Normandy – A Traveling Fool

November 21, 2022

Thoughts While on the Avalon Waterways Grand France River Cruise: Knowledge of the history of a place makes being there more interesting

I love history anyway, so I can easily get excited over seeing someplace like Hadrian’s Wall or Egyptian pyramids and temples or battlefields like Gettysburg, Fredericksburg, Yorktown, Culloden, the D-Day landing beaches, etc. Smaller historical events are also intriguing to me.

Whether you are fascinated by history or not, knowing just a little bit about a place can make it much more interesting, such as what is the significance of an old cemetery? Who is buried there?

In St Augustine, Florida, I was fascinated by the fort. It had been built by the Spanish prior to the English settlements at either Jamestown or Roanoke, Virginia or Plymouth, Massachusetts.

In Israel, Masada would have just been several piles of rocks up on a high, hot plateau without knowledge of its history. For those who hadn’t read up on it before the trip, there was a short film down at the base that everyone watched before taking the cable car up to see it.

At Thermopylae in Greece, without knowledge of what had taken place there a couple thousand years ago, just looking at a monument to Leonides and the 300 Spartans who fought and died there wouldn’t have been all that fascinating. Since I knew the story, I could use my imagination. And a good imagination was necessary. The topography has changed quite a bit since 480 BC.

On this trip, my knowledge of Joan of Arc came in handy while in Rouen. I knew that the museum dedicated to her was in the very building where her trial had taken place. I also knew about all of the other locations associated with her.

In Avignon, I was aware of the history of the town, the Pont de Avignon, and the Palais des Papes. Despite it being a very hot day, my back hurting, and lots of stairs to climb, I was very interested in seeing it all.

Sometimes when visiting a place where you already know the history, you can find that seeing the place itself can make your understanding of it much clearer. It was one thing to read about traboules (the secret passages that had been used by the French Resistance to escape detection), but quite another to actually walk through a few of them. They had been built in the old, Renaissance portion of Lyon back when that part of the city was new. People who lived there knew about them. But people who didn’t live there were at a loss. To this day, only a handful of them are open to the public.

Although most people are well aware of who Napoleon was and his role in history, I always find it to be fun to see personal objects used by such iconic public figures. In Napoleon’s case, it was his hat on display in the library of Malmaison – the home he shared with Josephine. It made him seem more human. Like when I saw one of Queen Victoria’s gowns and Admiral Horatio Nelson’s uniform.

June 12, 2022

Grand France River Cruise – Bayeux, Beuvron-en-Auge, and Calvados

First, let me say that, in case you haven’t already figured it out, I truly do love French food. On this trip, all of our meals were on our ship except for the one day that we spent the entire day off the ship on an adventure in Normandy. The meals on the ship were wonderful, but I was looking forward to our lunch.

There were three choices of excursion that day: 1) Normandy World War II United States D Day Landing Beaches, 2) Normandy World War II Great Britain & Canada D Day Landing Beaches, 3) “A Taste of Normandy”, which included Bayeux, Beuvron-en-Auge, and trip to a Calvados distillery. Since I had already toured all of the landing beaches (US, UK & Canada) on a prior trip, I chose the third excursion.

I was really excited about seeing the Bayeux Tapestry and the town of Bayeux. This was another place where some ancestors had been born. Just three this time, but still.

Apparently Bayeux had originally been founded as a Gallo-Roman settlement in the first century BC. It became famous as the location of the Bayeux Tapestry.

The tapestry (which is really an embroidery) was created in England, although from the Norman point of view, shortly after the Normans conquered England in 1066. It depicts the events leading up to William the Conqueror’s conquest of England. The main characters are William (who was Duke of Normandy at the time) and Harold (Earl of Wessex and King of England). The action shown culminates with the Battle of Hastings.

No photos were allowed. However, they said I could use video. Fortunately, I had my camera that records video directly onto miniature DVDs. So I filmed nearly the entire length of the 230 foot (70 metres) cloth. It is roughly 956 years old!

