Meeting us at the Gard du Nord station in Paris was our wonderful hostess Kim, with whom (& Kim's husband, Pierre), we stayed with while in Paris. See the January 2011 blog for more on Kim & Pierre. It was so helpful to have someone who lives in Paris meet us at the railroad station. The metro (subway) brought us to their apartment, where we enjoyed dinner and conversation into the night.
Elaine & I set out to visit the Palace of Versailles early the next morning, which required taking the Metro and then about a 45 minute train ride. This is another UNESCO World Heritage Site, which means we were in for a real treat. The palace is a wealth of 17th century French art and architecture. The palace began as a humble hunting lodge for Louis XIII in 1624. Being the way kings are, that humbleness lasted about 8 years and then the expansions began and continued through the reign of Louis XIV. By 1682, the royal court was moved to this abode, so as to distance the monarch from the nobility and rabble of Paris. The last major additions were completed by 1710. Let’s take a look at what one sees when visiting.
Louis XIV statue greets you at the entrance courtyard.
One must walk quite a ways in this courtyard to get to the gates gilt with gold. The lines were long to buy tickets – I’d recommend buying them beforehand to avoid the hour or so you must wait to get into the grounds. Arrive early and plan to stay the whole day; you may allow a second day to see the gardens and queen’s palace.
The exterior of the buildings are impressive, and show the extraordinary wealth of the monarchy.
Once inside, there is a wealth of sculpture, painting, tapestry & more.
Here is the King’s private chapel. I’m sure he prayed for the poor here.
Fortunately for us, Eugene Delacroix’s suggestion to melt down the palace metal and cast them into canons was not acted upon. Instead, the seized treasures of the wealthy were to be stored here along with the library of 200,000 volumes. Thus, since 1797 one could view the lifestyle of the super-wealthy of the deposed monarchy.
The most famous room of the palace is the Hall of Mirrors, constructed in 1678. There are 17 mirror-clad arches in this hall. At the culmination of the Franco-Prussian War in 1871, the defeated French were forced to sign the peace treaty in this hall by the victorious Prussians. Turnabout is fair play, as the French insisted that the Germans sign the 1919 surrender which ended WWI in this very same room. Picky, picky. All of the various salons (rooms) are ornate, but this tops them all.
While we did not have time to tour the gardens, as they are extensive, we did get a glimpse of a small patch from inside the palace. Maybe another time.
We arrived back in Paris and had some time to tour Notre Dame Cathedral, considered to be one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture. Construction of the cathedral began in 1163 and was completed in 1345. This seems like a very long time, but it is somewhat typical. If you want to read more about construction of medieval cathedrals, I’d suggest a read of “Pillars of the Earth” a fictional work, but a lot of good history is included. Unfortunately, our camera began its slow decline here & we missed out on taking interior photos of the famous stained glass windows. The photos give a view from afar and a close-up of the sculptured exterior façade.
After that, I decided to cash some of our traveler’s checks. I soon found out that the exchange rate on traveler’s checks is very poor. When traveling internationally, just use your bank debit card. You will get a better exchange rate than changing $US or travelers checks. Location often determines the price of goods. For instance, we stopped at a café at a busy intersection and enjoyed a beer. Price - very high. Find an out of the way place and prices can be reasonable.
Kim had the day off on the next day and spent the day with us viewing some of the more famous sites in Paris. Our first stop on our walking tour of Paris was the LaFayette Department Store. Not to shop the high priced fashion items therein, but to go to the rooftop viewing, where we were treated to a view of the ornate Paris Opera House and some city views. To get there, just keep climbing until you run out of stairs.
Our next major destination was the Hotel Nationale des Invalides, built in 1670 to house disabled soldiers. On the way there we stopped to take a look at St Magdelene’s Church, a Romanesque style building.
Cleopatra’s Needle, similar to the one in London, is located on a massive square at one end of the Champs Elysee, a major Parisian thoroughfare.
Our walk took us by some government building that had guards posted all around it. There seemed to be a lot of activity for some reason. Kim asked one guard what was going on and was told that the French Minister of Finance, François Baroin, was holding a meeting inside. We decided to stick around to see him exit the building, as there was a colorful honor guard rehearsing for the exit ceremony.
