Saturday was a fabulous tour of D Day Battle sites.

This first photo is the entrance to La Rapiere Restaurant which was superb. 

 However, we started Saturday morning with Renee from D-Day Battle Tours picking us up at or hotel in Bayeux and driving about 30 minutes to St.  Mare Eglise for the start of an absolutely fantastic private tour of the important locations in the Normandy battle.  All I can say is, wow, what a sacrifice and dedication those thousands of American boys had.  It makes you proud and puts a lot into perspective. Renee is the owner of the #1 rated tour company and is a walking encyclopedia of D Day history.  Of course it starts in St Mare Eglise because that is where the paratroopers landed in the middle of the night before the men hit the beaches. You may or may not be surprised to know that the French in this area are almost most patriotic about America than many Americans. 

We then we on to Utah Beach, Omaha Beach, Point du Noc and the the huge D Day cemetery's which is amazing.  Nothing in the whole 8hour tour was like what I expected....so much better.

Our last night in Bayeux we lucked out with reservations at the top rated French restaurant in the town. It was not a disappointment, for sure.  I started with roasted red pepper and chorizo strips soup, then truffle risotto and shrimp, an apple sorbet topped with Calvados palate cleanser, roasted sea bass,  followed by a selection of cheeses and finally the most unusual and delicious lemon piemeringue pie ever. 

I am typing this from our room in Paris--- a classic old hotel --- while getting ready to take Uber to Notre Dame to experience the mass and then find a good place for dinner. I am always a day behind in reporting to you because of the process of transferring photos from my iPhone to my iPad and then to Picasa and finally to this blog....all while trying to use as much free WiFi as possible...and some times there is not so I just use data and my phone as a hot spot...for you techies. I have taken over 150  photos so far so am hoping for a good shop when we are home again.   Cheers for now, Bob.      

Friday in Bayeux

We love the cobbled streets, all the tiny French cars and narrow sidewalks. We walked miles today around town, but that's the charming part of Bayeux.  Of course the cathedral is in the center of town. It is as large as Notre Dame in Paris and apparently as famous.  We spend quite a bit of time looking around in it this morning. It was built in the 12th c. And just amazing. 

Our second stop was the Tapestry Museum. Sounds weird but it is all about a 70 meter long tapestry created around 1066 to chronicle a battle between King Harold from England and William the Conquerer, the Norman king and the good guy in this case.  It was fascinating.  

Then we hiked off to the WWII Museum which commemorates the British saving the city of Bayeux a couple days after the landing at the Normandy Beaches. The French are so grateful to the English and the Americans.  What an amazing time. Fortunately Bayeux did not get the bejeepers bombed out of it like nearby Caen.  So much of the city is as it was 70 years ago.  

Last night we got reservations at L'Angle Saint Laurent restaurant which is reportedly the 2nd best in town. It WAS fabulous! We had the Gourmet Menu which started with warm truffle foamed milk then  oysters, prawns and escargot.  Next veal over green beans and pea pods and a gastric filled by the cheese course and finally a chocolate concoction to die for and then a chocolate with marshmallow inside....all with wonderful local wines.  We needed that 20 minute walk back to our hotel for sure.  Tonight we have reservations for the #1 restaurant in town after our 8 hour private tour of Normandy. Au reovoir from France.  

Thursday in Bayeux

Bayeux is such a lovely town. Our hotel is only about a 10-15 walk from the center of the town so it's ideal.  We walk around the town last night and I stooped several locals to inquire where to eat.  They directed us here to the La Burchiere which turned out to excellent.  It is on the town square.  No, I don't speak French but it's amazing how well you can do with a smile, speaking slowly, some sign language and guts.  We all just ordered appetizers (starters) and desserts which proved to be plenty when accompanied with some nice French wine. 

Oh boy, after traveling more than 40 hours, we woke up late this morning in Bayeux, France. We're blurry eyed but good to go exploring the town today. But late organizing my thoughts and photos. This at the airport in Paris with Margaret and Brice.  Then we called Uber and got a ride to Gare St. Lazare train station in mid Paris for our train to Bayeux. Paris traffic is unlike NY in that the drivers seem quite polite with little horn honking.   Don't mistake this for not in a hurry and not dense.  The 2 hour train ride across the French countryside was lovely! And the train was very fast, quite and exceeding ly comfortable, and fun at a table for 4.  Our hotel is only a 15 minute walk to the town center and we had a wonderful dinner last night at La Bucherrie.  We are off on an adventure this morning to explore the town.  There is a huge cathedral right in the center along with some museums.   More in a bit. 

We left Ord an hour late but got into Heathrow about ontime. I took a whole Ambien and maybe should have had a half like Dawn as we sit here in the restaurant in T4 at Heathrow, I'm a wee bit groggy.  We are waiting for Brice and Margaret to get in from Atlanta. Then we catch an Air France flt to Paris.  I try to eat yogurt everyday -- kind of things humming smoothly in the gasttro department  so just had some along with some lovely English tea.  I ran out at home and plan to stock up when we get back here to London. All for now, gang. 

The adventure begins

Off on another adventure! Cooling our jets in the United Club waiting for a 3:40 departure.  We'll arrive in Heathrow at 6:00am and meet up with Brice and Margaret and hop the Air France flight to Paris 

Packing... Er...deciding...is well under way on our dining room table and anyplace we can hang stuff around it.  I am pretty anal about making a list and checking it twice....especially when or goal as usual is to travel light.