Why I love France: Nikki's trip to Normandy
Oct 22nd, 2018, 03:12 PM
#41
Original Poster
The next town on our itinerary is Camembert. We stop at a monument to the inventor of camembert cheese, and then at the Maison du Camembert, a tourist office and shop shaped like a box of the cheese. I don’t notice the significance of the shape until Alan points it out to me. But looking at the photo, it is not so subtle.
We buy some cheese and two cheese knives with plastic handles which will come in handy throughout the trip. Then we drive to a farm where the cheese is made, the Fromagerie Durand. Peering through the windows in the back, we see stacks of wheels of cheese. We walk around to the entrance, where there is a shop. In the window there is a poster advertising a CD by Willy et les Conquérants. We do not buy one, but now I wish we did. Instead we buy more cheese and some cider.
We drive a short distance to Cambremer. Proust uses the name Cambremer for a family in his novel. He even plays with the name by having an employee of the hotel where his narrator stays call a member of the family Madame de Camembert because the employee finds it more likely that the name would be Camembert, a name that everyone knows, than Cambremer, which does not sound right to him.
Driving through the countryside here, we pass many orchards. The apples appear smaller than average to us, and are of several colors. We head to the Calvados distillery of Pierre Huet. There is a room with the equipment for distilling the Calvados and the woman who greets us explains it will be used in a week or two. The apples are first turned to cider by fermenting for a year after they are harvested; then the cider is distilled and aged. The new crop is being harvested now, so last year’s crop will be distilled and the new crop will be turned into cider. I ask about the size and color of the apples. She tells me they do use a smaller type of apple for the cider than for the eating apples we are used to. The different colors have different flavors and are used separately or mixed together for various effects in the finished product.
She asks us if we would like to taste some Calvados, and Alan picks out two or three he would like to taste. She pours a taste, then leaves all three bottles in front of him while she attends to other tasks. No fee is charged for tasting. Of course it is made up, as Alan picks a very nice bottle to buy.
We buy some cheese and two cheese knives with plastic handles which will come in handy throughout the trip. Then we drive to a farm where the cheese is made, the Fromagerie Durand. Peering through the windows in the back, we see stacks of wheels of cheese. We walk around to the entrance, where there is a shop. In the window there is a poster advertising a CD by Willy et les Conquérants. We do not buy one, but now I wish we did. Instead we buy more cheese and some cider.
We drive a short distance to Cambremer. Proust uses the name Cambremer for a family in his novel. He even plays with the name by having an employee of the hotel where his narrator stays call a member of the family Madame de Camembert because the employee finds it more likely that the name would be Camembert, a name that everyone knows, than Cambremer, which does not sound right to him.
Driving through the countryside here, we pass many orchards. The apples appear smaller than average to us, and are of several colors. We head to the Calvados distillery of Pierre Huet. There is a room with the equipment for distilling the Calvados and the woman who greets us explains it will be used in a week or two. The apples are first turned to cider by fermenting for a year after they are harvested; then the cider is distilled and aged. The new crop is being harvested now, so last year’s crop will be distilled and the new crop will be turned into cider. I ask about the size and color of the apples. She tells me they do use a smaller type of apple for the cider than for the eating apples we are used to. The different colors have different flavors and are used separately or mixed together for various effects in the finished product.
She asks us if we would like to taste some Calvados, and Alan picks out two or three he would like to taste. She pours a taste, then leaves all three bottles in front of him while she attends to other tasks. No fee is charged for tasting. Of course it is made up, as Alan picks a very nice bottle to buy.
Last edited by Nikki; Oct 22nd, 2018 at 03:32 PM.
Oct 22nd, 2018, 04:54 PM
#42
Original Poster
As we drive the remaining distance to Cabourg, we pass more orchards and cheese makers. We also start seeing horse-breeding farms. The signs indicate they are breeding trotters. And then, as we get to Cabourg, we pass a racetrack. Trotters. Now Alan is getting interested. He has a long relationship with such establishments. He is working on a book: a thousand ways to lose money betting on horses. Or if he isn’t, he should be. We look up the possibility of going to the track. It turns out the only time they are racing while we are here is this evening, and by the time we can be ready, it will be too late to go.
You can’t do everything.
We arrive at the Grand Hotel de Cabourg and go to our room. We have a view of the gardens. When Proust stayed here, he had an ocean view room. It is still kept up with the furnishings from Proust’s time, and one can reserve that room to stay in for the full Proustian immersion experience. One of the women in my Proust group has done this in the past. This room is being used for programs during the conference so it is not available this weekend.
