Our hotel was very nice but small and offered a nice continental breakfast for 6 euros. So after filling up we are off to the Tapestry in the Augustinian Abbey in Bayeaux. In true French style it was not open when we arrived so we dropped in at the Bayeaux Cathedral, Notre Dame de Bayeaux – enthralling majestic and very interesting.
But we are here for the Tapestry so back to the Augustinians – but they are still not up. So we went across the road looking for other highlights of Bayeaux and there to my surprise was an operating water wheel. Still operating we could not determine if it was still part of a mill or generator.
Back to the Augustinians and they had finally opened. We were greeted by the security guard opening the door. Inside a former Abbey the museum is made up of two parts, the tapestry room and then the history of the tapestry. The tapestry room is an air conditioned large room with no natural sunlight. I estimate the room is about 8 metre square with a case containing the tapestry standing in the middle. If I am correct about the size of the room, then the case is 7 metres square and displaying the full tapestry under glass. Remarkable! After viewing the tapestry we went to the history room which explains how the fabric of the tapestry was made through to how the tapestry survived the trip through history – it has not always been preserved in an air-conditioned secure environment. Well worth the wait though – remarkable piece of history and the history around its preservation is just as remarkable – a must see.
As we are due in Rossypole to meet Doug and Nerida Bishop and fly to Norway tomorrow morning we cannot spend too much time in the museum so we drive onto Rouen and had a brief look around spotting this unusual church, lunch then onto Paris and Rossypole.
Had some entertainment returning the car and then finding our hotel but we made it but now we have lost Doug and Nerida. Back again once we find them. They had left a note with their room number and collapsed into bed with jet lag but the wrong room number. Once raised they joined us for dinner, a wine tasting and some of the sights of Paris – everyone is excited about Norway tomorrow except it is a 4.00 am start.
glendon1954 