There is so much information about this town online that it is overwhelming. I’ll try to be concise and too the point but if you are interested in all the facts just check out their link online. After a long day of hiking and visiting old churches, I had one more stop to make in Saint-Germain-sur-Ay to see the old church and its priory as well as the old harbour now known as le havre which is watched over by the corps de garde, a 17th century guardhouse. The Église Saint-Germain dates from the 12th century and has simple architectural design with an absence of a monumental gate. It therefore respected the Benedictine Rule which did not seek distractions of the mind. It is on the 14th century fortified bell tower that you can see a noticeable effort with sculpture—here there are eight windows, of which four have grotesque faces carved into corbels above the arches. The tower also has false battlements which are simply decorative and devoid of openings for shooting. Despite this, the false machicolations were intended to strengthen the defensive tower and deter invaders. Indeed, in the 14th century English raids were frequent and deadly. The tower was part of a network of fortified churches in the Cotentin that could allow local populations to use them as defensive positions when needed. The inside has a single nave and two side aisles separated by simple Romanesque arches. The choir and the nave are separated by another large Romanesque arch. Motifs of animals and plants adorn many of the capitals above the columns in the choir. The nave is the part of the building with the least amount of decoration and has undergone the most changes over the last century which included new wood vaulting installed in 1954. A staircase beneath the tower leads to the three bells of the church. Inside, the church has two works listed as historical monuments: The medieval baptismal font......and the 15th century statue of the Virgin and Child. The wooden altar from 1828 is painted in faux marble with two kneeling angels at the top. On either side are statues of Saint-Germain and Saint-Lo with a painting depicting Christ’s Resurrection at the center. I found a source that says the crucifixion is from the medieval era but I really doubt that since it isn’t in the correct fashion for that time.  In the shadow of the church is the 12th century priory which was the home to Benedictine monks. The corps de garde (guard house) has very old origins and is without a doubt part of a defence system whose purpose was to protect the region from Viking invasions. Although driven out of France in 1450, the English continued to harass the commercial fleet and to carry out raids in the country on the beaches by seizing merchandise, animals and boats at the quayside. They attacked the ports of Cherbourg, St-Vaast, Carteret, Portbail and St-Germain-sur-Ay. Guard posts were built all along the west coast of the Cotentin in order to ensure the surveillance and protection of the marine traffic, particularly boats in the process of landing and unloading. The harbor (called, le havre in French) of St-Germain was much bigger than it is today, protecting the village of Salines, that you can see on the other side of the bridge, and possessed a very busy port receiving boats of 400 tons specializing in the commerce of wood, sea salt cereals and animals. The small village of les Salines owes its name to the practice of extracting salt which was done at this period. The sea, with the passage of time silted up the harbor and the commercial traffic collapsed. The guard house was built in 1659 on a rock five meters high, allowing one a view of the whole of the harbor. Under military command, it was run by 2 officers and 10 men. As a reprisal for the help given to the Protestants in La Rochelle, Richelieu ordered the destruction of the port facilities but the guard house was not touched. It was transformed into a chapel on the July 29, 1945 and assumed the name of Notre-Dame du Rosaire, but was called Notre-Dame du Grappillon (from the name of the place where the sheep of the salt marshes fed in the harbor) by locals. The families Deshayes-Alliot gave it as a gift to the commune on condition that it was to be restored to its original state. The commune accepted it and from 1977, at the instigation of the committee of preservation created that same year, volunteers carried out considerable restoration work.

The triumphal arch of the enclos paroissial in Sizun dates from 1585 – 1588. Its central part is surmounted by a Calvary and a walkway where priests could celebrate Mass in the open air. A stone stairway gave access to the upper gallery but it was removed during the widening of the adjacent road. The ossuary chapel (1585) has a façade decorated with caryatid statues and the Twelve Apostles. Above the doorway are the arms of the Rohan family which bears two inscriptions: Memento Mori -"Souviens-toi qu'il faut mourir" (Remember that you will die), and "Vous nos enfants qui par ici passés, souvenez-vous que nous sommes trépassés" (You, our children who pass through here, remember that we are dead). One of the strange sculptures on the roof depicts a mermaid carrying traces of seaweed. The ossuary chapel is now a small museum featuring Breton arts and crafts which includes local costumes, furniture and embroidery—before leaving Sizin, I left some kind words in the visitor book. The churchyard, which once was the cemetery, now has a monument to those who died during both World Wars. From this angle one can see the sacristy which is octagonal in shape and has an upturned-keel roof covered in slate. Although there is no grand Calvary in the center of the close, there is a unique grouping of statues depicting the Descent from the Cross. The église Saint-Suliau was restored in 2010-2011 and dates from 16th and 18th centuries. Its bell tower is 56 meters high and has two dates inscribed on its base of 1728 and 1735. The interior of the church is simply stunning to behold due to its ornately carved altars and its wood pulpit created in 1784.  The main altar was built in the 17th century by a sculptor from Landerneau named Maurice Le Roux. Above the tabernacle is a painting depicting the Ascension of Jesus which is bordered by two polychrome statues in niches of Notre-Dame and Saint-Suliau. It is surrounded by two more altars built on the same model. The one on the left contains a painting of Saint Augustine with the angel and the one on the right depicts the Christ’s baptism. The organ was created by Thomas Dallam, son of organ builder Robert Dallam (1602-1665) who designed many instruments for churches in Finistère. The organ was restored in the 18th century and was painted a dark brown in the 19th century. It has now been restored to reveal its original polychrome designs. Within the transept, religious items such as vestments and silverware are on display. There are also several glass cabinets with processional banners inside. The alter of the Holy Rosary has two twisted columns that frame a painting of the death of a faithful person in the presence of Dom Michel le Nobletz, a famous Breton missionary from the 17th century. The altar has statues of Saint Peter and Saint Paul on either side as well as a statue of Saint Joseph at the top. The granite baptismal font is dated 1679. It is surmounted by a canopy supported by eight columns, four plain and four ornamented.

