Cruising Aquitaine, Britany and Normandy ~ Where are the Jays

Monet’s Japanese footbridge

Goodbye to Bordeaux

The time has come to board WindStar’s Star Legend and sail down the Garonne River. We love this ship's small size (320 passengers) and large cabins. The ship is docked in the old city, so we have a short walk from our hotel. I am looking forward to the views as we head for the Bay of Biscay about 90 kilometers away. We have reservations for Candles restaurant so we can enjoy the view.

Got this photo of our ship during my morning run.

Carol and Kathy found the perfect spot on deck.

The city of wine museum in the background.

La Rochelle

Our first port visit is in the same province of Aquitaine, not far from Bordeaux. It’s the city of La Rochelle with its medieval towers guarding this historic port. We move fast this morning to see the city as we later have an excursion inland later. Remember Eleanor of Aquitaine from our last post? She granted this town a charter in 1199 and it picked up her independent spirit too. It was granted the status of a free city for four centuries that generated great wealth. However in the early 16th century, it was a key part of the reformation in France and declared itself an independent state within a state. When the Huguenot rebellion failed, they were placed under the authority of Cardinal Richelieu. Some fled, including a family whose descendant was our first President, George Washington.

Outside and courtyard of Hotel de Villa (city hall)

Medieval towers guarding the port

Porte Cailhau
Grand entry to the city

Along the waterfront

Cathedral Saint Louis is not that old by European standards. The corner stone was laid in 1742, but the French Revolution delayed work for many years. The church was completed in 1862. Its predecessor, Saint Barthélemy was dismantled during the reformation to reinforce the city walls as they feared attacks by King Louis.

Cathedral St Louis

Our afternoon excursion is to the green Venice and was billed as a wildlife viewing opportunity by small boats like in Venice. While it was lovely, the only wildlife we saw were cows grazing. It’s actually an example of reclaiming marshland for farming. This was accomplished by digging canals to drain away the water and raise the ground level.

Our group punting

ABBA Night

Sea Day(s)

Our next destination is Saint Malo in Britany, but it requires a day to transit. We are warned of rough seas expected overnight as we would be taking it on the beam. During the day we occupy our time with the usual ship board activities of: trivia, cooking demonstration and a fun evening of good food followed by dancing. The only downside came when the Captain's voice came over the speakers saying the Saint Malo authorities wouldn’t allow us to visit due to bad weather with gale force winds expected. We had hoped that WindStar might be able to rearrange our itinerary so we could still make this highlight of the cruise. This cruise line can make magic happen when things like this happen, but not this time.

Cooking demonstration is something we plan to try at home
Shrimp and Scallop Risotto

Guernsey

We are in the English Channel on the island of Guernsey. (Population 65,000). The complicated part is the group of islands that it is part of is the Bailiwick of Guernsey, a self governing British Crown dependency. Confused? We were. The simple version is they are autonomous, not part of the United Kingdom. The king is responsible to protect them, so UK does the job including all foreign relations. They have their own currency, the Guernsey Pound, which is pegged 1:1 with the British Pound. Finance is their largest industry because they have been a tax haven for those few fortunate foreigners who can pay someone to hide their income. Tourism and butter are other important industries. Tourism because it’s scenic and duty free. Butter supposedly is fabulous, but I prefer Irish butter.

Guernsey

We went on a cliff walk excursion that included scones with cream and tea at the end. Sounded like a nice reward for a workout. On each visit to England, Scotland and Ireland, I am so impressed with how bus drivers can navigate down a narrow stone wall lined single track lane. Normally the size of the bus dictates who backs up to a wide spot so the bus can pass. Our driver was a kind heart as a car with a large letter L in the window was ahead of us. Letter L indicates the driver has a learners permit. Our driver backs the bus up, so the youngster didn’t have to.

We reach our starting point, where the lane is lined with a few very old larger homes and a number of charming cottages. We learn these dormer windows would have been added when the thatched roof was replaced. It’s a gorgeous place to live with remnants of history everywhere. He also points out a home with a great ocean view and tells us a story. The owners were gardening one day and struck an object and then another. They were canon balls which we could see neatly piled in their yard. They were leftovers from the late 18th century when France was supporting the American Revolution and England feared an invasion by France of the Islands.

Cute cottage owned by a friend of the guide

Natural spring water on right is captured in basin on left for livestock

Grey car is next to a mini cooper, think about it

His next story farther down the path was about a young couple, who drove out to the end of the road on the point one evening for some time alone. To their surprise, they were disturbed when the MV President Garcia, traveling at full speed, ran onto the island where they were. In true British subtlety, the headline was that a courting couple raised the alarm.

MVPresident Garcia ran aground at full speed

At the start of WW II, the British troops and 17,000 civilians evacuated. Our guide’s grandfather sent away his family and said he would be on the next boat. He and his wife and children would be separated for the next 5 years. The children were often separated from parents. Dogs and cats were killed to conserve food. While the Nazis were notified it was an open island they bombed anyway killing 34 civilians. After 3 weeks of occupation, things were getting short. Netflix has a good movie that takes place during WW II on the island that gives an account. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, based on a prior book. After the war, children returned with new accents and not recognizing their starved parents and relatives.

One of many German pillbox on right

We were fortunate that there was a market to explore as part of our exploration of this cute town. There were several musical performances and merchandise and food stalls. We found a tea towel of a blue lobster on the Guernsey newspaper.

