Norman Conquests (part I)

We spent our 4-day weekend in the beautiful northwestern French region of Normandy. Above is the stunning Mont-St-Michel, which we visited Saturday. We could see its outline from as far away as 22 kilometres, and the views just got more and more stunning the closer we got. I was absolutely awestruck by Le Mont-St-Michel! Jacob said, in his most matter-of-fact voice: "It's one of the cooler places I've seen." Here he is enjoying the view from the top.

While on Le Mont, we toured the famous Abbaye du Mont-Saint-Michel, whose majestic spire tops the Mont. The Abbey was first constructed in the year 708, and it has been one of the most visited Christian pilgrimage destinations for 1300 years. The monks ceased using it as an abbey in 1790, after which it was used as a prison until the late 1800s when it was designated as a national monument. (To the left, a photo of the open-air cloister at the top of the Abbey.)

As the Mont is indeed an island, cars park on the causeway that leads from the mainland to the island. When tides are high, the car parks are completely underwater. The tide was low when we were there, so we made our way out into the muddy flats around the island to take more photos! (Believe it or not, Jacob is actually in this photo; he's just left of center in the distance, crouching on the ground.)
While in Normandy, we also saw the famous Bayeux Tapestry, a 230-foot long embroidered depiction of the events surrounding the all-important 1066 Battle of Hastings. The Tapestry was made in the 1070s, making it an astounding 930 years old! I enjoyed seeing the Tapestry up close and admiring the precise stitching and animation of the characters. It was remarkable!

Photography of the actual Tapestry is prohibited, but I took a few photos of the replica. First, the scene of Edward the Confessor's death and burial preparation; and second, a colorful battle scene.

We stayed in Caen, France. Below are photos from there: the gorgeous Abbaye aux Hommes and an even more gorgeous almond/chocolate crepe (before we shared the crepe, Jacob had a potato & duck crepe, and I had a bacon & mushroom omelet--very delicious!).

(Coming soon: Part II--DDay sites)