Tag Archives: Normandy

Beautiful Bayeux Tapestry & Cathedral #TuesdayTravels

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Tuesday Travels bannerOur first stop in Bayeux was the Tapestry Museum, followed by beautiful Bayeux Cathedral.

Bayeux Tapestry MuseumI’ve heard for ages about the amazing Bayeux Tapestry, and I have to say it’s as wonderful as it’s been described. I had some misconceptions though. Since it’s referred to as a tapestry, I expected to see a large piece of needlework hanging on a wall, like the ones we saw at Chateau D’Amboise. However, the Bayeux “Tapestry” is really a very long piece of crewel embroidery that tells the story of the Norman Conquest of England. According to Wikipedia, it’s actually 240 feet long and 20 inches high. No photos were allowed in the rather dark room where the tapestry is on view, but I found a couple of pictures at Deposit Photos. You can see more photos, including closeup views, at the website of the Tapestry Museum.

The women in our tour group were riveted by what we were seeing. Many of us had done needlework ourselves, but most modern embroidery follows a pattern that has been stamped on the material. This piece of work appeared to all be done freehand. I was in awe of what those amazing women achieved. The other amazing thing is that it has survived through nine centuries and isn’t faded like many newer tapestries are.

Below you can see the invaders in their boats crossing the English Channel.

BAYEUX, FRANCE – FEB 12: Detail of the Bayeux Tapestry depicting the Norman invasion of England in the 11th Century on February 12, 2013. This tapestry is more than 900 years old. (No property release is required.)

And here is the Battle of Hastings, as depicted in embroidery.

BAYEUX, FRANCE: Detail of the Bayeux Tapestry depicting the Norman invasion of England in the 11th Century on February 12, 2013. This tapestry is more than 900 years old. (No property release is required.)

After viewing the tapestry, we walked a short distance to lovely Bayeux Cathedral.

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As we walked back to the bus, I was wishing we had more time to explore Bayeux, which seemed like a charming city.

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But Ste. Mere Eglise and the Normandy Landing Beaches beckoned us onward. More next week.

Linda

Why We Celebrate Memorial Day #holiday #history

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CannonWhen we have a three-day weekend, it’s easy to ignore the reason for the day off, but in the case of Memorial Day, we should remember why we celebrate. The holiday started in the years immediately following the Civil War, the most destructive conflict in our country’s history. Hardly a family or community went unaffected by that terrible war. Two of my ancestors fought for the Union. One was wounded at Gettysburg, the other at the Battle of the Wilderness. The latter lived into his 80’s with a bullet lodged in one knee.

As early as 1866, people gathered flowers in spring to decorate the graves of the fallen. For decades the holiday was knows as Decoration Day, but after World War II, Memorial Day stuck. In 1866, President Johnson declared the town of Waterloo, New York to be the beginning of the Memorial Day holiday, but other cities make competing claims.

cemetary

In the South, states set aside alternate dates to honor the Confederate dead. It wasn’t until after World War I that all states began celebrating on the same day, May 30, and people began honoring the dead of all American wars, not just the Civil War.

In 1968 when Congress passed the law that created three-day weekends and since then Memorial Day has been celebrated on the fourth Monday of May. This year the fourth Monday happens to be May 30.

Cross with rose

Grave of Unknown Soldier

Last year, I toured the Normandy Landing Beaches and the American Cemetery in Colleville, a moving experience. This single rose by the grave of an unknown brings tears to my eyes every time I see it.

History.com has an interesting video about Memorial Day. Have fun, but don’t forget why we celebrate.

Linda