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.
Le terme "épiphanie" est issu du grec et signifie "apparition". Célébrée le 6 janvier, cette fête correspond à la présentation de Jésus enfant aux Rois Mages. Ce jour est aussi celui du premier miracle des noces de Cana et avant tout la date de baptême...
On January 17, 1871, the Virgin Mary appeared to four children in the village of Pontmain: Eugène and Joseph Barbedette, Jeanne-Marie Lebossé and Françoise Richer. The children said that the Lady was clothed in a blue dress, spangled with golden stars....
This small church is perched on a hill overlooking the Bay of Morsalines. The peace and quiet makes this a unique spot for meditation. The cemetery looks as grand as it is almost empty; but it is only an appearance. Indeed, it contains old graves from...
Sorry that I’ve been away from my blog for so long. I’m occupied with so many other things and just don’t have the time or the energy to post more often. I would however like to share some photos of the vacation that I took just after finishing the Camino...
Just something different for a change... It seems like I'm always writing about churches and castles but failing to post anything else. A few years ago I planted some hollyhocks known as rose trémière in France and each year since, they've been coming...
I had lunch at a nice family restaurant called “Le Commerce” in the town center of La Haye-du-Puits. Everything was just delicious and the chef cooked our steaks right in front of us over a grill in the fireplace. I’ll never forget how warm it was inside...
The lighthouse, which stands on the northwestern extremity of the Cotentin peninsula, is one of the tallest in France (71 meters). The light has a range of 56 kilometers, and the radio beacon, installed in the small 18th century semaphore, guides ships...
I regret not taking more photographs of the esplanade along the Port des Flamands in Tourlaville when I was there in July. The whole area has been revitalized and cleaned up. The only reason I was here in the first place was to eat lunch at Au Noroit...
Today I am leaving for Bordeaux and the southwest of France for a week before beginning my pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. I plan on walking the 800 km route for about 40 days and so I won't be posting anything here unless I have access...
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 weather was spectacular this last weekend that I decided to take a trip to the region around Haute Normandie known as the Seine Maritime. After making several stops to get pictures of the fields covered in rape flowers, or colza as it is known in...
This charming fishing port, with its granite houses and its quays littered with lobster pots, is one of the most beautiful villages in France. Tradition has it that the boat which carried William, Duke of Normandy on his invasion of England was built...
Another beautiful weekend in La Manche ! Lots of sunshine and warm temperatures. On Saturday, I went for another short hike around the town of Lestre. This particular hike was called Randonnée le circuit du Bouillon which roughly translates as the walk...
Just south of Cherbourg is the town of Saint-Sauveur-le-Vicomte which is famous for its château which dates from the eleventh and twelfth centuries. What remains are fortifications flanked by towers and a massive keep. The ruins have been classified as...
Three weeks ago we worked with encre "colored ink" and water to create these winter scenes. It was somewhat difficult since no one in the class had ever attempted to create such a picture. We followed the directions from a book the teacher had and I have...
Not far from Carentan within the Parc Naturel Régional des Marais du Cotentin et du Bessin is the remarkable medieval church of Saint-Étienne d’Appeville. It became an historic monument in 1950 and is one of the most interesting in the region due in part...
If I didn’t already tell you, let me say it again: the weather in Haute Normandie was just wonderful last weekend. Not only were the fruit trees blossoming, so were the cherry trees and fields of yellow rape. On the morning of my second day, I had a sumptuous...
What I Am Thankful For: For each new morning with its light, For rest and shelter in the night, For health and food, For love and friends, For everything that Jesus sends ! I made all of the traditional foods including turkey, sage stuffing, mashed potatoes,...
The Château de Brissac is located in a fine park shaded by magnificent cedar trees. The building is unusual both because it is exceptionally tall (the tallest château in France, they claim), and because it comprises two juxtaposed buildings one of which...
On the top of a small hill overlooking the château and the village of Réville is the church of Saint Martin. A tall bell tower of three floors stands on the north side of the church—its upper levels perforated on each side by twin bays topped by an oculus....
La place Bellecour is a large square in Lyon. In fact, it is the largest pedestrian square in Europe and makes a great starting point for visiting any part of Lyon. The town’s tourist office is located here and lies between La Saône and Le Rhône, forming...
On Sunday, October 9th, I went with a group of 40 people from the AVF Cherbourg Association on a tour of several private and public manors, châteaux, churches, windmills and gardens that make up a large part of this region’s cultural heritage. The first...
Another interesting monument that overlooks the city of Lyon is the Tour métallique de Fourvière (lovingly referred to as the Eiffel Tower of Lyon by the locals) built between 1892 and 1894. Local councilmen who wanted to build a secular monument to counterbalance...
It almost feels like I will never get caught up on all the articles I wish to write about the places I’ve visited in France. I guess I will just keep posting until I run out of photos. Last summer (yes, it’s been that long), I went on several trips to...
After leaving Laval, we headed to our final destination for the day, Évron but stopped just long enough in La Chapelle- Rainsouin to see the interior of l'église Saint-Sixte which is famous for its two funeral stones as well as a unique Entombment scene....