Sunday Market

Community Choir

Victor Hugo lived here after his exile from France. It’s here he wrote Les Miserables. His former home is open for tours, but we only stood for Photos.

Victor Hugo

Serious conversation with Victor Hugo

D-Day landings, Operation Overlord and the coast of Normandy

We docked in Cherbourg and joins our friends on a private tour of the American zones in Normandy. We stopped on the way to pick up sandwiches and pastry for lunch.

Cathedral of our Lady of Bayeux, Calvados France

The current church was consecrated in 1077 and is a highly regarded Norman-Romanesque and Gothic styles. We visited a crypt that they only recently discovered with well preserved murals.

Cathedral of our Lady of Bayuex

Murals discovered in the crypt in recent years.

Langue’s-Sur-Mer Batteries

Part of the Nazi Atlantic Wall, these batteries located on a cliff 200 feet above sea level had the range of 12 miles. Thus they were a threat to the allied fleet offshore of both Gold and Omaha beaches. To avoid giving away the invasion location they were only bombed once before D-Day. On D-Day there was a great duel between allied warships and these guns before they surrendered to the British.

Only remaining intact German artillery

Observation room that directed aiming of guns located in front of the guns

remnants of the Mulberry a harbor on Gold beach

Omaha Beach

It’s still a very wide beach today. My mind kept recalling the movie the longest day which depicted Soldiers attempting to cross that expanse under heavy fire.

Omaha Beach

Signal Monument

Monument titled “Les Braves”

Normandy American Cemetery

It’s a beautiful and solemn site where over 10,000 soldiers are buried. It is considered US territory. It was raining when we got there so we did a quick tour.

American cemetery in Normandy

Point du Hoc

This story is covered in both The Longest Day and briefly in Saving Private Ryan with filming at this location. This is where the Rangers climb the cliff to capture artillery that could stop the invasion. They reach the top to find only observation posts, but no guns to their great disappointment. They found the guns farther inland.

What the Rangers had to climb

German bunker used in the movie, The Longest Day

Eglise Saint Come et Saint Damien

Touching story of a US and Canadian medics treating wounded from both sides in the pews of the church. Blood stains remain and stain glass windows commemorate the benevolent acts.

Sailing up the Seine River to Rouen

At 3 a.m. we entered the Seine river for our journey to Rouen about 75 miles inland. I wanted to witness our sailing up the river that so many river boats tour, but that was too early even for me. Instead, I headed for the gym at 6:30 a.m. and rode the bike as the countryside went by. Breakfast on the aft deck was worthwhile but not like earlier that morning. We arrived at our port at 10:00 a.m.

Morning mist on the Seine River France

The largest of the Thatched roof buildings I saw

Shadow of our ship MV Star Legend

Chateau/Castle on hill top

Rouen is the capital of Normandy North of the Seine and Caen (next destination) is the capital of southern Normandy. It’s a large city with an active port that we dock in. FYI, I never would have guessed how to pronounce the city’s name. Click here for a 1 minute video with the proper pronunciation for Rouen.

Giverny, Claude Monet’s home

Both of us enjoy impressionist paintings, so we joined our friends Kathy and Scott to visit the home and gardens of Claude Monet for 43 years. Our guide used the bus ride to educate us on the impressionist style history and Monet specifically. The short version is they were laughed at initially, with the interest initially from North America. As his fame increased so did his family and home. He had the gardens and ponds built with the purpose of them being the best known subject of his water lily and Japanese bridge works.

Monet’s gardens

Home in background

Monet’s kitchen

Setting of boat paintings

Water Lilly pond, with Japanese bridge in background

The paintings inside the house were copies. They removed them as some originals were stolen some years back. We did get to see originals when we visited Musée des Beaux-Arts de Rouen. They had a good collection of Monet, Pissarro and Sisley.

Rouen, history and old city

Rouen is an ancient city established by the Romans when they defeated the Gallic tribes and built their second largest city in Gaul. (Larger than modern France). Later in 876 AD the Vikings invaded as they did. The gap in my knowledge was that the Vikings didn’t leave. After 50 years or so, Chieftan Rollo was named the Duke of Normandy by the French King as an appeasement. Rollo converts to Catholicism and stops raiding in exchange for rule over Normandy. Norman = Norsemen. This legitimacy leads to a long line of Anglo - Norman leaders that later came to rule England. Who as we know has always gotten along well with France.😉

Now the relationship between England and France gets really ugly during the 100 year war. In the last post we learned about Eleanor of Acquitaine’s role. There was also Joan of Arc, a peasant girl, who claimed to be charged by god to win the war for France. She had some success but ultimately was burned at the stake here in Rouen. It’s a long story to learn as you visit the church of Saint Joan of Arc built on the site where she died a horrible death.

Church of Saint Joan of Arc

The next morning, we debark and head to our hotel in the old city. The old city is in remarkable condition given WW II. The half timbered buildings are in use, though some walls are leaning at perilous angles. The justice building has damage left unrepaired from WWII (See photo).

Gros Horlage (Great Clock) is a 14th century Astronomical Clock

Carvings under the arch of the Great Clock

Massive Justice building

Look closely and you will see some WWII damage filled in with colorful filler

Notre Dame (Our Lady) Cathedral evolved over time. One version of it was built by the Duke of Normandy, whose heart resides in the Cathedral. What we see today started in 1185 and evolved with multiple additions. The French Revolution and WW II caused severe damage, but it has been restored.