Normandy Notes
13 April-Friday
12 hour drive from Sachseln to Bayeux
Euros are expensive in both CHF and US$. There are a lot of nice rest and fueling areas along the roads. There are several toll roads too. Other than a slight misstep in the suburbs of Paris, we stayed on the path.
Chateau de Belle Fontaine is a beautiful old restoration situated in a park with its own lake. We were here for two days and nights.
We took a walk to the village. There are really two areas. The old village and the surrounding industrial development that rarely is seen after you get into the town proper.
We walked the narrow streets, saw the large cathedral, scouted out a possible tour for tomorrow, looked at lots of menus and restaurants, etc.
Found a combo kiosk, lottery parlor and bar that had Guinness on tap, so the thirst was slaked. Restaurants open at 1900, and we found one that looked simple.
Tripes!!! This is a local specialty of Normandy. On lots of menus, but what I had at Le Garde-Manager at 49 rue St. Jean/ Rue Pietonne was the best that I have ever had. It was totally unlike the CH variety as I had been told. Have to try to create at home. Tripes a la Caen is the name.
This dish is made of squares (not strips) of tripe that had been cooked with butter, bullion, onion, thinly sliced carrots, with cloves, kummel seeds, black peppercorns, garlic, and I don’t know what else. It had been simmered a long time, but a pressure cooker will do it well. It is served in a bowl with small boiled new potatoes.
Good red wine and a local Calvados for a “digestif”.
While eating we conversed with a German couple here on a holiday. Talk about irony!
14 April-Sat.
We were in the village early after a nice breakfast at the hotel. More walking the streets and looking at stores, etc.
We visited the Bayeux Cathedral, and then we went the local tourist bureau for a good walking map of the town,
Then we were ready for a tour of the area in a trolley train. This was a good way to find other areas we wanted to visit. Then we went back to the tourist office for some more questions. We learned that there was a Saturday farmer’s market, so we headed for that. The usual wonderful outlay of food (vegetables, meats, breads, and cheeses), flowers, live chickens and rabbits, and likely anything we could imagine.
This was over about noon, and we were foot and leg weary. We went over to a brassiere and bar to have a cool drink. When we entered and said we only wanted a drink and not food, the wait staff saw that the bar was full, so they hopped to making us a table set up for drinks only by removing the tableware and the cloth. When they saw us pull out a phrase book and use our primitive French, they were very cordial and helpful.
Both American and English tourists abound here, and the contribution by those in WW II still remains in the forefront. Consequently, French is unnecessary in this area. One shopkeeper told me that there is more English spoken in Bayeux than French. Of course, this is a tourist town for one and all. The French, Germans (yes they come to see where their soldiers fought and died too), Scandinavians, and others come here for the culture and history.
There is more to Bayeux than WW II history. The place dates back to the 3rd century. In the afternoon, we visited the museum housing the famous Bayeux tapestry. This a 210 foot long embroidery of the history of the Norman invasion of England by William the Bastard, who became William the Conqueror after his victory over the Saxons at Hastings in 1066. The tapestry is a work of art and well explained by the hand phones in several languages.
Again, it was time for a respite. We both were sore from all our walking and the effects of 12 hours in the car yesterday. Across from the tapestry museum was the Tapestry Jardin. This is an outdoor garden spot with some covered areas that has all sorts of drinks and a light menu. We found seats and noted on a far wall, a USA Route 66 highway sign. When the owner brought our espresso and Coke, we asked him about this. It turns out this man, Jerome, is a real fan of the USA, travels there often, and is a friend of Chad McQueen, the son of the deceased actor, Steve McQueen. The two are big car racing enthusiasts Jerome has raced at Le Mans here, and other places in the USA. He was an engaging man who enjoys Americans particularly. He also gave us a restaurant recommendation, which we plan on exploring.
Then it was time for some more walking to find a take home supper and buy some Calvados in case biting snakes attacked our hotel room. This led us to a bakery for some AM treats for tomorrow, a sandwich for each of us, and a wonderful wine and spirit store that had a nice tasting cave in the back. We sampled Calvados that was 4, 10, 24, and 42 years old. The prices rise accordingly but not exponentially, so we took home a bottle 24 years. The difference in smoothness is striking. The store has lots of goodies, and we will return.
After our walk home, it time for licking our wounds and some R&R.
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