Our room is significantly more recently renovated and quite comfortable. After settling in, we walk down the Avenue de la Mer and find a restaurant for dinner: Casserole et Bouchons. We choose from the menu which includes a sampling of three appetizers: foie gras, marinated salmon, and fish soup. We follow this with casseroles of veal with cream and mushrooms, served in individual pots large enough to share, had we only known. And for dessert I have a tarte tatin with apples and crème fraiche. This is the first of maybe a dozen different apple-based desserts that I sample during the week.
We waddle back to the hotel (to be fair, we have skipped lunch because of the copious breakfast). It has been a long day and I have to be up early in the morning to walk to the bus that will take me to the first event of the conference: a day trip to the Abbaye d’Ardenne.
You can’t do everything.
We arrive at the Grand Hotel de Cabourg and go to our room. We have a view of the gardens. When Proust stayed here, he had an ocean view room. It is still kept up with the furnishings from Proust’s time, and one can reserve that room to stay in for the full Proustian immersion experience. One of the women in my Proust group has done this in the past. This room is being used for programs during the conference so it is not available this weekend.
Our room is significantly more recently renovated and quite comfortable. After settling in, we walk down the Avenue de la Mer and find a restaurant for dinner: Casserole et Bouchons. We choose from the menu which includes a sampling of three appetizers: foie gras, marinated salmon, and fish soup. We follow this with casseroles of veal with cream and mushrooms, served in individual pots large enough to share, had we only known. And for dessert I have a tarte tatin with apples and crème fraiche. This is the first of maybe a dozen different apple-based desserts that I sample during the week.
We waddle back to the hotel (to be fair, we have skipped lunch because of the copious breakfast). It has been a long day and I have to be up early in the morning to walk to the bus that will take me to the first event of the conference: a day trip to the Abbaye d’Ardenne.
Last edited by Nikki; Oct 22nd, 2018 at 05:01 PM.
Oct 23rd, 2018, 10:29 AM
#44
I am sorry to say that after all of my years in France, I have only been on one cheese visit (Roquefort), one champagne house (one of the major ones, but I don't remember which one in Reims) and one liquor distillery (Chartreuse in Voiron). Each visit was fascinating, so I have no excuse for not having made more visits.
So I am very pleased to read about your visits, Nikki. Maybe I will try to catch up one of these days. I do go to Normandy from time to time.
So I am very pleased to read about your visits, Nikki. Maybe I will try to catch up one of these days. I do go to Normandy from time to time.
Oct 23rd, 2018, 03:21 PM
#46
Original Poster
I meet my two friends from home early Friday morning at the breakfast buffet. There is a large selection of hot and cold foods, several local cheeses, fresh fruit, several types of bread, croissants, apples cooked with cinnamon. Several kinds of jam and heavenly butter. A whole table has sweet things: apple tarts, a type of rice pudding with cinnamon that is apparently a local specialty because we encounter it several times, cakes, and of course madeleines. The waiters come around with fresh squeezed orange juice and hot coffee.
We walk to the bus several blocks away and then ride to the Abbaye d’Ardenne, in the countryside outside Caen. As I am writing this, I read that this is the site of a massacre of Canadian prisoners of war during the Second World War, but this is not mentioned during our visit (or if it is, I miss it).
In the morning, there are two presentations by Proustian scholars on the subject of music in Proust’s work. Very interesting stuff. I wish there were transcripts of the lectures as I don’t absorb everything on a first hearing, and I can always use reinforcement of the concepts that I might otherwise not retain. I do take notes, especially during the second speaker, who discusses the possible sources for Proust’s fictional composer, Vinteuil. The organization presenting this conference is called Les Amis de Vinteuil, the friends of Vinteuil, so the focus of the weekend is on this character from the novel and the way music is utilized by Proust in the work.
The speaker names several French composers of the era who are frequently proposed as inspirations for Vinteuil and gives reasons that each of them is a candidate to be a source for the fictional character. At the end he proposes some more surprising choices, one of which is Beethoven. His reasoning is that Proust admired Beethoven’s music and felt an affinity with the composer because Beethoven was separated from the world in his deafness, composing music he could not hear, imagining the world he was creating without being part of it. The character Vinteuil is a shy man who lives an isolated life in the countryside and never gets to experience the success his music goes on to enjoy. And Proust is himself forced to retire from society due to his increasing physical weakness caused by asthma, writing about a world in which he cannot participate.
After the second presentation we break for lunch in the abbey’s dining hall. The best part of the meal is the cheese board and the apple tarts.
After lunch there is a tour of the abbey, which is currently used as an archive of works from French publishers. An architect has designed the interior of the library in such a way that it appears to be constructed of wooden drawers from floor to ceiling when seen from the entrance. When seen from the rear of the library, however, the wooden “drawers” are revealed to be a false front concealing open shelves housing the publications.