In addition to the tapestry itself, the building contained an exhibit presenting the secrets of the creation of the tapestry, an overview of the historical context and the Anglo-Norman kingdom in the 11^th century. There was also a film that interwove the scenes from the tapestry with reconstructed scenes from the Battle of Hastings.

I was looking forward to having a special three-course French lunch at one of the restaurants in town. The vast majority of our fellow passengers went on one or the other of the D-Day tours, so there were only four of us on this excursion. We had a choice of three options for where we could eat. We all chose the same option and so had a nice leisurely lunch together at a lovely restaurant specializing in local food.

My appetizer was a puff pastry filled with seafood. It was very light and delicious. The main course I ordered was filet mignon with a Camembert sauce. It too was absolutely delicious. The dessert was a chocolate mousse. I have made chocolate mousse several times. However, this one far exceeded what I have ever created. It was much more delicate in flavor – whispering chocolate instead of shouting it.

After lunch, we visited the cathedral. It is thought that it was in the cathedral where the Bayeux Tapestry was originally displayed. It is also thought that the cathedral may have been the location of where William the Conqueror forced Harold Godwinson to take an oath of fealty to him.

We rejoined our coach and driver and set off for Beuvron-en-Auge. The tiny village has the official designation of being one of the most beautiful villages of France. I certainly couldn’t argue with that. It had been raining just before we got there and everything was wet. The village center had a manor house and several smaller buildings that mainly had shops or restaurants on the ground floor and homes above. The main purpose of the village was definitely tourism. I explored a few of the antique shops during the time we had there.

The region we were in was called Calvados and was part of the province of Normandy. Apple orchards and breweries in the area were mentioned as far back as the 8^th century by Charlemagne. In the early 16^th century, apple brandy (called Calvados) was mentioned and a cider distillation guild established about 50 years later.

All of the apples used for Calvados must come from Normandy, where there are roughly 200 different varieties. First the apples are fermented into a juice, which then becomes cider as it ages. The cider can just stay cider and be sold as such, or it can be distilled and aged in oak casks for a minimum of two years to be become Calvados. The longer the aging, the smoother the taste.

Our final stop of the day was at the Le Breuil-en-Auge Calvados Distillery. We learned all about the creation of Calvados and sampled some of the finished product. I felt that the amount in the glass was a tad stingy until I actually tried it. It is about 82 proof so, it has been known to take off the back of a person’s head when drunk too fast. It made my eyes water and my voice go raspy.

We were told that the first glass of Calvados was simply called “a glass”. I don’t remember what the second and third glasses were called, but the fourth glass was called “the Gloria” because the drinker would start to sing. The fifth glass was called “kicked by a mule”. There didn’t seem to be anything else after that. I personally felt a little bit like I had been kicked by a mule after the second glass. When we returned to the ship, everyone was given a glass of Calvados to sample. That was glass number three for me. I started thinking of potential songs to sing just in case a fourth glass came my way.

Next time — Rouen

May 2, 2022

Grand France River Cruise – Jumieges Abbey

Another Benedictine Abbey, Jumieges was destroyed during the French Revolution. At the time of its destruction in the late 18^th/early 19^th century, Jumieges was referred to as “the most beautiful ruin in France”.

Like St Wandrelle de Fontenelle, Jumieges also originated in the 7^th century. St Philibert was the founder, using land that had been granted to him for the purpose by King Clovis II. The abbey thrived until it too was pillaged during Viking raids. The monks abandoned the abbey for about ten years until the Duchy of Normandy was created and the second Duke, William Longsword, decided to restore it.

The Notre-Dame Abbey Church was rebuilt and inaugurated by William the Conqueror in 1067. Starting with the French Revolution, the property was mainly used as a stone quarry until the ruins were purchased by a private citizen in the 19^th century, who preserved what was left. The State took it over in 1946. The contents of the library had been moved to Rouen when the abbey was dissolved in 1790.

