From Portsmouth to Normandy

On Tuesday night we had the lovely experience of spending the night sitting upright in a sleeper seat whilst on the overnight ferry from Portsmouth to Le Havre.  On arrival in Le Havre at 8am we drove to the ruins of Jumieges Abbey.  We could see the ruins from the road side so did not pay the €6 entry fee.  From here we carried on to Bayeux where we saw the famous Tapestry that was woven 1000 ago.  The tapestry is 70m long and depicts the Norman conquest of England, hence William the Conqueror became King of England.  We then went to the Normandy Museum which gave a good history lesson into the D Day landings.  The video at the museum put me to sleep! We decided to check into our hotel for Nana naps, but alas it was 4pm and we couldn't check in til 5pm - so I had a sleep in the back seat of the car.

Today we drove around the beaches of the D Day landings.  The beaches are beautiful white sand and it is hard to imagine them stained red with blood.  We enjoyed climbing through gun batteries and exploring bunkers.  The American cemetery was amazing - perfectly manicured lawns and white marble crosses.
We are spending the night in a tiny town called Beauvoir.  Tomorrow morning we are going to see Mt St Michel, before a long 4.5hr drive to Blois - in the heart of the Loire Valley.
Highlights so far are stopping in Patisseries to buy fresh croissants and ham & cheese baguettes.  YUM.