The tour is followed by a piano concert. The pieces are introduced by an actor from the Comédie-Française reading excerpts from Proust about music. And on the bus ride back to Cabourg, another actor reads more excerpts. I am riding on the bus with my two friends from the Proust group, and we recognize passages we have discussed among ourselves. I tend to select passages about music and art to analyze, so the focus of this weekend is very much in line with our own studies.
Back at the Grand Hotel, Alan joins us for a meal outdoors on the esplanade facing the beach, where I order oysters and crepes stuffed with wonderful cheese.
After dinner, there is a concert at the hotel. A pianist is playing Moussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, and this is preceded by a talk about paintings mentioned in Proust that might be substituted for the original paintings that inspired Moussorgsky. Unfortunately, the talk lasts an hour, and Alan, who does not speak French, is becoming uncomfortable and restless. Had I known this would be the format, I would not have planned to have him attend this event. The pianist, however, is quite good and when he finally plays through the piece, it is very enjoyable. There is a reception with Calvados and desserts after the concert, but by now it is quite late and we retire to our room.
We walk to the bus several blocks away and then ride to the Abbaye d’Ardenne, in the countryside outside Caen. As I am writing this, I read that this is the site of a massacre of Canadian prisoners of war during the Second World War, but this is not mentioned during our visit (or if it is, I miss it).
In the morning, there are two presentations by Proustian scholars on the subject of music in Proust’s work. Very interesting stuff. I wish there were transcripts of the lectures as I don’t absorb everything on a first hearing, and I can always use reinforcement of the concepts that I might otherwise not retain. I do take notes, especially during the second speaker, who discusses the possible sources for Proust’s fictional composer, Vinteuil. The organization presenting this conference is called Les Amis de Vinteuil, the friends of Vinteuil, so the focus of the weekend is on this character from the novel and the way music is utilized by Proust in the work.
The speaker names several French composers of the era who are frequently proposed as inspirations for Vinteuil and gives reasons that each of them is a candidate to be a source for the fictional character. At the end he proposes some more surprising choices, one of which is Beethoven. His reasoning is that Proust admired Beethoven’s music and felt an affinity with the composer because Beethoven was separated from the world in his deafness, composing music he could not hear, imagining the world he was creating without being part of it. The character Vinteuil is a shy man who lives an isolated life in the countryside and never gets to experience the success his music goes on to enjoy. And Proust is himself forced to retire from society due to his increasing physical weakness caused by asthma, writing about a world in which he cannot participate.
After the second presentation we break for lunch in the abbey’s dining hall. The best part of the meal is the cheese board and the apple tarts.
After lunch there is a tour of the abbey, which is currently used as an archive of works from French publishers. An architect has designed the interior of the library in such a way that it appears to be constructed of wooden drawers from floor to ceiling when seen from the entrance. When seen from the rear of the library, however, the wooden “drawers” are revealed to be a false front concealing open shelves housing the publications.
The tour is followed by a piano concert. The pieces are introduced by an actor from the Comédie-Française reading excerpts from Proust about music. And on the bus ride back to Cabourg, another actor reads more excerpts. I am riding on the bus with my two friends from the Proust group, and we recognize passages we have discussed among ourselves. I tend to select passages about music and art to analyze, so the focus of this weekend is very much in line with our own studies.
Back at the Grand Hotel, Alan joins us for a meal outdoors on the esplanade facing the beach, where I order oysters and crepes stuffed with wonderful cheese.
After dinner, there is a concert at the hotel. A pianist is playing Moussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, and this is preceded by a talk about paintings mentioned in Proust that might be substituted for the original paintings that inspired Moussorgsky. Unfortunately, the talk lasts an hour, and Alan, who does not speak French, is becoming uncomfortable and restless. Had I known this would be the format, I would not have planned to have him attend this event. The pianist, however, is quite good and when he finally plays through the piece, it is very enjoyable. There is a reception with Calvados and desserts after the concert, but by now it is quite late and we retire to our room.
Last edited by Nikki; Oct 23rd, 2018 at 03:35 PM.
Oct 24th, 2018, 09:23 AM
#47
<<Aha! A remembrance of A Remembrance of Things Past. My college French course that included Proust was a few years before yours. We read the whole first volume. My memory includes a half page footnote that summarized a 3 page Proustian sentence and writing a 500 word essay on it that had only two sentences, one of which was six words long.. The grader missed the joke. Too meta?>>
This reminded me of a story I heard once from a chief examiner who was chairing an examiners' meeting, in which they discussing an A level English paper. It was generally agreed that it had not been well planned, one question having taken up an disproportionate amount of time to answer. One examiner wanted particular guidance on the grade to give a student who in answer to the question about Macbeth had written simply "Act 2, Scene 5". "Remind me" said the chief examiner, "what does Act 2, Scene 5 say?" "I cannot do this bloody thing" came the answer. They gave the student an A, obviously.
