The American Military Cemetery at St Laurent sur Mer

When we visited the American Military Cemetery at St Laurent sur Mer it was the school holidays for the French.  We were very pleased to see so many French families on the day we were there; the adults explaining to the children what had happened and why.  The French people we have met have all been very grateful to the Allies for what they did during WWII.  There are markers across the country side in Normandy as reminders of the Battle of Normandy, which lasted much longer than just the D-Day invasion.

Not all are crosses.

The rows seem to go on forever.

I

There are 9385 marble markers.

Falaise and William the Conqueror

William the Conqueror in the square below the castle.

 

William the Conqueror

The castle in the fog.

Storming the gate.

Oh, someone forgot to close it, so we walked in.

Bill and the Castle in the fog. 

The last time we were in Normandy, the castle of William the Conqueror was closed for restoration.  It was high on our list of places to visit on this trip. The day we chose to drive over started as rainy, but quickly turned to a light fog.  The closer we got to Falaise, the thicker the fog, until we were driving very slowly so we could see what was in front of us!  The good side of the fog?  No one else was dumb enough to be out and about, so we had the castle pretty much to ourselves!

Our Christmas in St Pois

The trees for sale Christmas on eve; blue, black white and red. We didn't buy one.

We did buy a bouche de Noel; a Christmas log.  It was delicious!

Our home owners left us a decorated tree with lots of presents underneath!

It was a two bottles of French sparkling wine celebration!

This was the tree in the middle of the dining table.  It looks like wood, but it isn't.

Celebrating a holiday in a different country, calls for different traditions.  We had wonderful cheeses and breads, French sparkling wines, a Bouche de Noel for dessert.  Our home owners left a pile of gifts under the tree for us; so very thoughtful!  Some of the presents were traditional English Christmas foods, as Vic and Heather are English, but living in France.  We had quite the feast!

Mont St Michel

View from the new causeway.

Mont St Michel is one of our favorite places.  We have visited several time and even spent the night in 2008, on the evening of the spring high tide.  Once you leave the tourist shops at the foot of the mont, the real exploration begins.  Everything is old, except for the electric lines, which are in the process of being buried. This is truly an international destination, as we heard many different languages being spoken.

View from the parking area.

It was not crowded.  Being the holidays, we weren't sure what to expect.

St Michel in all his golden glory; I bet he has a wonderful view!

Looking at the salt flats from the ramparts.

Access is now by a causeway/bridge that was built to allow the water to surround the island again.  It seems to be working.  The is no parking at the base of the mont, except for deliveries and certain special exceptions. There is a new visitors center with enormous parking areas, which you have to pay for.  This not only includes your parking, but your transportation to and from the entrance to the mont.

One last look before we left.

Bayeaux Cathedral

Waiting for the showing inside the Cathedral.

2016 is the 950th anniversary William the Conqueror taking over England.  The Bayeaux Cathedral had a marvelous lighted celebration of the occasion.  The walls of the Cathedral were illuminated with the Bayeax Tapestry as it would have originally hung.

The sign let us know we were in the right place.

We waiting in line in the cold for a couple of hours to be admitted into the Cathedral; well worth the wait.  Everyone in line seemed to be locals, except for us.  The mood was festive, with smiles and happy faces all around.

Different views of the Tapestry as it moved around the Cathedral.

After the showing, we looked at some of the lighted Christmas decorations, but we didn't stay long as it was cold!

St Pois

The village of St Pois is our home until in January.  Although not very big, it has every thing one could need; gas station, grocery store, boulangerie, La Normandie bar and a boucherie.  While the prices at the stores are a bit higher than the large ones in cities, being so close more than makes up for it.  There is also an elementary school and a church.

Every village in Normandy has a lighted decoration greeting you.

Since it is nearing Christmas, there are lights and decorations all over town.  Every window, even on empty buildings, has a holiday theme.  Normandy is known for it's lighted villages. St Pois is doing it's best.

We walked around the village one night before Christmas to take pictures.  It was magical.

Looking down the main street in St Pois.

In the church, the manger scene awaits the arrival of baby Jesus on Christmas Eve.

Back in Normandy

We call her Ducky.  She is very friendly and even enjoys being picked up and petted.