After waiting around for a while, we decided to move on, as nothing seemed to be happening. The Invalides has a huge lawn and formal garden with highly manicured trees and shrubs. Within is also a large museum of the army, its history and weaponry through the ages.
A golden dome tops the chapel wherein lies the tomb of Napoleon and several other famous French military veterans. The tomb of Napoleon is very large and a circular walkway around the tomb has 10 bas-reliefs presenting his accomplishments both militarily and in civil government.
One of the other tombs was that of Sébastien le Prestre de Vauban (1633-1707), of whom I had never heard of before (but Pierre knew who he was) and I’d bet you probably hadn’t either. He was a military engineer in the 17th century who built a series of forts in northern France. One of which we saw on our time in Normandy. Since Pierre wasn’t with us on this day, I didn’t see any reason to take a photo of his tomb, to my later regret.
The Army Museum has many interesting items, such as medieval helmets, a jewel-encrusted quiver for your arrows, crossbows, pikes, swords and armor all for fighting in that brutal era.
There are many exhibits tracing the history of French military involvement in WW I & II, French Indo-China and Algeria. Wasted treasure comes to my mind seeing all these artifacts whose main purpose is to maim and kill other humans, but such is life.
After this, we walked to the Eiffel Tower and viewed this magnificent structure. One can take the elevator to one of the viewing platforms of the tower. However, the line was longer than that for the London Eye, so we deferred on that.
Our tour ended at the Arc de Triumphe, at the other end of the Champs Elysee. The Arc was commissioned in 1806 to commemorate the victory of Napoleon at Austerlitz. For various reasons, it was not completed until 1836, long after Napoleon’s death (1821). However, when the British allowed Napoleon’s remains to be repatriated to France from St. Helena in 1840, his coffin did pass underneath the arch. The arch found its way into USA postal history (remember I’m a stamp collector) when a victory stamp was issued for the US Army (there were stamps for the other branches of service too). Until 2011, no living person was to be pictured on a stamp. However, the stamp was a reproduction of a photo showing US Army soldier marching through the arch. The soldiers were actual living persons, which violated US Postal rules – but in the elation of victory, who cared?
Rather than walk any further, we took the Metro from the Arch back to Kim’s. Thanks Kim, for such a fine day.
The following day was spent at the Louvre, the largest art museum in the world. The Metro takes you right to the underground entrance of the Louvre – very convenient. I must say, that this was the most impressive museum that I have ever seen. The holdings even topped those of the British Museum, in my opinion. The museum is located in what was begun in the 12th century as a fortified palace of Phillip II. It has been enlarged and modified several times over the years. It was opened as a museum in 1793 and continued as such ever since, except for a few years. The collection of over 65,000 items is divided among eight curatorial departments: Egyptian Antiquities; Near Eastern Antiquities; Greek, Etruscan, and Roman Antiquities; Islamic Art; Sculpture; Decorative Arts; Paintings; Prints and Drawings. Plan on a whole day there. The most recent modification is the glass pyramid that extends from the courtyard above ground to the underground entrance.
Our tour began with Greek and Roman sculpture. Some of the more famous works are the Venus de Milos,
Winged Victory of Samothrace,
and busts of Roman emperors. Here is Hadrian (76-138).
There are room after room of these items. The detail that the artists worked into the stone is simply amazing.
One holding of tremendous historical significance is the code of Hammurabi from ancient Babylon (c1760 B.C.) on which are carved 282 rules or laws and the punishments for transgressing each – usually the punishment was death. What is so significant is that this is the first known codification of law in human history. I was awestruck by seeing it, as I had seen it many times in history books, but never knew where the real item resided.
There were Assyrian and Persian palace sculptures similar to those in the British Museum.
Of course, most everyone must see Leonardo DaVinci’s Mona Lisa. As a result, this is the most crowded of the museum’s galleries, with everyone trying to get as close as possible to the famous painting for that special picture. To add to the crowd, any tour group spending only an hour or two at the museum will direct their group to the Mona Lisa. This was probably the most unpleasant aspect of the Louvre, this pushing and shoving crowd to see one rather small painting.
In the hundreds (?) of other rooms works by DaVinci and other renown artists.