__________________________________________________ ____
Loving your tales of your literary tour around the French countryside, Nikki, and the photos. Bill and I kept thinking about going to Normandy [or rather I did] but somehow we always ended up on Brittany instead. Perhaps I will go by myself one day though the prospect of driving myself is not appealing. You certainly found a lovely hotel and delightful entertainment. I'm glad that Alan has recovered his taste for calvados, etc.
More please.
This reminded me of a story I heard once from a chief examiner who was chairing an examiners' meeting, in which they discussing an A level English paper. It was generally agreed that it had not been well planned, one question having taken up an disproportionate amount of time to answer. One examiner wanted particular guidance on the grade to give a student who in answer to the question about Macbeth had written simply "Act 2, Scene 5". "Remind me" said the chief examiner, "what does Act 2, Scene 5 say?" "I cannot do this bloody thing" came the answer. They gave the student an A, obviously.
__________________________________________________ ____
Loving your tales of your literary tour around the French countryside, Nikki, and the photos. Bill and I kept thinking about going to Normandy [or rather I did] but somehow we always ended up on Brittany instead. Perhaps I will go by myself one day though the prospect of driving myself is not appealing. You certainly found a lovely hotel and delightful entertainment. I'm glad that Alan has recovered his taste for calvados, etc.
More please.
Oct 24th, 2018, 10:34 AM
#49
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Dessert photos-
The first one is Le Chocolat with a base of chocolate truffle, pistachio cream and a tuile
The second is Les Fraise with a sable base topped with mint cream and strawberries
Thanks for reminding me about that incredible boeuf bourguignon that we had at Les Feuillantines. I just bought a bottom round to use for chili but I changed my mind. I hope it will turn out half as good as the dish we had.
Nice to hear about your trip after we went our separate ways. As usual a wonderful trip report!
The first one is Le Chocolat with a base of chocolate truffle, pistachio cream and a tuile
The second is Les Fraise with a sable base topped with mint cream and strawberries
Thanks for reminding me about that incredible boeuf bourguignon that we had at Les Feuillantines. I just bought a bottom round to use for chili but I changed my mind. I hope it will turn out half as good as the dish we had.
Nice to hear about your trip after we went our separate ways. As usual a wonderful trip report!
Oct 24th, 2018, 02:23 PM
#50
Original Poster
Saturday I go to hear two speakers at the casino adjoining the hotel. In the morning the presentation is about painting in Proust and in the afternoon it is about Vinteuil, the fictional composer and Elstir, the fictional painter in Proust’s novel. Both are quite interesting, and once again I wish I had a transcript of the papers to review them and help me to absorb and remember the material.
Alan and I have lunch in the hotel’s casual restaurant on the esplanade overlooking the beach. Alan has been spending his time much as I had anticipated, relaxing in the hotel, eating oysters. His knee is still bothering him quite a bit, so he is staying close by. There are worse places to relax.
As we enjoy our lunch, we see people walking past in Belle Époque costumes. They are here to provide atmosphere for the festivities.
This evening at the conference is billed as La Nuit de Vinteuil, and consists of concerts alternating with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres from 5:00 PM until 1:00 AM. I have tickets for the first three concerts and the first two cocktail receptions. Alan is skipping the first concert.
This is great fun. The concerts are peppered with readings from Proust’s works by actors, and proceed from smaller to larger chamber music ensembles as the evening wears on. They feature works by composers mentioned in Proust’s work and works thought to be the inspiration for music by Vinteuil. There is a new work composed for the occasion for violin and piano. There is a gorgeous piece I have never heard before for flute, viola, and harp by Debussy. There is music for string quartet by Schubert and Beethoven, and Mozart’s clarinet quintet. There is a transcription of music by Beethoven, Debussy, Lekeu, and Wagner for text and string quartet, with an actress reading an excerpt of Proust for each movement, interwoven with the music. It is all enchanting.
In a recreation of the atmosphere that might have been found at a turn of the century musical evening, we retire to an adjoining room for drinks, hors d’oeuvres, and conversation after each hour or so of music. The one weak point in the planning is the shortage of food, since people are all doing this instead of having a sit-down dinner, and the offerings are not quite sufficient for this number of people as a substitute for a full dinner. They run out of food quite early at the reception after the second concert. But I have already had the bounteous breakfast buffet and a full lunch earlier, so there is no suffering involved. And at some point they discover an extra supply of cream puffs.
Alan retires to the room after the second concert, but I make it to the end of the third one before heading back. I have a large tolerance for concerts, more than most people. But it is possible that after five concerts (and five lectures) in a little over 24 hours, I have reached my limit. The more intrepid participants stick around for the last cocktail hour and the final concert, which begins at 11:45 and features a septet, the largest ensemble of the night. I hope they enjoy it.
