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.
This portion of the Normandy beach was difficult to take from the Germans because of the steep cliffs. Of the 225 men who embarked on this stage of the advance, only 90 survived. They found that the Germans had moved their real guns inland and replaced...
For almost five centuries this immense château, set in a 25 acre park, belonged to a famous Norman family, Le Veneur de Tilliéres; in 1936 it was bought by the nation. From the 12th century to the 15th century the château was the seat of the Blosset and...
Near the hamlet of La Forge, just outside of Bretteville-en-Saire is an ancient megalithic gravesite known as the Allée Couverte, or “covered alley” which is over 4,000 years old. Its length is roughly 17 meters and is composed of stones weighing several...
Just outside the small town of Colleville-sur-Mer, overlooking Omaha Beach, the American War Cemetery and Memorial contains the remains of 9,387 American military dead. Unable to be located and/or identified, the names of 1,557 soldiers who lost their...
In the heart of the Siene valley, l'abbaye d'Hambye is, after the Mont-Saint-Michel (only 45mins away), the most complete medieval monastery in Normandy. This Benedictine Abbey was built during the 12th and 13th Centuries. The community disappeared in...
At the foot of the Gros Horloge in Rouen is the Louis XV fountain from 1743 representing a mythological scene depicting the love of the river Alpheus and the nymph Arethusa, symbolized by the figure of a Cupid flying above them. Famous French architect,...
Sées has been the seat of an episcopal see since St-Lautin converted the region to Christianity in 440 and became the first bishop. The quiet cathedral town has some of the finest examples of 13th and 14th century Norman Gothic architecture. This was...
I’ve not posted anything new in a while because I’ve been suffering from a cold. However, yesterday I felt quite convalesced and decided to take a short trip to Bayeux. On the way, I stopped in Cerisy-la-Forêt and some other places which you will see...
The Château de Balleroy was built between 1626 and 1636 by François Mansart for Jean de Choisy, Chancellor to Gaston d’Orléans . De Choisy’s descendants, under the title of Marquis de Balleroy, owned the château for three centuries. It is now owned by...
In 1635 Odet d'Harcourt built on the site of a medieval château. In 1714 and 1723 it was enlarged and came to be known as the “château of 264 windows”. It was enlarged in 1714 and 1723. Louis XVI briefly stayed here in June of 1785 when he made the trip...
Our friends at Normandy Inn gave us some good advice when it came to exploring the area around Montbray and Vire during our visit last week. If you seek a pleasant hiking opportunity, look no further than la forêt de Saint-Sever. The national forest covers...
A descendant of an old Caen family the poet François de Malherbe (1555 – 1628) is thought to have been born in this house. Rebuilt in 1582 in Place “Belle Croix”, by his father, who was on the Caen Presidial, it has been magnificently restored. As in...
L'église de Hainneville This small church is in the parish of Our Lady of the Assumption in Equeurdreville. Built on the hill looking over the sea, it stands in the middle of the cemetery like many rural churches in the Cotentin. There was another religious...
Yes, “Il pleut !” It’s raining! A stunning vision of a fantastically colorful Cherbourg is, sadly, something one cannot find today. It has been raining like Noah’s flood for weeks now along with strong winds from the south. The wet, dreary and cold look...
Despite Querqueville's size, it managed to pull together the best Christmas Markets that I've been to this season. It was great! So much better than last year and a heck of a lot better than the one in Cherbourg. It was held at the Manoir de la Coquerie,...
It’s been almost three weeks and I am sorry for not posting sooner but I’ve been on vacation. I had a wonderful time visiting so many beautiful places in the south of France. These attractive sights included La moulin de Cougnaguet, Rocamadour, Les châteaux...
Emmanuel Liais (1826 – 1900), a former mayor of Cherbourg, an astronomer, and a passionate botanist took advantage of his travels to return home with several South American and Asian plants. Between 1880 and 1893 he created a magnificent botanical garden,...
Pirou’s fortified castle is in fact a motte castrale (or castle mound) erected on an island and surrounded by ramparts preventing any possible extension. The castle’s architecture is similar to Crusader architecture with alternating turrets and guerites....
I wish I had taken notes when I was in Falaise. I visited the famous church of Staint Gervais which is known for its two different architectural styles: the south side is Romanesque and the north side is Gothic. It was built between the 11th century and...
The sizeable ruins of Lucerne Abbey stand in an isolated spot in the pleasantly green Thar Valley. The abbey was founded in 1143 by two Premonstratensian monks following a donation by Hasculfe de Subligny, the great nephew of William the Conqueror. It...
The Christmas Market in Cherbourg has begun. Many of the booths are selling cheap, homemade jewelry, drug paraphernalia like pipes and bongs, and articles of clothing and home decor from Africa. There was only one booth selling Christmas items and they...
I’m sorry my postings have not been regular since Thanksgiving but I’ve been busy decorating the house for the holidays, shopping for presents and writing all of my Christmas cards. As you can see, I’ve been a busy boy. I love this time of year. Last...
Haunting, vast and gray, The sea is a beast. It rambles on and off the shore all day With its stabbing sharp claws It eats the beach away. Sand and stone tumble down—punish, thrash ! The sonorous sounds scare the birds away. Reminders of World War II,...
There was an exposition at l a Cité de la Mer that featured original posters from the private collection of Gabriel Cadringher of transatlantic cruise lines. It had other ships as well that traveled to other parts of the world such as the South Pacific...
For five centuries, following the marriage of Jeanne de Gratot to Guillaume d’Argouges, the château belonged to the Argouges family. In 1439 Jean d’Argouges sold the port of Granville to the English, thus giving them control of Mont-St-Michel. This sale...