Masterpieces such as: Eugene Delacroix’s “Liberty”,
Paolo Veronese’s Wedding Feast at Cana,
Johannes Vermeer’s Lacemaker,
and on and on, each just as much of a masterpiece as the next.
Our eyes were sighing from all the beauty as we took the Metro home that afternoon after a full day at the Louvre.
A very special weekend was arranged for us by Pierre and Kim. They arranged for accommodations for 2 nights at bed and breakfasts in the Normandy (Normandie in French) region of France. Even more special, they came with us. The train brought us to Cherbourg, where Pierre had arranged an auto.
You may wonder, what are Pierre and Kim pointing at? Well, that is because the train pictured is not the one we had taken. Trains all look alike. They are pointing at the actual train which we rode on. The light was not right for that angle, that is why they point.
Pierre did the driving, and Kim the navigating. While France and all of continental Europe drives on the same side of the road as the USA, the roads are narrow and winding once you get off the main highways, and we were mostly off the main highways. Cherbourg gained fame in WW II as the port city from which many of the supplies for allied troops were landed and funneled to the advancing allied armies. Today, it is a quiet city of 42,000 on the Manche (English Channel).
Pierre had planned a touring agenda and we enjoyed the surprises of where we were going without really knowing our destinations. One of the first places Pierre drove to was Quettehou, a small coastal town in Normandy. Along the coast are a series of 17th century fortifications designed by Vauban, whose tomb I saw at the Invalides. Ownership of Quettehou and much of Normandy was long-contested between France and England, and these forts were designed to keep Normandy a part of France. As it turned out, they served their purpose.
A gun emplacement demonstrates that the fortifications were incorporated into Hilter’s Atlantic wall.
A paved hiking trail snakes along the coast, providing several views of the fortifications and other sights, such as this oyster farm.
The French countryside is beautiful. We see many of those hedgerows that gave the allies so much trouble during the initial days of the D-day invasion. The vegetation is very dense and over the centuries a berm of soil up to six feet high has developed, making every field an earthen fort for the defending Germans and also obstructing the view of the terrain ahead.
D-day, June 6, 1944 saw allied forces from USA, Canada, the United Kingdom, free French forces, and other nations hitting the beaches of Normandy. The military had divided the landing zone into 5 parts, which were named Utah, Omaha, Sword, Juno and Gold Beach. Utah Beach was the first beach which we visited.
The sandy hill pictured provided an obstacle that the troops had to surmount before destroying the various German bunkers. Remnants of the battle are displayed for visitors.
Ste . Mere Eglise (Church of St. Mary) was our next stop. If you have ever seen a movie about D-day, you will remember this small town. Its location was along the main route of any expected German counterattack. On the night of June 5, 1944, USA soldiers of the 82nd and 101st Airborne parachuted into Normandy, with the assignment to take possession of several critical points, one of them being Ste. Mere Eglise, which they subsequently did. One parachutist, John Steele had the unfortunate (or was it fortunate?) luck to have his chute snag on the church steeple, from which he hung during the struggle to take the town. A replica parachute and mannequin of John remains on the steeple to this day and a stained glass window of the church commemorates the airborne liberation.
Another scene in most D-day movies recalls the efforts of over 225 US Army Rangers to take Pointe du Hoc, a strategically located cliff-top that provided artillery coverage for the Germans of both Utah and Omaha Beach.
The point was thought to have several heavy artillery pieces on it and the Rangers were assigned to capture and destroy said artillery and the German defenders. Pierre and I contemplate at what the Rangers had to overcome.
The cliff the Rangers had to scale is 100 foot high. Complicating the matter were the many German soldiers who threw hand grenades and shot at the Rangers as they were climbing the cliff. I am surprised that any of the Rangers survived the climb. Besides personal courage, a big reason that they did prevail was that the Navy was heavily shelling the point during the assault. One can still imagine the intensity of this action by the cratered terrain (up to 10-foot deep) and the destroyed fortifications (built of 4 foot-thick concrete). The land was flat on June 5th, by the 7th it looked like the moon.
However, the artillery pieces had been removed from the emplacements and would not have been a threat. The guns were slated to be shipped to another location. At the end of the 2-day action, only 90 Rangers were fit for battle, the rest were either dead or severely injured. What bravery.
