Any last minute suggestions?<BR>We are renting a car at CDG and driving to Vernon where we are staying for 3 nights (one day visiting Vernon and Giverny, other day is reserved for Rouen)<BR><BR>1 night - St. Michel<BR><BR>2 nights - Bayeau (visiting D-Day Beaches)<BR><BR>1 night near CDG as we have early morning flight back home<BR><BR>We are not visiting Paris this time

The beaches are well worth the visit and I am sure you know that. Another real treat for us was the Bayeau Tapestry. It is hard to describe. Just go see it and get the audio tour to go with it. You will be pleased you took the time.

Just a minor French lesson, and not aiming to come across as critical. But the name of the town is Bayeux.<BR><BR>The second syllable is spelled like - - and rhymes with "yeux" (eyes) or "deux" (two).<BR><BR>The vowel combination "eau" as in bateau or beau rhymes with "no".<BR><BR>Best wishes,<BR><BR>Rex<BR>

topping it up<BR>

Rex youcome across as critical.

But he is right!

Thank you Bob. We will include the BayeauX Tapestry<BR>I'm not crazy about tapestry but I hope to change my mind once I see it.

STILL didn't notice the correct spelling of the place, but maybe you will once you get there.<BR><BR>And you might want to read the Rough Guide description of the "tapestry" before you go. <BR><BR>Housed in an impressive eighteenth-century seminary on rue de Nesmond, the Bayeux Tapestry – also known to the French as the Tapisserie de la Reine Mathilde – is a seventy-metre strip of linen that recounts the story of the Norman conquest of England (daily: mid-March to April & Sept to mid-Oct 9am–6.30pm; May–Aug 9am–7pm; mid-Oct to mid-March 9.30am–12.30pm & 2–6pm; last admission 45min before closing; 40F/&euro;6.10). Although created over nine centuries ago, the brilliance of its coloured wools has barely faded, and the tale is enlivened throughout with scenes of medieval life, popular fables and mythical beasts. Technically it's not really a tapestry at all, but an embroidery; the skill of its draughtsmanship, and the sheer vigour and detail, are stunning. The work is thought to have been carried out by nuns in England, commissioned by Bishop Odo, William's half-brother, in time for the inauguration of Bayeux cathedral in 1077.<BR><BR>Visits are well planned and highly atmospheric, if somewhat exhausting. First comes a slide show, projected onto billowing sheets of canvas; you then pass along a photographic replica of the tapestry, with enlargements and detailed commentaries. After an optional film show, you finally approach the real thing, to find that it has a strong three-dimensional presence you might not expect from all the flat reproductions. The tapestry looks – and reads – like a modern comic strip. Harold is every inch the villain, with his dastardly little moustache and shifty eyes. He looks extremely self-satisfied as he breaks his oath to accept William as king of England and seizes the throne for himself, but his come-uppance swiftly follows, as William, the noble hero, crosses the Channel and defeats the English armies at Hastings.<BR>

To echo the last posting, it is not a matter of "not being crazy about tapestry," but rather seeing one of THE most important works of the Middle Ages. This 75+ foot tapestry was sewn by hand by the monastic orders in England on cloth! The figures, florals, and writings are all detailed in beautiful colors and preserved in near-perfect condition -- all telling a magnificent story that defined the countries of France and England as we know them today. Without a doubt, this is a must-see in Bayeux!