Bayeux

Okay, this post is for those of us who might not have paid a whole lot of attention in World History class. I say “us” because I clearly had other things on my mind (boys? My hair? ) while we were learning about battles and trenches and bombs.

But it’s never too late to learn, so we can all play catch up together.

Bayeux, which I had never heard of until this trip, is a charming little town with beautifully preserved Medieval buildings. The inhabitants got word to the Allies, after the Normandy invasion, that all the Germans had evacuated, so the town was never bombed during World War Two.

Its proximity to the beaches of Normandy meant that Bayeux was the first town to be liberated by the Allies, and served as the capital of France until Paris was freed.

Charles DeGaulle gave his first speech on the soil of Free France in this Bayeux Park.

To celebrate the 80th anniversary of D Day, many of the store fronts in the town were painted with these colorful murals.

I know conventional wisdom claims that the French are unfriendly, but that certainty has not been my experience, at least so far. American flags are EVERYWHERE.

Another of Bayeux’s claim to fame is their “tapestry” ( actually an embroidery) on linen which stretches for 70 meters (or about 230 feet.)

It tells the story of how William “the bastard” became William “the conqueror”, which, of course, required lots of dead bodies.

When I was a college student in Boston, the Citgo sign above Kenmore Square always helped me find my way home. The Bayeux cathedral performed a similar function.

Thanks to that landmark, I was able to wander freely, knowing I would eventually find my way back.

It stayed light in Bayeux till almost 10 PM, which allowed us to take long evening walks along the river’s banks.

I’m so grateful to have spent three days in this wonderful little town!