Les Pieris was the name of the bed & breakfast that we stayed at that night. The proprietor spoke English and talked of life, customs and attractions of this area. If you should be visiting this area, I have their business card. The rooms we stayed in were in an 18th century stone building, covered with flowering vines and bushes. The rooms themselves were quite large and comfortable with private bathroom and shower.
Marc (proprietor) recommended that we eat at Restaurant La Maree (restaurant of the sea) a very nice seafood restaurant on the coast,
where we feasted on traditional French seafood cuisine and wonderful desserts. Get ready to drool over the strawberry torte,
a pistachio chocolate and fig creation
an apple crepe,
and an ice cream sundae.
The main course was similarly attractive and delicious; however, I was pretty hungry at the time of the serving of the entrée and neglected to take a photo. Yes, it was a bit pricey, but we pulled out the stops on this meal and enjoyed it to the max. Sufficiently stuffed, we strolled along the seashore before having a very restful sleep. Breakfast consisted of baguettes (delicious), toast, bread, cake, butter, jam, juice, croissants, and assorted beverages served in a 6-inch diameter bowl, in which you dip your bread etc. Met a newlywed couple from Atlanta, Georgia who were also touring Normandy.
This day’s activities were focused on Omaha Beach, today, a quiet beach lined with seaside cottages with only a few hints of the battle fought there almost 70 years ago. The road was not there then, of course. One can only imagine trying to get up and over the high ground held by the Germans.
A silent memorial to the fallen on this hallowed ground.
The American Cemetery at Colleville holds the remains of 9,387 US soldiers, most of whom died on D-Day, along with a Garden of the Missing – which has inscribed the names of 1,557 whose fate remains unknown (some remains have been recovered since and this is so noted by the inscription).
Each of us strolled separately amongst the gravestones, no doubt having the same somber thoughts of the sacrifice that these young men made so that we could defeat the Nazis. Elaine expressed our feelings pretty well when she wrote . . . “I find a sudden huge lump in my throat. It is impossible to walk among them without being overcome with emotion. The tears come quickly and refuse to stop.”
The cemetery is located with a view of where so many of these men died. A peaceful view of La Manche.
The Cemetery was the first of several WW II era cemeteries established in Europe. It has a fascinating visitor center that recounts the history of this battle and has many artifacts associated with D-day. It was a quiet ride for a while after leaving the cemetery.
The City of Bayeaux was our next destination. The city itself largely escaped destruction during WW II, although concussions from bombing did break most of the glass windows in the town, to include those of the cathedral. Bayeaux has preserved its medieval central city, which is dominated by the Norman-Romanesque Cathedral.
The cathedral was consecrated in 1077 in the presence of William Duke of Normandy (William the Conqueror), who also was the king of England. The cathedral was the home of the Bayeaux Tapestry until it was moved to a nearby museum (more on this later). Harold Godwinson was forced to take an oath of allegiance to William in the cathedral. The breaking of this oath led to William’s invasion of England and defeat of Harold at the Battle of Hastings in 1066.
The spires of the cathedral dominate the old town area. The interior features many beautiful stained glass windows and arched ceilings. The stained glass was all destroyed in WW II and a USA woman led the campaign to raise funds to replace the stained glass. Thank you.
Speaking of the Bayeaux Tapestry, that was our next stop. No interior photos allowed – but the visit is a must. Here is what Wikipedia says on this topic. The tapestry is an embroidered cloth—not an actual tapestry—nearly 70 metres (230 ft) long, which depicts the events leading up to the Norman conquest of England concerning William, Duke of Normandy and Harold, Earl of Wessex, later King of England, and culminating in the Battle of Hastings. The tapestry consists of some fifty scenes with Latin tituli (captions), embroidered on linen with coloured woollen yarns. It is likely that it was commissioned by Bishop Odo, William's half-brother, and made in England in the 1070s. In 1729 the hanging was rediscovered by scholars at a time when it was being displayed annually in Bayeux Cathedral. The tapestry is now exhibited at Musée de la Tapisserie de Bayeux in Bayeux, Normandy. From what we learned at the museum, the tapestry was not intended as an historical item, rather it was more of a morality lesson on the importance of not breaking your word. The story is that William had been promised the throne of England by the dying monarch; Harold had taken an oath to support William. However, Harold happened to be in England when the old king died and took the throne for himself. Another similarly named person, Harald, King of Norway also laid claim to the throne. William defeated them both in two separate battles. The tapestry does not mention Harald and the battle to defeat him, only that of Harold and the breaking of his oath.
