2006 Letter from BAYEUX: We asked the warden about bus service in the morning – but on Sunday in France, bus service seems to be a rare bird. She said it would only take us fifteen minutes to walk to centre ville. We decided we’d try it.

So in the morning, we got ready and walked into town. It would probably be a fifteen-minute walk for our son or daughter or grandkids, but for Adelle, it turned into about 25 minutes. Still, that’s not too bad. We did not remember how old and lovely the city really is. Apparently the last time we were here, we only drove in to see the Bayeux Tapestry and then left. Bayeux was the first French city liberated after D-Day because it is really near the invasion beaches. Miraculously this city was undamaged, so a lot is as it was in olden times. The walk through the city was a pleasure.

Outside the building that houses the tapestry is a great statue of an 11^th century knight. The Tapestry is as remembered. At something over 900 years old, it is arguably the world’s first attempt to influence public opinion through the media. The 70-meter long embroidery tells the story of William the Conquerer’s successful invasion and conquest of England from the point of view of William. Propaganda it might be, but it is a beautifully done, intricate embroidery in both senses of that word. We enjoyed seeing it again.

Then we walked over to see the Bayeux Cathedral – begun in 1070! As we walked around the side of the building, we could hear an organ playing. We rushed to the front only to find that the service was over, that it had been attended by hundreds of worshipers, and that they were all milling about, talking. We walked through the crowds and into the beautiful church, where there were lots of additional people. Among the most interesting people in the nave were the choir boys and girls in their white "dresses" carrying candles. We think that this may have been a special service since today the French celebrate Mothers’ Day.

After our tour of the cathedral, we walked back through the city center. Adelle announced that instead of eating a sandwich made in a baguette, she wanted a crepe, so we stopped at a suitable tiny restaurant where she had a ham and egg crepe and Ron just drank his coffee. Then we walked back "home" under the first blue sky we’ve seen practically since we got here.