Alan and I have lunch in the hotel’s casual restaurant on the esplanade overlooking the beach. Alan has been spending his time much as I had anticipated, relaxing in the hotel, eating oysters. His knee is still bothering him quite a bit, so he is staying close by. There are worse places to relax.
As we enjoy our lunch, we see people walking past in Belle Époque costumes. They are here to provide atmosphere for the festivities.
This evening at the conference is billed as La Nuit de Vinteuil, and consists of concerts alternating with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres from 5:00 PM until 1:00 AM. I have tickets for the first three concerts and the first two cocktail receptions. Alan is skipping the first concert.
This is great fun. The concerts are peppered with readings from Proust’s works by actors, and proceed from smaller to larger chamber music ensembles as the evening wears on. They feature works by composers mentioned in Proust’s work and works thought to be the inspiration for music by Vinteuil. There is a new work composed for the occasion for violin and piano. There is a gorgeous piece I have never heard before for flute, viola, and harp by Debussy. There is music for string quartet by Schubert and Beethoven, and Mozart’s clarinet quintet. There is a transcription of music by Beethoven, Debussy, Lekeu, and Wagner for text and string quartet, with an actress reading an excerpt of Proust for each movement, interwoven with the music. It is all enchanting.
In a recreation of the atmosphere that might have been found at a turn of the century musical evening, we retire to an adjoining room for drinks, hors d’oeuvres, and conversation after each hour or so of music. The one weak point in the planning is the shortage of food, since people are all doing this instead of having a sit-down dinner, and the offerings are not quite sufficient for this number of people as a substitute for a full dinner. They run out of food quite early at the reception after the second concert. But I have already had the bounteous breakfast buffet and a full lunch earlier, so there is no suffering involved. And at some point they discover an extra supply of cream puffs.
Alan retires to the room after the second concert, but I make it to the end of the third one before heading back. I have a large tolerance for concerts, more than most people. But it is possible that after five concerts (and five lectures) in a little over 24 hours, I have reached my limit. The more intrepid participants stick around for the last cocktail hour and the final concert, which begins at 11:45 and features a septet, the largest ensemble of the night. I hope they enjoy it.
Last edited by Nikki; Oct 24th, 2018 at 02:33 PM.
Oct 24th, 2018, 07:29 PM
#51
Original Poster
Sunday we have a leisurely breakfast and then check out of the hotel. There are a few more events scheduled, but I have not signed up for any of them. Our plan is to drive west along the coast and visit the D-Day landing beaches. We had thought about taking a tour, but as the time approached and Alan was still feeling uncertain about his knee, he decided there might be too much walking involved. So we are doing this on our own. This turns out to be a great day. We certainly would hear more facts on a tour, but we figure we can read up on it later.
Leaving Cabourg, we drive through an area of family beach resorts that reminds us of Cape Cod. The roads are very quiet as it is out of season. We figure that in August it is a very different experience, and that we couldn’t drive along the coast as we are doing today because of congestion. I am on the lookout for an open store to buy drinks for the car, and while many things are closed on this Sunday in the off season, we find a convenience store that turns out to be a small branch of the supermarket chain Carrefour, where we buy drinks and fresh bread and other picnic items for lunch. Convenience stores at home don’t carry country pork pate, rabbit terrine, smoked salmon, and local smoked ham. They don’t generally bake their own bread. Have I mentioned that I love France?
We soon reach the D-Day beaches and make a brief stop at the Pegasus Bridge Memorial. This is a museum that we contemplate visiting but decide we would rather drive on and spend the time seeing the beaches. We pick up a map that shows all the beaches and we learn that this section was known as Sword Beach, where British forces arrived. We drive to Ouistreham and see the port for the ferry to Portsmouth in England.
Following the coast, we reach a memorial to Bill Millin, who played the bagpipes in front of the arriving Scottish troops. We drive a bit further and find a spot overlooking the beach for a picnic where we can watch kite surfers out on the water this breezy day.
We drive to Juno Beach, where the Canadian troops landed. There is a memorial and museum here, and a nature walk along the beach. There is a bunker, but it is locked.
At Arromanches, we stop at an observation area overlooking the town where one can still see the remnants of the artificial harbor built for the American fleet. There is a theater here built to show a 360 degree movie showing footage from the landing and the following days of the invasion. This is very well done and exceptionally moving.
As I am watching the movie, I am thinking about my father. He never talked about the war, and all I know is that he marched across France to Germany. I don’t know when or how he arrived in France. I do know that he loved France. And it has taken me sixty-seven years to have this thought, but it occurs to me during this film that my father came back from the war and got married and had a child and named her Nicole, the French version of the Greek name Nike, the goddess of victory.
