Caudebec and the Normandy Coast

#caudebec #bayeux #normandycoast #goldbeach #mulberryharbour

We had an overnight sail to the small town of Caudebec, where we moored for two nights.  An early start the next day saw us heading to Bayeux to view the tapestry which in reality, as we were informed by our guide, was an embroidery!
This was one of the things we had often heard about and had seen small images of, and we were excited to be seeing the whole piece. It was impressive at 70 metres long. A group of nuns had undertaken this task, and it demonstrated their exquisite sewing skills. 
It told the story of King Harold and his adventures when he visited France to meet with William of Normandy about the succession to the English throne, and ended with his death at the battle of Hasting in 1066.
We listened to the story on our headsets where the narrative changed as we moved along the room, stopping briefly to listen about the section we were viewing. The area was quite busy but the line continued to move.
Our only regret is that we didn't have time to visit the museum on the other floors to learn more about this fascinating piece of historical artwork.

With only a short time left we had a walk outside and a chance to view the impressive church and a quick look around  at the town.  

Moving on, we had a chance to view the cemetery for the allied soldiers who sadly lost their lives during the D Day landings. The fact that so many of these were so young was moving, as was the fact that we had a couple of retired soldiers with us who were showing their respect as well.
We soon moved on to the seaside town of Arromanches, to see the sights of the D Day landings and visit the museum that told the story of these historic days.
Now, this area is enjoyed by families, but there was still a reminder of these dark days with the decaying remains of the artificial harbours.  
Going into the museum we were enthralled by the ingenuity of the construction needed to make the landing successful, particularly as the individual parts had to be built in secret and then brought over  having been untested.
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Lastly, we visited the British Normandy Memorial  where the names of the men who died are listed on columns. That was shocking enough, but the temporary exhibition on the field  marking the 80th anniversary of D-Day, the 'Standing with Giants' installation featuring 1,475 silhouettes of soldiers, sailors and airmen, as well as two female nurses, really brought the losses home to us. (This exhibition will soon be moving to the UK.) It was a moving tribute to all who gave their lives in the war.
aienas well as two female nurses

A long tiring day but images that will stay with us for a long time.