Up early [5.00am], after waking around 4.00am……slept OK despite debacles with alarms and phones during the night. Bags had to be outside the room door by 6.30, before we went to breakfast in the Groups private dining room. Breakfast was excellent with choice of fruit salad, yoghurt, croissants, cereal plus cooked breakfast of bacon, eggs, sausages & tomatoes, as well as toast to choose from. The hotel was very good.
Our bus took off at 8.00am, driving out of Paris into the countryside through fog for a long way. ..a sign apparently that we are in for a warm day. Paris has a couple of very large forests on its outskirts….they are referred to as “the lungs of Paris”. The countryside is very different to home.
Toll roads are a feature of our journey with large service stations for compulsory stops for the numerous transport trucks. We stop for a leg and loo break then onto Rouen …the town where Joan of Arc was burnt at the stake. We stop and take a walking tour through different areas of the town, starting at a very old church with many gargoyles on the side of this decaying limestone building. The little squares and laneways that lead into some other picturesque square or market, surrounded by fabulous old buildings.
We came across a very interesting little market, specialising in seafood [ saw Australian Lobsters offered], cheeses, fruit & vegetables……very big luscious raspberries. We managed to order a coffee at the Joan of Arc cafe, whilst attempting Dot’s french.
Back on the bus and we drive to the very picturesque port town of Honfleur, immortalised by many artists. It really is a bustling port and we have another walking tour…the little radios enable everyone to clearly hear tour leader Sarah. our walking tour finishes at a very unique church….it is built entirely out of wood by boat builders……the ceiling is made up of a large wooden boat hull reversed. A second hull side by side the first completes the full width of the church, whilst the bell tower for the church is in another building separated by a roadway. The it is off for lunch and the recommended dish for this port town is Moulles i,e, mussells cooked in a variety of sauces & flavours. Dot & Michael plus Dannielle [an Aussie from Newcastle] and Edith [from Las Vegas] order Moulles meunier au frites[chips] plus a lovely bottle of a local Bordeaux dry white wine. Following this we wander around the rectangular boat harbour which is ringed by restaurants…..Being a Sunday and still part of the holiday season most are well patronised.
We are back on the bus at 2.45pm and head to the town of Bayeux, for a viewing of the famous Bayeux Tapestry, which is some 70 metres long depicting the preparation for the Battle of Hastings 1066 between King Harold and his step brother William the Conqueror. Following our visit, we stop off at a Commonwealth War Graves administered cemetery. The presentation of the cemetery is very impressive.
Then onto the Bayeux Novotel for our overnight stay and our 3 course evening meal of goats cheese on toast, ham & vegies, plus dessert of apple tartin.
We take the opportunity to discuss with T/L Sarah, suggestions for our Dijon to Grasse journey. The Australians and the Canadians are the last to leave the dining room, actually we are asked to leave to enable the completion of setup of the dining room for breakfast.
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