The Norman conquest was a pivotal event in English history. It largely removed the native ruling class, replacing it with a foreign, French-speaking monarchy, aristocracy, and clerical hierarchy. This, in turn, brought about a transformation of the English language and the culture of England in a new era often referred to as Norman England.
After this history lesson, Pierre drove us to Vimoutiers, where we dined and then lodged at another B & B, the Clos de la Biquetiere. Besides being a B & B, it is also a goat farm, where they raise goats and manufacture goat soap and goat cheese. It has a stunning view over a rural valley.
After a restful night, we were treated to a wholesome and filling breakfast, the remains of which are pictured.
Spent the better part of the day driving through the countryside viewing the many green pastures, hedgerows, orchards, hayfields and herds of cattle. Spent some time in Vimoutiers, a quaint village with a medium size church.
The area is famous for its cheeses and a statue of a dairy maid is in Vimoutiers main square.
I mentioned this part of Normandy is known for its cheeses and orchards. We visited the town of Camembert which has its own cheese museum.
Next stop, an orchard which sold the most delicious cider. Cider in France is what we call hard cider in USA. That is, it is fermented and has an alcohol content equivalent to a strong beer. We partook of the samples, purchased and drank a few bottles and also took a bottle to share with someone special in Spain.
Our wandering took us past a sign that said something like “this way to ancient church of St Michael.” Up and down narrow winding roads brought us to a small unpaved parking lot, from which a trail through the forest led us the St. Michael of the Forest Church, an chapel built 1,000 years ago. Inside was plain with some neat statuary. This gem was unattended (maybe there are hidden cameras), and yet no damage or grafitti was seen.
After this, we stumbled upon Beuvron en Auge, a small town that was hosting a flea market. The fleas did not interest us. However, there were a few traditional-style buildings that did. Thatched roof and flower boxes are featured in these old homes.
Thirst overcame us and we spent some time in an inn enjoyed some Leffe beer (A Belgian Beer).
After filling the car with $8.50 a gallon gas (and you thought $3.50 was high), we caught the early evening train to Paris.
The next morning we reluctantly said farewell to Pierre and Kim, whom we thank for such a fun week. Seven hours on the train brought us to Carcassonne, a small city in southern France near the Pyrenees Mountains, where we spent the next four days.
Our train travel took us south from Paris through Central France. When traveling longer distances by train or bus in Europe, it is essential to have reservations, as they trains/buses are often fully booked. Trains/buses usually have assigned seats. The trains are clean, with comfortable seats and most have a dining car. We usually pack a meal, as train food can be costly. We expected to have some great views of the French countryside. However, most of our views were of tunnels and forest, as we were traveling in a mountainous area. Once we got out of the hills, the weather was sunny and very warm – in the 80s. We first saw women in shorts here, wearing shorts in public was not seen by us before hitting the warmer region. Vineyards are everywhere in this region.
Our hotel was a 10 minute walk from the train station (I planned this so that we would not have to figure out local transport to get to our room). The Hotel Astoria is a small family-run inn. The owner/managers spoke English and were very friendly, as were all the French people with whom we had contact. A filling breakfast was available for extra cost, we partook of it each of our 4 days in this lovely city of 48,000.
Carcassonne is a tourist city which features the restored medieval walled city of Carcassonne, another UNESCO World Heritage site. I first heard of this city by way of my hobby of postage stamp collecting. France issued a stamp in 1938 which features the castle and city walls of old Carcassonne. That image has been in my mind for many years.
Elaine and I strolled the narrow and busy city streets appreciating the architecture and shops. The city’s name, Carcassonne, has its origin in the legend of Carcas, the Moorish (Arab) queen of the city who defeated by deception Charlemagne’s attempt to conquer the city in the 8th century. This is an ancient sculpture said to be the face of Queen Carcas. Whether this legend is true or not is lost to the mist of history.
The following day we walked the mile or so up to the castle, which is located on a hilltop overlooking the Aude River Valley. It is believed that this hilltop has been a defensive stronghold as long as there have been people here. There is evidence that ancient Phoenicians and Greeks traded here.
