Caen and Bayeux France

Caen was a beautiful place. The churches and walled castles are things we don’t have in the states.  I didn’t have much time in Caen so I was just able to walk around a little. I also spend two hours on Bayeux France. It’s a small town outside of Caen on the way to Normandy. There they have the Bayeux Tapestry that was made to show William the Conqueror’s fight for his rightful place as king of England.  It is something like 66 meters long and was all hand made.

This is a statue of Joan of Arc. It was just in the middle of a public square. It was nice but seemed out of place, until I remember she was from France.   

This church was heavily damaged during WWII. When you see tanks going by a damaged church in France this is one of the ones you normally see. I was walking by and keep thinking I had seen this church somewhere before and couldn’t figure out where. Then at the Omaha Beach Visitors Center that had a video playing that showed the church and I figured out where.

The people of Caen put up a memorial to the men of the British air force who jumped in to the city to liberate it. It was strange looking until you were able to read what it was supposed to be. It was really is nice because even with all the bad blood between the French and British they still respect each other.

This is a copy of the Doomsday’s Book. That is the book that William the Conqueror ordered to be created that had an inventory of everything and everyone in his Kingdom. It a great resource for historians because it is a complete records that describes the country. It’s amazing that it has survived over 900 years.

This is what a section of the tapestry that has been blow up. If you look closely you can see the detail that was involved in its making.

Because who don’t like Captain Caveman!