Bill and I are housesitting in St Pois, Normandy.  The house is large, actually divided into two houses, but we only have to live in and heat one.  (Although the dishwasher is in the side we don't use, so we visit often.) There is also a lovely sunroom, which heats up wonderfully on sunny days.

The rest of our charges, who stay in their yard.

We share our land with 3 ducks and 2 chickens.  The chickens are older, and only one of the ducks is laying eggs.  We get one egg every other day.

The owners, a British couple, are off to Germany to visit friends.  They left 3 hours after we arrived.  They will then go to the UK to spend Christmas with their children, ending up staying at their daughter's house while they go to Greece.  We are hoping to spend a bit more time getting to know them when they return.


For now, we are getting to know the quirks of the house. The water heater runs at night, so we have to be careful about using hot water during the day so we don't run out. The tumble dryer has to run completely through it's cycle before setting a new time. The red faced duck will follow us around the yard, even though she is supposed to stay in her pen, she flies over the fence.  The heaters in the rooms are on auto, so we don't have to worry about them.  We use the sink and toilet in one of the bathrooms, but shower in the other. They are both in the same hall upstairs, so it's not a problem.

Our main heating is a wood stove in the living area.  There is a good supply of logs in the wood barn and a wheel barrow to haul them in.  We have experience heating with wood, so no worries there.

Notre Dame; A Grand Old Lady

   

Since the last time we were in Paris, the outside of Notre Dame has been cleaned and new bells are in her towers.  She looks lovely!

Food in Paris

Moules in wine sauce, with cheese.

This little cafe was almost directly across the street from our apartment.  The food was good and priced right.  The White Horse, I think.

Creme broullie.

C

Our starters: Moules in wine sauce for me and Onion soup for Bill.

The Gardens of Versailles

Notice our happy faces at having survived the Chateau tour.

There are several new items in the gardens of Versailles.  One, which we really had fun with, is a mirror where you can take pictures of yourself, along with some of your new friends.  On one side, you are right side up, but the other, you are upside down.  The clarity is not as good as the one at the casino in Monaco, but France isn't as rich as Monaco, either.

A rather odd piece set in the center of the gardens.  It reminded us of a partially buried, rusted soprano saxophone.  I'm sure if we had read the artist's comments it was something "artistic".  

The fountains are on!

The fountains came in two time periods.  One side of the garden ran for 45 minutes, then the other side did the same.  Not all of the fountains were turned on, as there has been a drought in France, so they are conserving water.  The fountains that were working were fabulous!  Several of the larger ones even had music which coordinated with the rhythm of the water.

The Grotto, all man made, with statues.

The fountains are only turned on once a week, on Sunday.  There were several which were not running, and a few which were being renovated.  The water used comes out of the river, which was diverted by Louis XIV when he built Versailles.

A very nice man and his young daughter took our picture.  Thank you!

Despite the fiasco of the Chateau tour, the gardens at Versailles were worth the effort. And, on the train home, we met two young Canadians who had just come from a Marching Bands Competition in Scotland!  They had sent their instruments and kilts home with their family, and were on a backpacking tour of Europe, to end in Turkey.  I hope they had a wonderful trip!

Versailles with 10,000 of Our Closest Friends

We decided to visit Versailles on Sunday, when they turn on the fountains in the gardens.  We took the train and arrived early, only to be greeted by thousands of others waiting to enter.  The hold up is going through security.

Lines of people waiting to enter the Palace.

People with the exterior of the Chapel behind.

Everyone waited, most patiently, in the courtyard, going up and down and around and around.

The Hall of Mirrors.

Once we made it inside, the crowds were so thick, it felt like herding cattle.  MOO!  It was impossible to really look at anything.  Bill was especially bothered by all the people.  So, we rushed as much as we could, looking for a way to exit.  It

Bill was looking for a way to escape; maybe open a window and jump?

The Palace is quite beautiful.  The ceilings were easily viewed, but trying to look at walls, floors and such, was nearly impossible.

The ceiling of the Chapel.  Bill took this picture through a 8 foot wide doorway.

We finally worked our way through the crowds to find the exit.  What a relief!  Fresh air, no elbows, and the noise level had dropped to where we could carry on a conversation!.        

Louis XIV

Next time, if there is a next time, when we arrive to such a hoard, we will skip the chateau and head directly to the gardens.  When we came back from seeing the gardens, there was no line to go into the chateau.  Now we know.

The original entry gates; they keep the crowds away from these.