De captivants à banals, les articles et photographies de “The Baguette” sont une tentative de publier un journal de ma vie dans la Manche et de proposer un forum de discussion pour tout ce qui touche à la Normandie.
After doing the hike around Ruffosses I drove to the Église Saint-Grégoire just outside of Sauxemesnil to eat my lunch. It’s amazing how often you come across something so interesting and want to know more but can’t find the information anywhere. Such...
Well, it was getting rather late and after visiting Caudebec-en-Caux, we still needed to visit the Abbaye de Saint-Wandrille de Fontenelle. It is a living, working community of monks and so the buildings are not open to visitors unless you take a guided...
I went on yet another hike last weekend around Lessay which took me to several places of natural heritage including moors, forests, rivers and some charming little villages. To start, I had to park my car in the Fromagerie Réo parking lot and then find...
Tuesday, May 7, 2013 -- Valença to Redondela It wasn’t yet raining and I desperately wanted to arrive in Tui, across the bridge separating Portugal from Spain before the skies opened up. I don’t think this was on the minds of my other companions as they...
This weekend was the annual Marché de Noël in Querqueville. Each year, vendors come from all around to sell their crafts and food items at booths set up within the old Manoir de la Coquerie. I’m always impressed with the variety and I end up buying more...
I’ve not much to say about the Église Saint-Pair in Gerville-la-Forêt except that it is from the 17th century and was closed on the day I visited. It’s the little church I came across while looking for the chapel in Vesly. The church gets its name from...
Wednesday, May 1, 2013 -- Porto, Portugal I went to bed rather early last night and slept very well. None of the other people in my room bothered me by coming in late nor did they disturb my slumber. I’m pretty sure that will not be the case in the albergues...
Part of my English-guided tour of Old Lyon included stops at the Primatiale Saint-Jean, Place Saint-Paul, Musée des beaux-arts and l'église Saint-Nizier. In the center of the square in front of Saint-Jean Cathedral is a fountain with four basins topped...
All along the Loire are some interesting small villages that have maintained many of their medieval buildings. The castle keep catches your eye as soon as you approach the village of Trèves. It is nearly 50 meters tall and was part of an important castle,...
After spending nearly the entire day exploring the enclos paroissiaux of Brittany, I took a break from the granite churches, the ossuary’s and ornamented Calvaries that were all starting to look the same. I took a short detour that led me to the Roc’h...
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...
This peaceful village occupies a picturesque setting on the summit of a rocky promontory commanding the north bank of the Erve. In the 11th century, the viscounts of Beaumont built on the site one of the most important Maine strong points. Ste-Suzanne,...
I went on another wonderful hike last weekend around Amblie in the Calvados Department. The walk has the special name of “randonnée sur les pas des carriers et des meuniers” (which means walking in the footsteps of the quarry-workers and millers) and...
The Benedictine abbey was founded in 1144 by Guillaume de Tancarville on the site of a collegiate church built around 1050 by his father Raoul, Grand Chamberlain to William the Conqueror. Raoul de Tancarville installed a community of Augustinian Canons...
Something different ... Last summer, just before the 69th anniversary of the D-Day landings, I took a trip to Bénouville along the Caen Canal just so I could visit Pegasus Bridge. The bridge, which crosses the canal, was built in 1934 but was replaced...
The parish close of Bodilis is from the 16th century and is proceeded by a Flamboyant bell tower (1570) which rests on four arches. It is the last of its kind to be built in the area. Another interesting facet of this church is the fact that it still...
L'église Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption is a 12th church in Tamerville dedicated to Our Lady. It has undergone many changes over the years and sadly, only the bell tower has retained its Romanesque style. A chapel dedicated to St. John the Baptist was originally...
The Azeville German Coastal Battery is just north of Sainte-Mère-Eglise near the small town of Azeville about 10 km from Utah Beach. It is one of the first constructions of the Atlantic Wall in France by the Todt Organization of the Third Reich. Built...
It is only 10 a.m. and the snow is still coming down. The forecast says that it won't last very long so I thought I would take some photos of what may be our only snowfall this winter. As you can see, there are very few cars on the Boulevard de l'Hague...
Once again, we’ve been having really nice weather in la Manche. When it’s like this, you can’t help but go outside and do something—head to the beach, ride your bike or take a nice long walk. Fortunately for me, I’ve been able to do all these things in...
My next stop was to the 16th century Église de Saint-Nicolas-de-Pierrepont with its 15th century fortified bell tower. The interior has some fine liturgical furniture including this 18th century baptismal font in the nave. It is perhaps more famous for...
Saturday, May 4, 2013 -- Sâo Pedro de Rates to Tamel S. Pedro Fins Well, none of us slept well last night. The beds where too small and my feet kept touching the end, cars drove up and down the busy street just outside the albergue and several people...
While driving home, approaching the small town of Surville and the flat green earth of this low lying land all around me I could easily see in the distance this small church directly beside the road. What struck me first was the imposing bell tower which...
Saturday, May 11, 2013 -- Padrón to Santiago de Compostela Well I guess it is time to finish up these postings on my Camino that I took in May. I’m sorry for not writing more often but I no longer seem to feel up to the task of keeping The Baguette going...
The parish close (enclos paroissial) is the most typical monumental grouping in Breton communities. The center of the close was the cemetery which was very small with gravestones of uniform size. Today this is tending to disappear. Around the cemetery,...
