Dinard, France
If Saint-Malo is for pirates, Dinard is for elegance! Situated in a lovely position overlooking the Rance Estuary, the beautiful 19th century villas are just made for the aristocracy.
Previous slide
Next slide
Rotate to landscape to view slideshow
The Notre-Dame of Bayeux
Originally the home of the Bayeux Tapestry, the Notre-Dame Cathedral of Bayeux (or Cathedral of Our Lady of Bayeux) is an impressive Roman Catholic church.
It’s right in the centre of the town so you can’t miss it. It was our first port of call when we came to Bayeux to see the famous tapestry.
The tapestry is some 90 metres long and it was strung around the church on special occasions. Now it’s housed in a special temperature-controlled museum.
It was in this church that William, Duke of Normandy and King of England may have forced Harold Godwinson to take the oath, the breaking of which led to the Norman conquest of England.
This scene on the Bayeux Tapestry is thought to have taken place at Bagia (Bayeux, probably in Bayeux Cathedral), and shows Harold touching two altars with the enthroned Duke looking on and is central to the Norman Conquest of England.
What you see now, of course, is not what King William saw – the church has had a number of renovations since those days. But maybe we can still imagine William riding up to the front door, leaping down from his horse, and striding down the long aisle to kneel at the altar.
Subscribe
Login
0 Comments
Oldest
More from France
The Pirates of Saint-Malo
The walled town of Saint-Malo, once a haven for the pirates paid by the French government to harrass the English across the channel, now plays host to the thousands of tourists that flock there every summer.
Reporters Memorial, Bayeux
The Reporters Memorial in Bayeux is an avenue of white remembrance slabs of stone, each seven feet high, and each recording the names of reporters who were killed reporting conflict.
Other destinations you may like:
Mt Athos – Part 2
The second part of our three-part story about our visit to the Mt Athos Peninsular in Greece.
Ypsilos Monastery, Lesbos, Greece
Ypsilos Monastery sits on the top of an extinct volcano. Originally built in 1101 it has had a few reconstructions since.
Plaça d’Espanya – Barcelona
The old bull ring at Plaça d’Espanya in Barcelona is now a shopping mall with a great view up towards the National Art Museum.