Archive | News RSS feed for this section
DSC05207_8_9

Main Square

The Markt (“Market Square”) of Bruges is located in the heart of the city and covers an area of about 1 hectare. Some historical highlights around the square include the 12th-century belfry and the Provincial Court (originally the Waterhall, which in 1787 was demolished and replaced by a classicist building that from 1850 served as […]

2 Comments Continue Reading →
DSC05265_6_7

On Bruges

Bruges is a relatively small city of about 120 thousand people, double that if you include the metropolitan area.  It is very beautiful and pristine.  It’s a vibrant and alive and obsessively clean and not as busy and commercial as Brussels, a perfect place to get a good taste of Belgium. Very few traces of human […]

Leave a comment Continue Reading →
DSC04681

Welcome to Belgium

After spending a few hours in Amiens, we set off for Belgium.  We are going to be staying in Bruges close to the old town to reduce our travel time and to maximize our time in the city.  Our fist impression of Belgium is very positive.  It appears that most highways in Belgium are lit at night, […]

Leave a comment Continue Reading →
DSC04666_7_8

Around Amiens

The first known settlement is Samarobriva (“Somme bridge”), the central settlement of the Ambiani, one of the principal tribes of Gaul. The town was given the name Ambianum by the Romans, meaning settlement of the Ambiani people. The town has been much fought over, being attacked by barbarian tribes, and later by the Normans. In […]

Leave a comment Continue Reading →
DSC04654_5_6

Amiens Cathedral

Amiens Cathedral is situated on a ridge overlooking the River Somme in Amiens and it is the 19th largest church in the world. Medieval cathedral builders were trying to maximize the internal dimensions in order to reach for the heavens and bring in more light. In that regard, the Amiens cathedral is the tallest complete […]

Leave a comment Continue Reading →
DSC04307_8_9

Farewell Omonville

Today we are saying goodbye to our fantastic little cottage in Omonville.  Despite the weather, we had absolutely fabulous time here.  I would say one of the best stays on this trip.  Don’t get fooled by this picture, it rained 30 min later, exactly when we were checking out…

2 Comments Continue Reading →
DSC04298_299_300

Dieppe War Cemetery

Tomorrow is the 72nd anniversary of the Dieppe Raid of 1942. Dieppe is dressed up and down with Canadian flags – it looks very heartwarming. The Canadian War Cemetery located 5km from Dieppe is unique in that it was created by the occupying Germans, as the Allied raid was a disaster and many dead were […]

Leave a comment Continue Reading →
DSC04194

Horticulture

Continuing with our fun theme for the day after Tree Top Adventure we set off for Hydrangea Gardens. The gardens which are about 2ha in size claim to have the largest collection of hydrangeas from around the world, with hundreds of flowers and millions of blooms.  I am not sure if this qualified as fun […]

Leave a comment Continue Reading →
DSC04083

Arb’Aventure

This morning the kids asked what we are doing today?  Having fun was the reply and fun we were going to have.  In the old days you could either climb a tree or you did not, today they made that into a sport, which I think is a lot more fun. First stop for today is a Tree […]

2 Comments Continue Reading →
DSC03569_70_71

Cape Fagnet

Cape Fagnet is the highest point of the Alabaster Coast, it offers a breathtaking panorama of the sea, the cliffs, the harbor and the town of Fecamp. It peaks at 105 m and was once called the “Slam Fécamp.” It is currently occupied by a navy radar installation. Cape Fagnet was part of the German Atlantic […]

2 Comments Continue Reading →
DSC03600_1_2

Fecamp

About 20 min drive from Etretat is the fishing  town of Fecamp.  During WWII Fecamp was part of Atlantic Wall fortification project run by Nazis.  It was the third best fortified city in Normandy in WWII which was held by the Germans until 1944. Fecamp is an ancient fishing village and it shows signs of habitation dating […]

1 Comment Continue Reading →
Evelina

Weather Forecast

Yesterday in Rouen we had amazing weather – read no rain and even some sunshine.  Today’s forecast is somewhat similar.  Cloudy, with light wind, occasional sunshine and guaranteed downpour or five.  I think that by now we all got used to the idea that the beach towels we brought with us will go back home […]

Leave a comment Continue Reading →
DSC03321_2_3

Étretat

Etretat is a small town of about 1500 people located about 100 km from where we are staying.  Étretat is best known for its cliffs, including three natural arches and the pointed “needle”. These cliffs and the associated resort beach attracted artists including Eugène Boudin, Gustave Courbet and Claude Monet, and were featured prominently in […]

Leave a comment Continue Reading →
DSC03148_49_50

Timber Houses

Another one of predominant landmarks in Rouen are the timber houses.  The entire old town it seems is dotted with them.  Some in better shape than others, some looking like they were just built and some so skewed they look like they are falling over.  All of them however, absolutely charming and beautiful.  Most of these […]

Leave a comment Continue Reading →
DSC03139

Exercise Park

In the park behind the Church of St. Ouen church is where all the action is.  Great church, beautiful park, a fountain, a pond, a tennis table, a playground for kids, bachelorette party meeting place and an exercise park.  Since this trip is all about collection experiences, we thought we would give it a try.   We entered the […]

3 Comments Continue Reading →
DSC03015

Benedictine Monastery

This  Benedictine Nun Monastery was established in 1677 by a nun from Paris. In 1802 the nuns moved to the former convent of the Minimes, which was built in the 17th century.  They have been praying every since and now they also bake and sell delicious cookies to support the monastery and themselves.  

