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Home of the Tapestry
Apr. 5th, 2008 06:12 pmLast trip I stayed in Bayeux for two days and didn't see the tapestry. Will rectify that omission this time round.
Collected the car from the ferry terminal in St Malo, OK. Planned out the route from the terminal through the twisty streets of the walled city to our hotel and walked it twice over to make sure. Got to the first roundabout and my exit was blocked with a sign saying "Deviation".
Bloody detour. Had to go around the roundabout again and again until I stopped panicking in my manual transmission left hand drive unfamiliar car and worked out a possible alternate route. Without a map. I had a map of the car park, and I had a map of the highways to Caen, but nothing of an immediately useful nature.
Consequently I arrived to pick up Kerri and the luggage from the hotel a bit later than planned. But I got there. Not too much congestion in the narrow streets, tight corners and mediaeval layout, and eventually I was out, through the imposing Grande Porte, and speeding along the cote road wondering what the speed limit was and why I was going the wrong way down a one way street.
Sorted us out, stopped for a cappucino at Pointe de la Groine (straight espresso with a mound of whipped cream on top, weird), and got a good look at the map. And a distant glimpse of the mound of Mont St Michel on the horizon. Me driving, Kerri navigating isn't the best combination, but we made it through the country roads to Mont St Michel, where we parked, taking note of the advice that the carpark would be underwater at the next high tide. 1830, so not too much worry.
Grey, rainy day, not the best for photography. Got a few good shots. Climbed up through a street right out of the Middle Ages. Fafhyrd and the Grey Mouser might have walked the cobblestones, save for the souvenir shops lining the way.
8.50 Euro for entry, lots of steps, stone corridors, a windy west terrace witha stunning view over miles of mudflats, and a gorgeous old abbey church eighty metres up. A service in progress so we had to keep quiet, no photographs, and no exploring the best bits.
Cloisters adjacent were delightful. Refectory, more corridors, crypts, spiral stairs down and out again. Truly superb and a miracle of mediaevel engineering. Must have been bloody cold in winter, but.
Back to the car, rainy picture with Ringbear, hit the highway.
Stopped after a while to change drivers and give Kerri a chance to feel the car and the road without traffic piling up. Fine on the fourlane, but roundabouts were a problem. No damage, a few swear words, continued on, improving at each one.
No idea where the hotel was in Bayeux, no signs or directions on the ring road. Harrowing drive through pedestrian-choked streets to the tourist centre, where the same young lady who helped me out last time was on hand to mark up a map.
Checked in fine. Now for some Calvados!
Collected the car from the ferry terminal in St Malo, OK. Planned out the route from the terminal through the twisty streets of the walled city to our hotel and walked it twice over to make sure. Got to the first roundabout and my exit was blocked with a sign saying "Deviation".
Bloody detour. Had to go around the roundabout again and again until I stopped panicking in my manual transmission left hand drive unfamiliar car and worked out a possible alternate route. Without a map. I had a map of the car park, and I had a map of the highways to Caen, but nothing of an immediately useful nature.
Consequently I arrived to pick up Kerri and the luggage from the hotel a bit later than planned. But I got there. Not too much congestion in the narrow streets, tight corners and mediaeval layout, and eventually I was out, through the imposing Grande Porte, and speeding along the cote road wondering what the speed limit was and why I was going the wrong way down a one way street.
Sorted us out, stopped for a cappucino at Pointe de la Groine (straight espresso with a mound of whipped cream on top, weird), and got a good look at the map. And a distant glimpse of the mound of Mont St Michel on the horizon. Me driving, Kerri navigating isn't the best combination, but we made it through the country roads to Mont St Michel, where we parked, taking note of the advice that the carpark would be underwater at the next high tide. 1830, so not too much worry.
Grey, rainy day, not the best for photography. Got a few good shots. Climbed up through a street right out of the Middle Ages. Fafhyrd and the Grey Mouser might have walked the cobblestones, save for the souvenir shops lining the way.
8.50 Euro for entry, lots of steps, stone corridors, a windy west terrace witha stunning view over miles of mudflats, and a gorgeous old abbey church eighty metres up. A service in progress so we had to keep quiet, no photographs, and no exploring the best bits.
Cloisters adjacent were delightful. Refectory, more corridors, crypts, spiral stairs down and out again. Truly superb and a miracle of mediaevel engineering. Must have been bloody cold in winter, but.
Back to the car, rainy picture with Ringbear, hit the highway.
Stopped after a while to change drivers and give Kerri a chance to feel the car and the road without traffic piling up. Fine on the fourlane, but roundabouts were a problem. No damage, a few swear words, continued on, improving at each one.
No idea where the hotel was in Bayeux, no signs or directions on the ring road. Harrowing drive through pedestrian-choked streets to the tourist centre, where the same young lady who helped me out last time was on hand to mark up a map.
Checked in fine. Now for some Calvados!
