Day 2 - we head to Normandy via Giverny and Rouen

We set off first thing this morning to head to Claude Monet's home and gardens.  The gardens were absolutely incredible.  The most beautiful flowers I've ever seen.

Some info and better pics are here

Inspired by English and Japanese gardens, Parisian flower markets and Dutch tulip fields, Monet invented a landscape which became the type of the impressionist garden.

These gardens were unbelievably beautiful!

Claude Monet moved to the Pressoir, in Giverny, on April 29, 1883. At the end of 1889, Monet bought the property. In the houses he previously rented, he had decided to arrange the gardens to his liking. The purchase of the Giverny’s house allowed him to give free rein to his imagination.

 

Monet painted some of his most famous paintings while living in Giverny. These included his water lily and Japanese bridge paintings. Monet lived in Giverny from 1883 until his death in 1926.

During this time he was very busy. He loved entertaining so had a huge kitchen and dining room which was unheard of at the time.

Monet lived with Alice Hoschedé and her six children from a first marriage to Ernest Hoschedé, as well as Monet’s own two children. This 10-member family was used to receiving guests for dinner and to the activity between the house and the gardens all day long.

The kitchen:

Better pic of the kitchen:

Better pic of the dining room:

Waiting in a queue to see Monet's home:

Then drove and stopped for lunch in Rouen.  Beautiful Notre Dame Cathedral in Rouen that we drove by:

And we walked to La Couronne:

We were seated immediately in a fantastic spot and quickly ordered.

Amuse Bouche of a cold melon soup = so yummy:

Mixed green salad was delicious!

Dover sole my fav:

Lobster

Assortment of sweets to end the meal:

The site where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake:

Made it to our beautiful hotel Villa Lara in Bayeux.  It's a gorgeous spot and the service impeccable.  All were welcoming and helpful.

Checked in and then headed out to walk and explore.

First up was a visit to see the famous Tapestry.  Created in the 11th Century to depict William the Conqueror's victory.  

We went through the walking tour with headphones.  Amazing tapestry.

Amazing, and of course the pictures don't do it justice.  The Bayeux Tapestry tells the story, in wool thread embroidered on linen cloth, of William, Duke of Normandy who became King of England in 1066 after the Battle of Hastings.

William, 7th duke of Normandy. Became the Conqueror after his coronation in England on December 25, 1066, he was one of the most powerful monarchs of Western Europe in the Middle Ages.

We then walked and shopped a bit and visited THE most beautiful cathedral I've ever seen.

The Notre Dame Cathedral of Bayeux, a masterpiece of Norman Romanesque and Gothic architecture, is at the heart of the old town. The cathedral was consecrated on 14 July 1077, in the presence of William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy and King of England, and his wife Matilda. All that survives from the construction of this period is the crypt, the towers at the western end and the first level of the nave.

So many shops and cafes and side streets:

Back to our hotel and having a beverage before our 7pm dinner.  Bayeux is quaint and beautiful so far.

We walked 3 minutes to dinner at L'Alcove.  It was lovely - quiet with good food and good service and a great bottle of Sancerre.  After dinner we walked around more and then came back and sat on our balcony watching the sun set.  Tomorrow is an all day tour of Normandy.

The view from our room: