notre Dame, which was consecrated by Bishop Odo (William's half brother) in 1077. We know that the Tapestry remained within the Cathedral walls for the next 400 years because an inventory of treasures catalogued it.  

Bayeaux Tapestry Museum

The people of Bayeux now fighting for the Republic used cloth to cover their wagons. There was a shortage of cloth until somebody remembered a supply of it in the cathedral. It was removed and used to cover a wagon. When Lambert Leonard Leforestier saw what was happening, he replaced the Tapestry with other cloth. The people of Bayeaux, determined never to allow this to happen again, the city council set up a fine arts council to protect its treasures. It was just as well that they did because two years later in 1794 it was again to be cut up and used as decoration for a public holiday. In 1803 it was removed under protest by Napoleon and transported to Paris. Napoleon used the Tapestry as inspiration for his planned attack on his natural enemy England. When this was aborted, it was returned to the people of Bayeux.

  

Why do banks charge you a "non-sufficient funds" fee on money they already know you don't have?

Dateline: The Beaches of Normandy Saturday 23rd April 2011

We drive just over 100km NE towards the coast of France arriving at Pegasus Bridge and the Memorial Museum.  
It was here at  midnight of 5th June 1944, as D-Day began, that a British gliderborne unit landed to secure the bridge across the Caen Canal.  It was vital for the success of the Normandy invasion that they hold this bridge intact and prevent the Germans from crossing the canal and attacking the eastern flank of the troops landing on the beaches.

Trivia: 

The original Pegasus Bridge

* Richard Todd, the actor who was later to play the role of the commander of this operation in the movie "The Longest Day",  was actually a member of the reinforcement parachute team which landed 30 minutes after the initial assault. 
* Many of the details of the movie are inaccurate and some liberties were taken nevertheless it is probably the only movie to tell the whole story of the Normandy landings.
* Pegasus is a type of movable bridge which can roll back to open.  The original is now owned by the museum.

A mock up of the type of glider used

Next we drive to the Merville Battery.  
The Merville Gun Battery was a German coastal fortification in Normandy, France in use as part of the Nazi's Atlantic wall built to defend continental Europe from Allied invasion. It was a particularly heavily fortified position and one of the first places to be attacked by Allied forces on D-Day.
The battery overlooked the British invasion area of Sword Beach, and as it was believed to contain four 150 mm guns, it was a serious threat to the Allied landings. It consisted of a bunker containing the battery's command post, two blockhouses, a light flak emplacement and four casemates each containing one of the artillery pieces. Each of these casemates was reinforced concrete, six and a half feet thick with a further six feet of soil above; since these could only be destroyed by an unlikely direct hit from the heaviest of ordnance, it was decided that British paratroopers would attack and destroy the guns a few hours before the landings at Sword Beach began. The 9th Battalion of The Parachute Regiment was selected for the task.
 Inside one of the bunkers we see a very realistic re-enactment using sounds and light of what took place on the night of 5th and 6th June 1944.  109 Lancaster bombers dropped more than 1000 bombs on the battery at 30 mins past 12.  There is a warning that it is not recommended for anyone of a nervous disposition.
This photo shows the "SNAFU Special", a Douglas C-47 which took part in all airborne missions in Europe during WWII.  It was left behind in Sarajevo and brought to Merville in 2007.
Trivia:  In modern usage, snafu is often used to refer to a bad situation or mistake.  It is believed to have originated in the US Army during WWII ... situation normal. all f...... up.  It is a cynical reference to the military practice of soldiers reporting to their officer "situation normal".
 

The remains of the harbour

We move on to Gold Beach where the landing was set for 7:25am.   The tide was higher than expected due to a strong wind.  The explosive devices the Germans had installed were covered by water and British demolition teams could not get to them.   Twenty of the landing craft struck the mines and were damaged however due to the naval bombardment the British were able to secure the beach and move inland.

The Mulberry harbours were a secret Allied project set up right after the landings, centered on the Norman seaside towns of Arromanches at the very western end of Gold beach and Vierville sur Mer at the Western end of Omaha beach. These harbours were constructed secretly in England, the builders totally unaware of what they were constructing.  Composed mainly of hollow concrete caissons, brought over from England on D-Day, they provided the main supply ports for the Landings.

Wartime poster

The Canadian memorial

Our final stop is Juno.  This beach was assigned to a Candian Infantry and they too had over 30% of their landing crafts destroyed by mines.  They suffered many casualties in the first assault but were able to reach the German positions behind the beach and moved rapidly inland to their designated target.

Dateline: Avranches Good Friday 22nd April 2011

Fine and warm.
We begin our day with a visit to the Scriptorial (Museum) in Avranches which explains the history of Avranches and Mont Saint Michel from the middle ages.  A monastic scriptorium has been set up to show the tools, inks and pigments used by the monks in their painstaking creation of the manuscripts.


Mont-Saint-Michel
According to legend Archangel Michael appeared to St. Aubert, bishop of Avranches, in 708 and instructed him to build a church on the rocky islet.  But Aubert repeatedly ignored the angel's instruction until Michael burned a hole in the bishop's skull with his finger. That did the trick. The dedication to St Michael occurred on October 16, 708.
It appears in Bayeaux tapestry which commemorates the Norman invasion of England in 1066.  In 1979 it was added to the UNESCO list of world heritage sites.
Mont-Saint-Michel is connected to the mainland via a thin natural land bridge, which before modernization was covered at high tide and revealed at low tide, giving the mount a mystical quality.  The tides in the area shift very rapidly and comes in at one metre a second. The danger from quicksand and the rising tides claimed the lives of many medieval pilgrims making their way across the tidal flats.   It is still hazardous for visitors who attempt the walk across the sands.

 The climb to the top is difficult with 900 steps to the top.  It's very crowded since this is a holiday break for most people.  We climb several staircases and decide to go to one of the displays.  Quite well done but in French only so we don't really get the full benefit of the show.

A school excursion

It's strange to see quite a lot of people with their pet dog.  Difficult enough to climb yourself so it's an odd decision to take a pet.  Seems to be something the French do, we regularly see people leading their dog along in busy public places in the cities.
 
We drive back to Avranches and return to Mont-Saint-Michel just on sunset to capture some photographs.  Darkness falls around 9pm and as we stand on the beach we're startled by a loud roar.  Shining the car headlights onto the water we can see the water moving rapidly towards the sand as the tide rushes in.  
The lights on the mount are gradually switched on as we keep an eye on the water level. With the photos done we drive back to Avranches. 

Next:  D Day and the Normandy landing sites.

How do "Do not walk on the grass" signs get there?

Dateline: Paris Thursday 21st April 2011

Fine and warm
We arrive at Paris Bercy Railway Station at 9:30am having survived an overnight trip in a train sleeper.  All the cabins are so small you have to go outside to change your mind.

The hire is car is ready so we head out of Paris.  Easier said than done.  Driving in Paris is something of a challenge (actually a complete nightmare) but after a few false starts we're on the motorway to Avranches.   The countryside is spectacular.  Canola plants are in flower and we pass huge tracks of bright yellow fields and lush green paddocks that seem to stretch for miles.   Small wind farms of about seven or eight wind turbines appear every so often.
  

Trivia:  Avranches is a small city in the Basse-Normandy region in North-West of France founded on high ground overlooking dunes and coastal marshes.   The town dates back to 511AD.  From Avranches it is possible to see the tidal island abbey of Le Mont-Saint-Michel.  The museum houses one of the largest collections of medieval manuscripst in France.  During the French Revolution the manuscripts from Mont Saint Michel were deposited in the city archives.

Our VW Passat hire car ( 2L diesel).  
The car engine actually shuts down instead of idling when waiting.  Very disconcerting!   Good fuel economy so the idea must work.

We locate the Scriptorial (Museum) in Avranches and book into the Hotel which is slightly out of town.

Next: A medieval abbey on a tidal island.

How do they get the deer to cross at that yellow road sign?

Dateline: Venice Wednesday 20th April 2011

Day 2 in Venice.  The weather is again fine and warm (mid 20's), how lucky we've been to have had such good weather. 
Onto the vaporettto and "Nexta stopa" Salute.  A walk along the promenade brings us to the Punta della Dogana or Custom's Point.  This wedge of land is at the entrance to the Grand Canal and has some of the most spectacular views across the water to St Mark's Square.  It is here that arriving cargo ships were for centuries inspected by customs officials. 

The former customs house is now a contemporary art gallery.  Right on the point one of their exhibits and it's attracting a good deal of attention.  Hmmm, very strange.
Photo on left.

We take the water bus back to Ca' d'Oro (golden house).   Built in 1428 this building is now a public gallery.  

Trivia: While walking along the canal we hear loud music.  Sure enough zipping along in a motor boat is the Venetian version of our "doof doof" boys.   The lads had their stereo cranked up to the maximum.  What a sight!


A short time to relax before boarding the 7:30pm night train to Paris.


Next:  Paris and off to the countryside.

