Previous Day Prev P    
Next Day Next N    

Saturday, June 22, 2019 - Our stop in Bayeux was marked by viewing the 200' long embroidered tapestry depicting more than 50 scenes surrounding William the Bastard, then William the Conqueror and the Battle of Hastings in 1066.

normandy2019
The piece dating back to 1077 is beautiful with its vividly colored threads creating detailed images and scenes of this period and the battle. We visited the beautiful Bayeux Notre Dame Cathedral, a masterpiece of Norman Gothic architecture, and had lunch along the canal at an outdoor cafe.
normandy2019
The present cathedral was consecrated on 14 July 1077 in the presence of William, Duke of Normandy and King of England. It was here that William may have forced Harold Godwinson to take an oath assuring William would be king of England. When Godwinson broke his oath, this led to the Norman conquest of England.
normandy2019
Story in stone over the church entrance.
normandy2019
High up in the spires of the Cathedral is a house occupied by a watchman who could see any enemy coming from far away.
normandy2019
Flying buttress of the Cathedral - beautiful gothic architecture.
normandy2019
Inside the Cathedral
normandy2019
Note the flags of the Allied forces displayed in the Cathedral - pictures of the saints are on the ceiling.
normandy2019
One of three great stained-glass windows.
normandy2019
Stained glass detail
normandy2019
Stained glass around the back of the Cathedral.
normandy2019
Stained glass detail - beautiful stained-glass everywhere.
normandy2019
Saint Michael slaying the dragon statue
normandy2019
Frescoes in a side chapel of the cathedral.
normandy2019
Cathedral organ
normandy2019
Many of the windows in the town were decorated for the 75th Anniversary of the D-Day invasion.
normandy2019
Street medallion in the cobblestones
normandy2019
The river Aure flows through Bayeux creating several beautiful settings.
normandy2019
Museum of the Battle of Normandy - a great accounting of the D-Day landings through the breakout from Normandy. The whole museum only covered 3-4 months including Normandy landings and the battles which followed. The museum was great - good maps and diagrams explaining the various offensives after D-Day.

On the grounds outside there were several memorials to British units who fought at Normandy.
normandy2019
To ensure that the names of the journalists killed in the line of duty are never forgotten, the City of Bayeux, in collaboration with Reporters Without Borders, created a Memorial entirely dedicated to reporters killed in combat around the world since 1944.
normandy2019
The Bayeux War Cemetery is the largest World War II cemetery of Commonwealth soldiers in France. The cemetery contains 4,648 burials, mostly from the Invasion of Normandy
normandy2019
The cemetery grounds were given to the United Kingdom in perpetuity by France in recognition of the sacrifices made by the British Empire in the defense and liberation of France during the war.
normandy2019
The headstones are very ornate due to the carving of the unit crest into each headstone.
normandy2019
The graves have flowers planted next to them - making for a very colorful yet somber setting.
normandy2019
The grave of a pilot
normandy2019
The cemetery contains the Cross of Sacrifice or War Cross, designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield for the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC).
normandy2019
Due to the 75th Anniversary of D-Day there were many tributes to individuals and units around the base of the War Cross.
normandy2019
In addition to the Commonwealth burials, there are 466 graves of German soldiers.
normandy2019
A tribute to the American soldiers in a backstreet window of Bayeux.
normandy2019
A water wheel on the river Aure.
Previous Day Prev P    
Next Day Next N    

Top
Top    
  Cal and VA | Adventures | Normandy
        © Cal and Virginia Ann Holman All Rights Reserved 2000-2025
Modified last on Aug 17, 2025, 6:33:14?PM