The Romans built the first castle here sometime around 43-30 B.C. Some of their castle walls have been incorporated into the medieval castle. The strips of red brick in the wall are the Roman walls.
During excavations on the grounds artifacts from prior civilizations have been found. For instance, here is a Roman sarcophagus and some decorative columns.
By 412 A.D., the castle was a Visigoth stronghold. An actual Visigoth sarcophagus has also been found on site. Quite plain, but surely fit for a noble burial.
In 725, the Arabs captured the city, by 750, the French king Pepin retook the city; in 1067 Barcelonia (now part of Spain) took the city. In 1208 Pope Innocent III called for a crusade against the Cathars, whose stronghold was the castle at Carcassonne. The Cathars (cathar means “pure” in Greek), believed that people did not need priests to attain salvation. Can you see why the Pope would be worried about this challenge to the power of the clergy? By 1209, the Count of Toulouse (France) conquered the city and either killed or exiled its inhabitants. The next two decades saw several count this and count that take and retake the city, before King Louis the VII occupied the city.
Let’s take a tour of this walled city. A set of double stone walls 20 to 40 foot high surround the city and the castle within. It is quite a sight, as it dominates the city. There are 52 towers and barbicans (defensive positions) in the walls.
There is a path between the walls, wide enough for two teams of horses to meet and pass one another.
Within the walls, one finds a bustling town of shops, hotels, tourist attractions, restaurants and even a church.
Even a haunted castle attraction. We passed on that and the torture chamber attraction.
Within the city, is the Church of St. Nazaire & St Celse, which dates from 925 A.D. The interior features beautiful stained glass windows, statuary and sculpture.
Several notables are buried in the church and their tombs are ever present to remind church-goers of their mortality.
The “siege stone” Commemorates a 13th century attempted siege of the city, using catapults.
The exterior has the ever-present gargoyles, which are really drain spouts for rainfall on the roof of the church.
While we were poking around the church, a quintet of men sang chants to our delight.
Within the city, is the castle complex, encircled by at dry moat (no water in the moat, as it was on top of a dry hill). One can see the Pyrennes Mountains of southern France and northern Spain in the distance. We are only about 50 miles from the small mountain nation of Andorra.
The castle had all the amenities of the time – for instance, an indoor bathroom – however, the emissions when out this chute to the outside of the walls. So, watch out and don’t stand too near the walls was recommended back then.
Elaine & I spent all day within the city and three hours in the castle part.
Enjoyed dinner at a local restaurant and then wandered the city and saw the castle all lit up at night.
The Canal du Midi is 150 miles long and connects the Bay of Biscay on the Atlantic Coast near Garonne to the Mediterranean Sea, which avoided the Barbary coast and its well-known pirates. It was opened in 1681. A portion of this waterway goes through Carcassonne. Canal boats may be rented for the day/week/month for an extraordinary vacation. There are also day trips available for hire, one of which we took for a day trip on the canal. During the trip, we went through 2 of the 91 locks, which we were able to see in operation. Tour guide spoke fluent French, English and Spanish in her narration.
There is a path on either side of the canal, which, before the era of mechanical engines, were used by draft animals to pull the boats along the canal. Today they are used by bicyclists, some of whom make the trip along the entire length of the canal.
Spent a day or so wandering in the modern city of Carcassonne, appreciating the vibrant life of this small city. Thursday is market day, and we made some purchases of fresh fruits and vegetables. The grapes tasted like fine wine – a real treat.
Enjoyed a couple of picnics in the parkland that borders the Aude Rive near the Pont Vieux (translation: Old Bridge, built in 1359). The river otters were very busy as we lazed by their home.
The modern city used to have its own walls surrounding it. The old town gate and short portions of the wall remain.
Several old churches were visited – each with a unique style and with beautiful stained glass. One thing you will never run out of in Europe are old churches.
It was time to leave this welcoming city. Stamp collecting has some unexpected rewards, as I'm sure that we would not have visited Carcassonne if it weren’t for that old French stamp that I have in my collection. A fond adieu was bade to France and its warm and friendly people. It was time to board our train to Spain .. the next installment in the tales of the slutigram.
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