We began our tour just outside the entrance of the 11^th century Romanesque nave of the abbey church that had been inaugurated by William the Conqueror. Although roofless, the walls still soared on their rounded arches and were very impressive and beautiful.

When we reached the transept, we found that a great deal of the transept, plus the gothic quire and the surrounding chapels were missing. From there we could see the Abbot’s residence, dating from 1666. It had been sold prior to the Revolution, so it survived as an independent building from the abbey.

I did duck into the remains of a small gothic chapel that still had a portion of its ceiling. This would have been from roughly the 13^th century.

Wandering over to the much smaller St Peter Church, we entered into the Gothic Nave. Here, as with the little chapel, there were pointed arches.

As we moved towards what would have been the front entrance of the smaller church, the arches rounded out again. This part was older.

It turned out that this part was much older. Recent archaeological excavations revealed that this section actually dated from the late 8^th century. This put St Peter’s Church into the category of a Carolingian Christian church and made it quite unique.

In that older, front part of the church, several circles could be seen in the walls. We were told that the circles once contained colorful, round medallions. We could also see a portion of a very old wall painting in a corner of the wall next to an arch.

Stepping out of the church into the area that had been the cloister, we could there see a gigantic, 500-year-old yew tree. That tree would have witnessed a lot of history.

We exited the complex through what had once been the cellars. This would have been where the wine and grain and other provisions would have been stored. My last photo of the abbey was of a very interesting arch with a construction that resembled modern Legos.

Next time – the sea port of Honfleur.

April 11, 2022

Grand France River Cruise – St Wandrille de Fontenelle Abbey

Our first morning docked at Caudebec-en-Caux was spent along the “Abbey Road” visiting two medieval abbeys. The first one, St Wandrille de Fontenelle, was still housing Benedictine monks.

Founded in the 7^th century, it was one of the first Benedictine abbeys in Normandy. It was very successful at first, but began to decline around in the 8^th and early 9^th centuries until the monastery was burnt down by the Vikings in 852. The monks fled with the relics of Saint Wandrille.

After about a century in “temporary” accommodation, the monks returned in 966 and began to rebuild. Decline came again in the 16^th century and the monastery was closed and sold during the French Revolution.

The monastic community had, over the centuries, attained a reputation for the learning of the monks. The library collection was celebrated and the school was renowned for the teaching of letters, fine arts, the sciences and calligraphy. The current monastic community has been, since 1894, carrying on this reputation through publishing, microfilming, and painting restoration.

In addition to the arts, Saint Wandrille has been famous for brewing beer. In the 8^th century, it was one of the first ever to use hops in the brewing of beer. The monastery still brews beer and has it for sale in its shop.

Brother Lucien met us in the village square and escorted us into the abbey through its main gate, also known as the Pelican Gate. This area mostly dated to the 18^th century and formed the space set aside for the monks. Brother Lucien did not speak English, so our local guide translated. After a basic history of the abbey, we were taken into the cloisters where we were shown the reconstruction projects that were being worked on.

The remains of the 14^th century abbey church were right next to the cloisters. Back in 1969, a 13^th century barn was moved onto the abbey property and converted into the current abbey church. Inside of the church is a reliquary containing the skull of Saint Wandrille.

A short distance from the abbey church was a cemetery, including many of the brotherhood who had died throughout the centuries. Recent to our visit in September 2021, were the graves of three victims of the COVID-19 pandemic.

When St Wandrille was constructing the abbey back in the 7^th century, he built seven other churches both inside and outside of the monastery enclosure. Most of these were either destroyed, replaced by newer versions or simply fell into ruin over time. The exception was the chapel of St Saturnin. Although occasionally restored over the centuries, it has remained largely as it was originally built. It stands on a hillside overlooking the abbey and is considered to be a unique example of a 7^th century chapel.

I found Brother Lucien to be absolutely fascinating. His love for the abbey was evident. He had taken note of my cane (he used one too) and often gave me his hand to help me up or down a steep grouping of steps. He just exuded kindness.

Next time – we continue along the “Abbey Road” to Jumieges Abbey.