Leave a comment Continue Reading →
DSC03134_5_6-2

Church of St. Ouen

The Church of St. Ouen is a large Gothic Roman Catholic church in Rouen, northern France, famous for both its architecture and its large, unaltered Cavaillé-Coll organ, which Charles-Marie Widor described as “a Michelangelo of an organ”. Built on a similar scale to nearby Rouen Cathedral, it is, along with church of Saint Maclou, one […]

Leave a comment Continue Reading →
DSC02841

Ironwork Musuem

Since 1921, the church of Saint-Laurent which dates from the 15th and 16th century has housed a collection of wrought ironwork that to this day is the only one of its kind in Europe.  The family collection of Henri Le Secq des Tournelles was donated to the city of Rouen, which at the time was the most comprehensive collection of […]

Leave a comment Continue Reading →
DSC02664

The Great Clock

The Gros-Horloge or Great Clock cannot be dissociated from the surrounding buildings, since their history is so intimately linked. Since its construction in the late 14th century, the Gothic belfry has housed the town’s bells and clock, the latter being a simple mechanism meant to sound the bells on the hour, half-hour and quarter-hour. In […]

Leave a comment Continue Reading →
DSC02819_20_21

Joan of Arc

Joan of Arc  1412 1431 nicknamed “The Maid of Orléans”  is considered a heroine of France and a Roman Catholic saint. She was born to a peasant family at Domrémy in north-east France. Joan said she received visions of the Archangel Michael, Saint Margaret and Saint Catherine instructing her to support Charles VII and recover […]

Leave a comment Continue Reading →
DSC02564

Le Treport

Le Treport is a small fishing port situated in the Pays de Caux, some 34 km  northeast of Dieppe.  The mouth of the Bresle river meets the English Channel here, in between the high 110 metres chalk cliffs and the pebbly beach. Le Tréport is also a sea-side resort with a free  funicular that takes you […]

Leave a comment Continue Reading →
DSC02325_6_7

Dear God

I have no idea what this is called – but triple bombastic custard, liqueur and caramel bomb would be a very good approximation.  There are eight pieces of sponge like pasty each the size of a cream puff.  Each is filled with custard and soaked in liqueur, then immediately covered with some caramel to keep […]

1 Comment Continue Reading →
DSC02321

Around Rouen

We got to Rouen this morning, totally forgetting the fact that Friday is a civic holiday and most of the places are closed.  We had a good look at the Rouen Cathedral and a quick walk around  part of the old town.  We are going to be coming back here tomorrow for a better look so we […]

Leave a comment Continue Reading →
DSC02269_70_71

Rouen Cathedral

The first church on this site dates back to 4th century, The 6th century it was  enlarged and elevated to cathedral status.  The cathedral was struck and portions of it destroyed  by lighting no less than 5 times It was burned and bombed and damaged by hurricanes.  One of the fires was so intense it melted […]

Leave a comment Continue Reading →
DSC02053_4_5

Summer in Normandy

It would appear that summer in Normandy consists of three different weather forecasts: looks like it will definitely rain, it’s raining or it’s pouring.  Actually, that statement is not entirely true. It should be two forecasts – looks like rain and it is a biblical proportion deluge.  It usually pours for anywhere between 2 to […]

2 Comments Continue Reading →
DSC01870_1_2

The Abbey

Mont Saint-Michel was used in the sixth and seventh centuries as an Armorican stronghold of Gallo-Roman culture and power until it was ransacked by the Franks, thus ending the trans-channel culture that had stood since the departure of the Romans in CE 460.  Before the construction of the first monastic establishment in the 8th century, […]

Leave a comment Continue Reading →
DSC02028

Mont St. Michel

Mont Saint-Michel is an island commune in Normandy. It is located approximately one kilometre off the country’s northwestern coast, at the mouth of the Couesnon River near Avranches. 100 hectares (247 acres) in size, the island has a population of 44. The island has held strategic fortifications since ancient times, and since the eighth century […]

2 Comments Continue Reading →
DSC01530

The Bridges

You have to admire the architects and civil engineers here.  Someone apparently decided to take a whimsical approach to road works and built these two bridges to look like the road is a part of a roller coaster ride. One is twisted and the other steep like a mountain.  I am sure there is a reason […]

Leave a comment Continue Reading →
Mont St. Michel

Road Trip Normandy

This morning we are setting off on a 3 hour drive to the other end of France it seems.  Mont St. Michel is perhaps as well know in France as is the Eiffel Tower or the Louvre.  This will officially be as far west as we have travelled by car from Nuremberg which is almost 1200km. […]

Leave a comment Continue Reading →
DSC01283

Saint-Jacques

The Saint-Jacques Church was built between the 12th and 16th centuries, the Saint-Jacques church bears evidence to various epochs. The  1st church was constructed on the remains of the small chapel of Sainte-Catherine, which itself was destroyed in 1195. The church that we see today, dedicated to Saint-Jacques was built around 1283. The church on the sea route […]

Leave a comment Continue Reading →
DSC01206_7_8

Saint Rémy

The Saint Rémy Church: the first Saint-Rémy church, of which only the tower remains today, was built in the 13th century. It was built at the foot of the hill on which today stands Château-musée. The church gradually fell to ruins and the new Saint Rémy church was built in the heart of the town. It […]

1 Comment Continue Reading →
DSC01160_1_2

Canadian War Memorial

The Dieppe Canadian War Memorial is dedicated to the Canadian and British soldiers who were killed during the Dieppe Raid in 1942. 944 members of the Allied Armed Forces are interred at Dieppe, of which 707 are Canadian. Other dead from the raid are buried in Rouen, where the Germans took captured raiders, some of whom died […]

Leave a comment Continue Reading →
DSC01304

Dieppe

Today we set off for Dieppe.  A small costal city of 32,000 people about 20km from where we are staying.  First recorded as a small fishing settlement in 1030, Dieppe was an important prize fought over during the Hundred Years’ War. Dieppe housed the most advanced French school of cartography in the 16th century. Two of […]

Leave a comment Continue Reading →