Driving through Normandy and Brittany

This morning we saw the Croux Tapestry.   It is a ‘graphic novel’ of the story of William the Conqueror and the Battle of Hastings.  Pretty interesting and amazing that a tapestry that is over a thousand years old is both so well done and in such great shape.  It is interesting, however, to see the PR at work.  William was justified because the old king choose him, because he behaved nobly and honorably toward Howard, because Howard betrayed his oath, because the Pope supported him.  And, finally, the stars themselves (Halley’s comet) condemned Howard for seizing the throne falsely.  The battle ends with an arrow killing Howard with the implication of divine guidance.  Pretty powerful stuff.  Truly the victors write the history.

My knowledge of history is extremely limited because all of the different schools I went to seemed to want to cover the time period from the Pilgrims through the end of the civil war.  I don’t think I ever studied anything before or after that time.

The drive through the countryside has been beautiful and very rural.  We had some trouble finding the main highway out of the Normandy and at one point we stumbled across a beautiful church and graveyard in the middle of nowhere.  Bill named it ‘the tomb of the unknown traveler’.

At breakfast this morning, some Americans were talking about how they had come here to learn French and originally they had planned to speak only French to each other.  That didn’t last long obviously.

We tried it in the car but since the only French we could think of at the time was ‘ooh, la, la’,  the conversation was pretty limited  J

The signs here are interesting.  Most are quite understandable.  But some of the picto-graphs are puzzling.  There is a sign that seems to say ‘don’t use caution here’.  Odd thing to say.  Also a sign that seems to say ‘don’t yield’.  Many speed signs have the word ‘rappel’ beneath them.  The only meaning of that word that I know is to rappel down cliffs or buildings.  It seems an odd thing to suggest on a highway.  Perhaps it means to go slow ?   A little knowledge of French is a dangerous thing.

It’s been a gray and sometimes rainy day but we did have one very cool sight.  There are many windmills here.  On top of one ridge, the windmills were spinning and the top blades were hidden in the clouds.  Very cool to see them appear and disappear as they churned the cloud.

We will get to Mireille’s island soon and then we won’t have Internet access, I believe.  So it may be awhile before I can post again.