The first known mention of le château de la Roche dates from 1263. It was one of the residences of the vicomtes de Léon until 1363, when that family line became extinct. The fortress occupied a central position on a hill overlooking Elorn valley and allowed the lords to direct their fiefdoms and important parishes. The gallows stood opposite the castle on a hill on the right bank of the Elorn. Le château de la Roche became the possession of the family of Rohan in 1363 through the marriage of Jeanne de Léon with Jean de Rohan The castle had residents habitually until the 15th century but in 1421 the Rohans left and the castle became dilapidated. From 1678 to 1694 it was transformed into a prison. In the 18th and 19th century, the castle served as a stone quarry and was mostly demolished. Many houses of the village and perhaps the present church were built with these stones. The 16th century parish church has a fine parish close featuring three crosses of Christ and the two thieves at the main entrance. The ossuary dates from 1640 and is one of the largest in Brittany. The door of the main façade is topped by a triangular pediment under which is written the inscription from 1639: "Rappelle-toi mon jugement, tel aussi sera le tien : à mon tour aujourd'hui, à ton tour demain." (Remember my judgment, as yours will be the same: my turn today, your turn tomorrow.). Above the outside font, Ankou (Death) is shown armed with an arrow, threatening small figures framed in medallions representing all social classes: a peasant, a woman, a lawer, a bishop, St-Yves, a pauper and a rich man. He proclaims “Je vous tue tous” (Death comes to all). Above the door of the south gable is another Latin inscription dated 1640: "Souviens-toi, homme que tu n'es que poussière." (Remember man that thou art but dust."). An elegant, twin-galleried belfry crowns the building. The south porch is delicately carved with bunches of grapes and statuettes of saints. Inside there is an oak Renaissance rood screen (jubé) from the 16th century decorated on the side facing the nave with twelve polychrome statues carved in the round, including nine Apostles and three Popes, and on the chancel side with low-relief sculptures of saints venerated in Brittany. On one end are the statues of Saint Anne and Mary. The entire rood screen is held aloft with by two stone columns and an abundance of fantastic and grotesque creatures. Also of interest is the panelled ceiling adorned with angels and coats of arms, carved purlins and beams. Behind the main altar is a large stained glass window from 1539 that illustrates the Passion and the Resurrection of Christ. To the right of the main altar is a niche devoted to Saint Yves, the patron saint of Brittany, lawyers and abandoned children.

