Bayeux Cathedral, 2015

The last time we visited Bayeux Cathedral, I think, was the late fall of 2009. We rarely missed a cathedral, even then, but we had much yet to learn about their history, construction, aesthetics, etc. Bayeux is not one of the greatest of the greats, but it is a beautiful old building and one we like.

The original cathedral was consecrated in 1077, in the presence
of William and his brother Odo, who was bishop; Odo was the
one who carried a club into the Battle of Hastings so as not to
spill blood; also thought to have commissioned The Tapestry;
but the 11th century version was largely destroyed in a fire; what
we see today is a fine Norman/Gothic 13th century church,
fairly well preserved

One of two west tympani, a Judgement

Nave view; the Romanesque arches retained

Elevation

Standard four-part ribbed vaulting

By the 13th century, the Norman Funnies were becoming the Norman Nasties

Thus

And thus: the Middle Ages were getting to their zenith, and
everybody was a little on edge

Thus

Organ; obscuring a beautiful, huge window

Chancel; great color, verticality

Very large transept window

Buttresses, through the clerestory windows

Murder in the Cathedral depiction; click to enlarge and see that Becket really
did look like Richard Burton

Transept

And window

Bayeux features an interesting crypt, with
16th or 17th century frescoes of angelic musicians

This visit, I photographed the upstairs key to which angels
were playing which instruments

Names of saints in bays of the chancel

Beautiful cathedral, inside and out

Bayeux, 2015

We drove on to old friend Bayeux and found a downtown aire, sort of. There were other camping-cars there and it was free. Half a block away was a laundromat, so we declared Monday a partial administrative day. The rest, we were content to walk around old Bayeux and visit the cathedral one more time. Unlike Caen, not far down the road, Bayeux suffered very little WWII damage. It was the first French town of any size to be liberated; on June 7, 1944. The Allied soldiers were astonished to see the place relatively intact. The Germans had stolen the Bayeux Tapestry, but it was found in the basement of the Louvre and returned to Bayeux.

Street scene

A whole lot of half-timbered; but very old

And thus

And thus; this is the Lace Place, where you can watch
women, old and young, making lace, the old-fashioned
way; I would have taken pix or made a video, but they
were very insistent about no fotos

Bayeux's Liberty Tree

First ever instance of handle-bar mustache

A lot of such remembrances still around

More halfies

But some other, equally old beauties

Rickie-Stevie-approved hotel

A horse is a horse, of course, of course...

Street scene near cathedral

Jeux Et Chevalerie Et Animations Enfants At Fontaine-Henry

The Chateau parking area filled up while I was up photographing the funny farm, and we quickly noticed an unusual preponderance of kiddies lining up to visit the chateau, many en costume. It was Jeux et Chevalerie day, and fun for us as well as the kiddies. I'll post a few videos on YouTube in due course.

Thus

Of course there was a bake sale, which, in France, is not a small
deal; these puppies were humongous

Thus

But there were chevaliers, jugglers, games...

Dress-up and photography: "fromage!"

Ceremonies in front of the Chateau

Dubbing of knights by the Marquis himself (seriously)

Chivalry can be exciting, but mostly it's just sitting around and
awaiting the call

Fortunately, Mssr. Guillotine hadn't been invented yet and he was hidden away in
the chapel; can't have a proper chateau without a guillotine, right?

The Chateau Of Fontaine-Henry

The Chateau dates from a 12th century fortification, but the present building is mostly 15th-16th, with the usual continual changes, repairs, improvements, etc. It is famous for it exterior sculpture and the huge slate roof, one of the largest in France. It has been in the same line of families for some 800 years, never sold, confiscated, sacked (but was occupied by the Germans). Alas, no fotos were permitted inside the chateau.

First we visited the chapel; only a few hundred feet down the hill from the parish
chapel

Interior

More interior

No funny stuff going on here (allusion to TBL)

The Chateau

The very large, steep roof

Looking up at the tower; note carving all over

Inside now--the whole thing is a guided tour (en Francaise)(but the guide did
entertain our questions and answered in English); on the wall are coats of arms
of the 9 families that have held Fontaine-Henry, including the last, the
Oilliamsons (the French spelling spelling of the Scottish Williamson; acquired
during the grand alliance between France and Scotland (against you know who)

It was at this point I had to put my camera away

Back outside now, the building's main facade, Adam and Eve
peering out a window

Noah checking the meteo

Over the great entrance: we serve God and the King (in this case Louis XI)

Intricacies of the tower