March 13, 2022

Grand France River Cruise – Vernon & Bizy Castle

The morning excursion choices from Vernon were either to Claude Monet’s home, studio and gardens in Giverny or to the town of Vernon and Bizy Castle. Since I had previously visited Giverny, I chose Vernon and the castle.

We were now in Normandy. While there were various ancestors in other parts of France, the largest number of all were from Normandy – 173. These were from all over Normandy, including such places as Bayeux (3), Caen (3), Falaise (6), Longueville (5), Montfort Sur Risle (10), and Rouen (8). They were all born roughly between the 8^th and 12^th centuries. Many of them would end up relocating to England, Scotland and Wales after 1066.

All total, with 14 born in Paris and several for whom the only info I have is that they were born in France, I end up with roughly 459 French ancestors. That is more than anyplace else other than the UK. They are all on my paternal grandmother’s side of the family.

Many civilizations had existed in what is now Normandy prior to the Viking invasions of the mid-9^th century. But those invasions and the subsequent treaty between Viking leader, Hrólfr Ragnvaldsson, or Rollo (also known as Robert of Normandy) with King Charles the Simple of the West Franks in 911 forever changed that portion of France. The name “Normandy” reflects the Normans (or Norsemen) who conquered the area.

The Normans adopted the French language and Christianity. They also intermarried with the Franks, Celts and Romans who were already there.

William the Conqueror was a descendant of Rollo. He became King of England after defeating the Anglo Saxon King Harold Godwinson in battle in 1066. William’s invasion and conquering of England was the subject of the Bayeux Tapestry (which I will talk about more in the post on my visit to Bayeux during this river cruise).

Vernon was a tiny village that was founded by Rollo in the 10^th century. Once we left the ship, we immediately encountered the site of a Gallo-Roman coffin, which had contained a wealthy woman, dating from the 2^nd century. The sarcophagus was discovered in 1964.

It was a short walk to the Notre Dame Collegiate Church. Built between the 11^th and 16^th centuries, the altar and transept were Romanesque while the rest of the building included three different Gothic styles. I especially liked a very old statue of Mary & the Baby Jesus.

The oldest surviving houses in the village were in the streets surrounding the church and the village square. These half-timbered houses dated mainly from the 15^th and 16^th centuries.

The Archive Tower, which was the keep of Philip Augustus’ former castle, was built in 1123 by Henry Beauclerc (King Henry I of England), the youngest son of William the Conqueror. It was in 1196 when King Philip II (Philip Augustus) of France took over the castle at Vernon and rebuilt most of it. The tower was the only part that remains of either version of the castle. It has been used to house the municipal archives since the 18^th century.

The current owner of Bizy Castle was descended from a brother of Napoleon Bonaparte, therefore the chateau has letters, paintings and sculptures related to the Bonaparte family on exhibit. The building was originally built in 1675 and then reconstructed in 1740. It fell on some hard times and ended up being entirely rebuilt in the mid-19^th century. But the Versailles-inspired stables remained. I was able to have a really good look at the stables as the restrooms were located in a portion of them.

We entered from the orangery which is usually used as a greenhouse or conservatory for plants that needed protection from the winter weather. The one at Bizy was a very large room decorated with the heads of boar and various other wildlife killed on the castle grounds when it was being used as a hunting lodge.

In the courtyard was a lovely pool. Turned out that it was created for the use of the horses to cool themselves off. Of all of the castles around Europe and the UK that I have visited, I have never seen one before that actually had a swimming pool for horses.

The Grand Salon was a very elegant room with an exquisitely painted and lacquered piano. Only a few rooms were open to the public with a guided tour as the current owner still lived in the chateau. The rooms that were open were quite beautiful.

On the opposite side of the Seine was an old, half-timbered mill, straddling two of the remaining piers of an ancient bridge. The original bridge was built in the 12^th century. By 1947, the mill was crumbling when the village of Vernon took on its restoration. It was considered to be a symbol of Vernon.

Next time – Crepes, Pastries & Les Andelys