From one castle to the next... Les Andelys lies in one of the loveliest settings along the Seine and is dominated by the impressive ruins of Château-Gaillard which overlooks the valley. Carefully following the walking tour map from the tourist office, I began my visit along the Seine. Les Andelys has had several bridges and this one, a suspension bridge, is the most recent. It was built in 1948 and replaces the bridge that was blown up in 1940 by resistance fighters to delay the advance of the German army. The town is actually made up of two communes, le Petit Andely and le Grand Andely. I didn’t make it to the latter but a stroll along the Seine offers a great selection of charming, old timber frame houses that seem as if they’ve not changed for centuries. This one in particular is called La Chaîne d’Or which used to shelter the offices where taxes were collected from the riverboats that passed through the town. This source of income was enforced through the use of a large chain running across the Seine that stopped any boats. This is the Hôpital St-Jacques and during the 13th century it was a stopping place for pilgrims on the way to Santiago de Compostela. In 1785 the present building was erected and it now serves as a day hospital and senior citizens home. In the Middle Ages, the Gambon river ran through le Grand and le Petit Andely and provided the raw power for several mills in the area. During violent storms or when the snow was melting, the flow of the Gambon increased and often overflowed its banks destroying everything in its path. In the 17th century, King Louis XIV ordered that a dam be built and the residents to build a canal. This canal called le Grand Rang (more like a fast flowing stream), is now the main waterway running through the town. In the center of the town is the Saint-Sauveur Church. It was started in 1220 and ended a hundred years later. Unfortunately, it was closed during lunchtime and of course, that is when I wanted to visit. I’m sure the interior is something to see but all I could admire were the flying buttresses framing the upper windows, the slate spire and the wooden porch supported by a stone base on the western side dating from the 15th century. The most impressive attraction that Les Andelys offers is the Château-Gaillard, erected in record time between 1196 and 1198 by Richard the Lionheart, King of England and Duke of Normandy, in order to protect Normandy from the ambitions of the king of France, Philip II Augustus. It had a reputation of being an impregnable fortress; nevertheless it fell into the French king’s hands in 1204 after a seven month siege. To throw out brigands and thieves who were living here in later years, Henri IV and later Louis XIII organized the dismantling of the castle. Richelieu had it torn down stone by stone until it was only a third of its original height. Much of the outer curtain wall is no longer standing but there are still quite a few towers and casemates to be seen. In any direction from nearly every corner of the château are countless spectacular views over the Seine and the valley below. Since I didn’t have time to walk around the part of town called le Grand Andely, I drove there in order to quickly visit the Collégiale Notre-Dame des Andelys which was built in 1225 on the ruins of an abbey founded in 511 by Ste-Clotilde, wife of Clovis I. Construction and improvements continued until the late 17th century, and major restorations were carried out in 1860. The façade is of the 13th century and the tympanum features stories from the life of the Virgin. The north gate was built during the time of King Henry II in Renaissance style. It once had a central tower and spire but these were destroyed during World War II and were never rebuilt. The stained glass windows are exceptional and were executed largely by master glassmakers of the 15th century. The windows of the south aisle are dated 1540 and those at the top of the nave from 1560. The beautifully carved organ case is from 1573 and depicts biblical scenes, as well as mythological imagery. Inside the transept and one of the side chapels are two paintings from 1612 by Quentin Varin—this one is called the Martyrdom of Saint Clair. In the south aisle below the tower is a 16th century set of statues depicting the Entombment.

Caudebec-en-Caux is a pleasant town settled around the Seine where the Ste-Gertrude Valley runs into the river. It was here that I stopped on my way to Jumièges where I had booked a room at a chambre d'hôte called Au Temps des Cerises. I wasn’t planning on stopping but I needed to do some shopping to get some stuff for dinner since I didn’t want to go out to some restaurant. I’m so glad I stayed for a while and took a walking tour of the town. The Quai Guilbaud along the river is a popular place for a stroll and offers wonderful views of tour boats and barges passing by as well as the Pont Bretonne. Because there are so few bridges over the Seine in this part of Normandy and because the river winds its way like a serpent throughout the countryside, it can be difficult to get from one point to another. A good example of this is the Pont de Bretonne in Caudebec-en-Caux which was built in the 1970s to relieve the amount of traffic taking the numerous ferries along the river. There are still quite a few ferries and one day in particular, I took a ferry that cut my distance from 50km to only 15km. One of the first interesting old buildings in town was the Old Prison which dates from the 14th century. Closer to the center of town is the Maison des Templiers (12th and 13th centuries), called “Templar” perhaps because it served as a Protestant temple during the Reformation. It escaped destruction in 1940 probably because of its stone structure—one of the few houses of its kind from medieval Normandy. When an American threatened to buy the building and rebuilt it stone by stone in the United Sates, a local association saved the building and created the Museum Biochet-Bréchot which now houses items of local history and archaeology. Sadly, much of Caudebec-en-Caux lost its ancient fortifications in 1378 however some portions of the old walls still exist like the Tour d’Harfleur and the Tour des Fascines. There are several half-timber houses in the town as well which give an idea of what Caudebec must have looked like during the Middle Ages. The chief architectural interest of the town lies in its Flamboyant church, Église Notre-Dame which was constructed during the 15th and the early 16th centuries. Henri IV once described it as “the most beautiful chapel in the kingdom.” It is certainly that—the belfry is 53 meters tall and its upper part is surmounted by a stone crown spire. The west façade is pierced by three doorways which portray 333 different characters from the Bible and by a remarkable rose window surrounded by small statues. Inside, there is no transept and the nave is quite narrow. The 17th century baptismal font is decorated with intricately carved panels. The great organ is from the 16th century and has 3,345 pewter pipes. The Chapelle du St-Sépulcre at the rear of the church has a set of large stone statues (16th century) including a recumbent Christ which were originally from the Jumièges Abbey. The Chapelle de la Vierge, or Lady Chapel is famous for its keystone which weighs over seven tonnes. The most impressive parts of the entire place are the stained glass windows which date from the 15th and 16th centuries.