Leaving Cabourg, we drive through an area of family beach resorts that reminds us of Cape Cod. The roads are very quiet as it is out of season. We figure that in August it is a very different experience, and that we couldn’t drive along the coast as we are doing today because of congestion. I am on the lookout for an open store to buy drinks for the car, and while many things are closed on this Sunday in the off season, we find a convenience store that turns out to be a small branch of the supermarket chain Carrefour, where we buy drinks and fresh bread and other picnic items for lunch. Convenience stores at home don’t carry country pork pate, rabbit terrine, smoked salmon, and local smoked ham. They don’t generally bake their own bread. Have I mentioned that I love France?
We soon reach the D-Day beaches and make a brief stop at the Pegasus Bridge Memorial. This is a museum that we contemplate visiting but decide we would rather drive on and spend the time seeing the beaches. We pick up a map that shows all the beaches and we learn that this section was known as Sword Beach, where British forces arrived. We drive to Ouistreham and see the port for the ferry to Portsmouth in England.
Following the coast, we reach a memorial to Bill Millin, who played the bagpipes in front of the arriving Scottish troops. We drive a bit further and find a spot overlooking the beach for a picnic where we can watch kite surfers out on the water this breezy day.
We drive to Juno Beach, where the Canadian troops landed. There is a memorial and museum here, and a nature walk along the beach. There is a bunker, but it is locked.
At Arromanches, we stop at an observation area overlooking the town where one can still see the remnants of the artificial harbor built for the American fleet. There is a theater here built to show a 360 degree movie showing footage from the landing and the following days of the invasion. This is very well done and exceptionally moving.
As I am watching the movie, I am thinking about my father. He never talked about the war, and all I know is that he marched across France to Germany. I don’t know when or how he arrived in France. I do know that he loved France. And it has taken me sixty-seven years to have this thought, but it occurs to me during this film that my father came back from the war and got married and had a child and named her Nicole, the French version of the Greek name Nike, the goddess of victory.
Last edited by Nikki; Oct 24th, 2018 at 07:39 PM.
Oct 25th, 2018, 03:58 AM
#52
Original Poster
If only my last comment above had not been converted to a link to a website selling shoes, I would be much happier.
I would also be happy if I could go back and change a date I wrote several pages above to Wednesday, October 3 (instead of Tuesday).
Thanks for the continuing interest and comments.
Thanks AGM for the dessert descriptions.
Now back to writing. Only three days left.
I would also be happy if I could go back and change a date I wrote several pages above to Wednesday, October 3 (instead of Tuesday).
Thanks for the continuing interest and comments.
Thanks AGM for the dessert descriptions.
Now back to writing. Only three days left.
Oct 25th, 2018, 04:39 AM
#53
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Stretch it out, please, Nikki. I am enjoying your observations.
I admire your ability to follow Proust in French. Or Proust at all. I never made it through the first book. But now that I'm older, maybe it's time.
I admire your ability to follow Proust in French. Or Proust at all. I never made it through the first book. But now that I'm older, maybe it's time.
Oct 25th, 2018, 04:56 AM
#54
Original Poster
I think reading Proust in English is probably no easier than reading it in French. And as you have seen, I left that first volume unread for forty years and then decided it was time. Go for it.
Oct 25th, 2018, 04:58 AM
#55
Original Poster
At Colleville-sur-Mer, we drive down to the beach and get out of the car to set foot on Omaha Beach. While the atmosphere is evocative of the historic importance of this place, there are also signs of the modern seaside resort that this is today.
Up on the heights overlooking the beach, we stop at the monument to the US First Infantry Division.
At Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer we encounter two more monuments to the landing on Omaha Beach, one older, massive structure and one contemporary sculpture on the sand.
It is getting late and we decide to turn away from the shoreline and head to Bayeux, where we are spending the night. We don’t make it to Utah Beach, the furthest west of the landing beaches and along with Omaha Beach the site of the American forces.
You can’t do everything.
We are staying at the Hotel Reine Mathilde in Bayeux, named after the wife of William the Conqueror. It was long believed that the Bayeux Tapestry was embroidered by this queen and her attendants. We have dinner at the casual restaurant in the hotel. I enjoy a bowl of onion soup and an omelette and then some kind of apple dessert.
Tomorrow morning we will see the Bayeux Tapestry, commemorating the other Norman invasion, the one that took place a thousand years earlier and in the opposite direction, changing the course of history and of the English language.
Up on the heights overlooking the beach, we stop at the monument to the US First Infantry Division.
At Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer we encounter two more monuments to the landing on Omaha Beach, one older, massive structure and one contemporary sculpture on the sand.