If a train station is where the train stops, what is a workstation?

Dateline: Venice Tuesday 19th April 2011

Warm and fine 24 degrees.

Venice, what an amazing place!    The mind boggles at the fact that it is founded on nothing more than wooden spikes driven into the mud.
We arrived at the railway station at 7:30pm the previous day and located our hotel which is a short walk from the station. Sadly they have still not installed a ramp from the railway concourse and once again we lug our suitcases down the steps. 


The first thing we notice is just how busy it is.  People everywhere and it hasn't reached the high season yet!    Below is the view from our hotel.

In the morning after breakfast beside the canal we purchase a Venice Card each and board the Water Bus for the Lido.  Some 50min later we arrive at the Santa Maria Elizabetta landing on Lido.  We follow the main road and arrive at the beach on the Adriatic Ocean.   It is in this area that the novel "Death in Venice" was set.
Mostly a resort area with a large number of hotels to cater for summer visitors the Lido is a long sandbar island and home to the annual Venice Film Festival.  
It is quite odd to see buses running along the roads but unlike the main islands of Venice it has no canals.

A Gondolier waiting for customers

Trivia:  The Vaporetto (water busses in Venice) have a recorded voice which announces the next stop.  A great idea however, the English version goes like this ... "Nexta stopa is (name of stop)".  Somehow next and stop have acquired an 'a' on the end , sounds pretty funny at first but you get used to it  :)

                                                                                  
                      What a great idea, park your baby for the day :)



We spend the rest of the day just wandering the streets to soak up the atmosphere.
Next:  A rather weird piece of art work.

  If Barbie is so popular, why do you have to buy her friends?

Dateline: Turin Monday 18th April 2011

Day 2 in Turin.
Trivia.  
* Turin is in North Italy.  It is the capital of the area known as Piedmont.
* Turin is mostly on the left bank of the Po River.

Tram and Royal Palace in the background

* It is now one of Italy's main industrial cities and has a rich cultural history.  Turin is home to the manufacturers of Fiat, Lancia and Alfa Romeo motor vehicles.
* The city is the home of Juventus Football Club, Italy's most successful team.
* The Shroud of Turin is kept in the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist in the centre of the city.  Due to concerns with its preservation it will not be exhibited again until 2025.

The River Po

Medieval Village drawbridge

We walk to the river and on to a reconstructed Medieval Village before returning to the hotel.    The train leaves at 4:15, change at Bologna for Venice.

 Palatino Towers, one of the four Roman gates.  Almost no ancient landmarks are left in this city.











Next:  Breakfast beside a canal in Venice

What was the greatest thing before sliced bread?

Dateline: Turin & Milan Sunday 17th April 2011

Fine and warm

We take the 6:00am train from Turin to Milan.  From the railway station a short taxi ride brings us to the Santa Maria delle Grazie which houses da Vinci's Last Supper.  It is notoriously difficult to get tickets because of its popularity but we managed to secure some before leaving Sydney.   It isn't too busy when we arrive possibly due to being so early in the morning and we are moved forward to the 8:15 tour.  At that time our group is ushered into the centre of a double door system which keeps the temperature and moisture stable.  With everyone inside, the second lot of doors slowly slide open to reveal a large room inside the monastery.  What an amazing experience to actually be able to see the painting!   No photos of course.

It's in better condition than I had imaged having suffered terrible neglect in the past.  The painting covers the entire wall at the end of the original refectory (dining room). Napolean's soldiers amused themselves by throwing stones at it and in 1650 a doorway was cut through the wall removing part of the painting.  When a bomb was dropped on the church in 1943 amazingly the wall remained standing.  By some miracle it has survived everything and has been carefully restored and looked after ever since.  The perspective is amazing with every detail directing you to Christ in the centre of the compostion.   As always we exit through the bookshop.

Roof detail

A service was being conducted at the Cathedral

Next stop is Milan's cathedral.    The second largest Catholic Cathedral in the world.   Along with many others we climb the stairs (well, I actually went in the lift :) to the roof.   There are literally  hundreds of spires, pinnacles and statues. The main spire is 109 metres high.  A unique experience being able to walk right around the roof and see everything up close.

Bikes for hire in Milan.

We return to Turin by train which takes around an hour and head for the Egyptian Musem which has the largest collection of Egyptian artefacts outside of Egypt.  There a several floors of really interesting exhibitions and really popular with a lot of visitors.   Dinner that night with Sharon's work colleague.

A very agile dancer

A rather kind looking lion

              
 Next:  A day in Turin.