It is getting late and we decide to turn away from the shoreline and head to Bayeux, where we are spending the night. We don’t make it to Utah Beach, the furthest west of the landing beaches and along with Omaha Beach the site of the American forces.
You can’t do everything.
We are staying at the Hotel Reine Mathilde in Bayeux, named after the wife of William the Conqueror. It was long believed that the Bayeux Tapestry was embroidered by this queen and her attendants. We have dinner at the casual restaurant in the hotel. I enjoy a bowl of onion soup and an omelette and then some kind of apple dessert.
Tomorrow morning we will see the Bayeux Tapestry, commemorating the other Norman invasion, the one that took place a thousand years earlier and in the opposite direction, changing the course of history and of the English language.
Last edited by Nikki; Oct 25th, 2018 at 05:05 AM.
Oct 26th, 2018, 04:34 AM
#57
Original Poster
Monday morning we walk past the Bayeux Cathedral, which, like the city itself, was not significantly damaged during the Second World War although Bayeux was the first town liberated after the D-Day landings.
Near the cathedral we enter the former seminary that houses the Bayeux Tapestry. This museum is scheduled for renovation in the near future, and there are discussions that the tapestry (really an embroidery) will be lent to England for display during the period of construction. The tapestry was embroidered in England shortly after the Norman Invasion of 1066 which it depicts, but it has resided in France, originally in the cathedral, ever since.
We enter just after a large tour group, which makes the visit slightly problematic. There is a free audioguide given to each visitor which describes each panel of the tapestry as you walk past it. There is, however, no way to pause the commentary or to restart it, so you must keep pace with the recording in order to see each panel as it is being described. As I like to take my time in any event and stop in front of several spots in order to contemplate the work, I soon lose the synchronization of the work and the audioguide, so I try to remember what is being said about panels that I have not yet reached. This isn’t crucial for me, though, as I am less concerned with the details as with the experience of viewing this thousand-year-old work.
The tapestry is a narrative telling the story of the events leading to the Norman Invasion in a fashion reminiscent of a comic strip. It also reminds me of Assyrian stone carvings depicting the clashes of ancient civilizations. The embroidered characters are charming rather than fierce, though, and there are many scenes of everyday life in addition to the grander scenes of battle.
After viewing the tapestry, we see exhibits explaining its history and the story it depicts, as well as a movie which is very well done that answers many of our questions. We learn about the ways in which William the Conqueror changed the society of England into a feudal one.
I have long been fascinated by the linguistic results of this change, which introduced many French words into the English language. One can see the difference in social status between the invading Normans who became the nobility and the defeated Anglo-Saxons by looking at the difference between pairs of words. For instance, the word pork comes from Norman French, and is used for the food that is eaten, while the word pig comes from the Anglo-Saxon and describes the animal that is raised and slaughtered. The Normans encountered the pork on the table while the Anglo-Saxons raised the pigs.
We walk back to the hotel past an old hospital complex, check out of the hotel, and get back on the road.
Near the cathedral we enter the former seminary that houses the Bayeux Tapestry. This museum is scheduled for renovation in the near future, and there are discussions that the tapestry (really an embroidery) will be lent to England for display during the period of construction. The tapestry was embroidered in England shortly after the Norman Invasion of 1066 which it depicts, but it has resided in France, originally in the cathedral, ever since.
We enter just after a large tour group, which makes the visit slightly problematic. There is a free audioguide given to each visitor which describes each panel of the tapestry as you walk past it. There is, however, no way to pause the commentary or to restart it, so you must keep pace with the recording in order to see each panel as it is being described. As I like to take my time in any event and stop in front of several spots in order to contemplate the work, I soon lose the synchronization of the work and the audioguide, so I try to remember what is being said about panels that I have not yet reached. This isn’t crucial for me, though, as I am less concerned with the details as with the experience of viewing this thousand-year-old work.
The tapestry is a narrative telling the story of the events leading to the Norman Invasion in a fashion reminiscent of a comic strip. It also reminds me of Assyrian stone carvings depicting the clashes of ancient civilizations. The embroidered characters are charming rather than fierce, though, and there are many scenes of everyday life in addition to the grander scenes of battle.
After viewing the tapestry, we see exhibits explaining its history and the story it depicts, as well as a movie which is very well done that answers many of our questions. We learn about the ways in which William the Conqueror changed the society of England into a feudal one.
I have long been fascinated by the linguistic results of this change, which introduced many French words into the English language. One can see the difference in social status between the invading Normans who became the nobility and the defeated Anglo-Saxons by looking at the difference between pairs of words. For instance, the word pork comes from Norman French, and is used for the food that is eaten, while the word pig comes from the Anglo-Saxon and describes the animal that is raised and slaughtered. The Normans encountered the pork on the table while the Anglo-Saxons raised the pigs.
We walk back to the hotel past an old hospital complex, check out of the hotel, and get back on the road.
Last edited by Nikki; Oct 26th, 2018 at 05:22 AM.
Oct 26th, 2018, 05:25 AM
#58
I had the same issue as you with the audioguide for the tapestry. (And we also entered behind a tour group.) I hope when they do the renovatioin they change the way the audioguide operates.
The tapestry will be going to England in 2022. https://www.cnn.com/style/article/ba...ent/index.html
I'm enjoying reliving our very similar trip through your eyes. Love your photos!
The tapestry will be going to England in 2022. https://www.cnn.com/style/article/ba...ent/index.html
I'm enjoying reliving our very similar trip through your eyes. Love your photos!
Oct 26th, 2018, 06:06 AM
#59
Original Poster
We drive past Caen and find the small country roads that lead us to the pretty village of Beuvron-en-Auge. We are in search of a bakery, hoping to find bread to supplement our picnic supplies for lunch. None appear to be open. We stop for a few photos of a picturesque church and garden, where I hear a rooster persistently crowing his joie de vivre.
Since this is the third or fourth town with no open bakery, I suggest that perhaps we should just go ahead and stop for lunch without bread. As we discuss this, we drive up to a spot with a picnic table and a car that is just pulling away from it. We pull in and unpack our supplies. To our surprise, our bread from yesterday is still reasonably fresh. And while I previously thought that nothing could equal a bagel with lox and cream cheese, I learn today that a baguette with camembert and smoked salmon can be sublime.
Our next destination is the Domaine Dupont distillery in Victot-Pontfol. This is a stunningly beautiful property surrounded by orchards, and I take many photos in the late afternoon light while Alan spends some time in the tasting room sampling Calvados.
From here we set course for Giverny, where we are spending our final two nights in France. We drive through the town of Vernon, which is larger than I expected, and find the road to the very small village of Giverny and our bed & breakfast accommodations at Les Arceaux, next to the church where Monet is buried. The owners greet us outside their house and show us to our quarters, a lovely two story apartment with a private patio where we are just in time to catch a dazzling sunset.
We have dinner at the Restaurant ancien Hotel Baudy. We are enjoying our meal when Alan discovers an insect in his glass of wine. He shows it to the waiter, who whisks it away but does not bring another. We call him to the table and ask if he will be bringing another glass of wine. He appears confused. Eventually he asks if Alan wants another glass of wine and Alan says yes, so he brings one and we finish our main courses. Then we get to dessert. I order some type of apple dessert and Alan orders ice cream. When the ice cream arrives, it is enormous and filled with whipped cream. We burst out laughing. I do not believe any of it goes to waste. I might help a little bit in finishing it off. When the waiter brings the check, we see that he has charged us for the second glass of wine. Despite our surprise, we decide that for four euros, it is not worth spoiling the mood to make an issue of it and return to Les Arceaux for the night.
Since this is the third or fourth town with no open bakery, I suggest that perhaps we should just go ahead and stop for lunch without bread. As we discuss this, we drive up to a spot with a picnic table and a car that is just pulling away from it. We pull in and unpack our supplies. To our surprise, our bread from yesterday is still reasonably fresh. And while I previously thought that nothing could equal a bagel with lox and cream cheese, I learn today that a baguette with camembert and smoked salmon can be sublime.
Our next destination is the Domaine Dupont distillery in Victot-Pontfol. This is a stunningly beautiful property surrounded by orchards, and I take many photos in the late afternoon light while Alan spends some time in the tasting room sampling Calvados.
From here we set course for Giverny, where we are spending our final two nights in France. We drive through the town of Vernon, which is larger than I expected, and find the road to the very small village of Giverny and our bed & breakfast accommodations at Les Arceaux, next to the church where Monet is buried. The owners greet us outside their house and show us to our quarters, a lovely two story apartment with a private patio where we are just in time to catch a dazzling sunset.
We have dinner at the Restaurant ancien Hotel Baudy. We are enjoying our meal when Alan discovers an insect in his glass of wine. He shows it to the waiter, who whisks it away but does not bring another. We call him to the table and ask if he will be bringing another glass of wine. He appears confused. Eventually he asks if Alan wants another glass of wine and Alan says yes, so he brings one and we finish our main courses. Then we get to dessert. I order some type of apple dessert and Alan orders ice cream. When the ice cream arrives, it is enormous and filled with whipped cream. We burst out laughing. I do not believe any of it goes to waste. I might help a little bit in finishing it off. When the waiter brings the check, we see that he has charged us for the second glass of wine. Despite our surprise, we decide that for four euros, it is not worth spoiling the mood to make an issue of it and return to Les Arceaux for the night.
Last edited by Nikki; Oct 26th, 2018 at 06:18 AM.
