73 lbs!! Woo Hoo! Another successful day. It was pretty nice today up until time to put the coals on and then it started to sprinkle, although I did manage to grill a couple of pork chops. Very tasty.
I went for a drive up to Middleham this afternoon; it's been years since I've visited Middleham Castle so I thought I'd go have a look. It's pretty ruined but still very impressive. It's the British Wool Week-end out at the Great Yorkshire Show Grounds on Saturday and Sunday, so I'm going to go to that. If it's not raining after, I may go check out a couple other castles too and then post some pictures tomorrow.
Friday 31 August 2012
Thursday 30 August 2012
30 August 2012
Down another lb for 72 lbs lost! Yippee!! Another wet day--sheesh. I got my expense report submitted and I got the nail in my new shoe taken care of. They didn't even charge me--just asked me to put something in their charity box. Amazing! I also went down to the commissary at Lakenheath and stocked up on fat-free cottage cheese and other things I need for the diet.
No idea what the temperature is--but it feels like Autumn all of a sudden. Not quite a frost, but it's definitely chilly out there. Fingers crossed it's dry for at least a couple of hours tomorrow; I really need to grill.
No idea what the temperature is--but it feels like Autumn all of a sudden. Not quite a frost, but it's definitely chilly out there. Fingers crossed it's dry for at least a couple of hours tomorrow; I really need to grill.
Wednesday 29 August 2012
29 August 2012
Sill holding at 71 lbs! It was another wet day. Someone from Gloustershire called in (or maybe texted ot e-mailed--I can't remember and it's not important to the story!) to Radio 2 this afternoon and said it was "as wet as an otter's pocket." I like that! It's good to have something to smile about in this miserable weather!
Got all kinds of stuff done today in spite of the weather. Since the shoes I ordered from Ulla Popken were so enormous, I decided to look around here for something. I went up to Adrian Morpheth in Ripon and found a nice pair that look like loafers (or moccasins--basically slip-ons). They're black with an amber-looking (and I'm a serious sucker for amber!) flower. When I tried them on, they felt a bit snug but they have a removable insole and without that, they fit fine--except it felt like there was a little stone in the right one. Turns out the insole was hiding a nail! I liked the shoes and I figure this is an easy fix for a cobbler (and my friend Steve just recommended one to me!), so I told them if they'd knock a little off the price (thinking they might knock L5 off), I'd take them. They took L15 off! I was seriously impressed!!
I went in to the Turkish Baths tonight for my weekly treat--and I should have suspected something was up because all the showers were cold. When I went up for my detox massage, she told me the boiler had died. I went ahead and did the massage--but showering off the algae mud was very cold! Brrrr! I made my appointment for next week and they gave me the Spa part (L16.50) for free for the inconveniene. Sweet! It must have been my day for deals.
Got all kinds of stuff done today in spite of the weather. Since the shoes I ordered from Ulla Popken were so enormous, I decided to look around here for something. I went up to Adrian Morpheth in Ripon and found a nice pair that look like loafers (or moccasins--basically slip-ons). They're black with an amber-looking (and I'm a serious sucker for amber!) flower. When I tried them on, they felt a bit snug but they have a removable insole and without that, they fit fine--except it felt like there was a little stone in the right one. Turns out the insole was hiding a nail! I liked the shoes and I figure this is an easy fix for a cobbler (and my friend Steve just recommended one to me!), so I told them if they'd knock a little off the price (thinking they might knock L5 off), I'd take them. They took L15 off! I was seriously impressed!!
I went in to the Turkish Baths tonight for my weekly treat--and I should have suspected something was up because all the showers were cold. When I went up for my detox massage, she told me the boiler had died. I went ahead and did the massage--but showering off the algae mud was very cold! Brrrr! I made my appointment for next week and they gave me the Spa part (L16.50) for free for the inconveniene. Sweet! It must have been my day for deals.
Monday 27 August 2012
27 August 2012
Still hanging in there at 71 lbs. Another rainy day today. One more day of work and then I'm on break for 5 days. Fingers cross a few are dry!
Sunday 26 August 2012
26 August 2012
Down 71 lbs! Yippee!
It finally cleared up for a few minutes this afternoon as I was getting off work, so I was able to come home and grill some chicken, steak burgers and veggies. I had a couple of the burgers and some veggies along with some fat-free Greek yogurt with some Ox Roast (a fabulous grill seasoning from the Sonoma Cheese Factory) mixed in. I started out using the Ox Roast on beef, but have discovered it's wonderful on chicken, pork and veggies, too. Very yummy--and it mixes well with fat-free Greek yogurt, too!
I ordered a pair of shoes from Ulla Popken in a 9 WW (the size I wear in Easy Spirit), but they're huge! I'll send them back and try an 8. I wanted to wear my new leggings tomorrow but I'm not sure how they'll look with trainers...
It finally cleared up for a few minutes this afternoon as I was getting off work, so I was able to come home and grill some chicken, steak burgers and veggies. I had a couple of the burgers and some veggies along with some fat-free Greek yogurt with some Ox Roast (a fabulous grill seasoning from the Sonoma Cheese Factory) mixed in. I started out using the Ox Roast on beef, but have discovered it's wonderful on chicken, pork and veggies, too. Very yummy--and it mixes well with fat-free Greek yogurt, too!
I ordered a pair of shoes from Ulla Popken in a 9 WW (the size I wear in Easy Spirit), but they're huge! I'll send them back and try an 8. I wanted to wear my new leggings tomorrow but I'm not sure how they'll look with trainers...
Saturday 25 August 2012
25 August 2012
70 lbs!! Woo hoo! It's been raining for 3 days. I'm not normally affected by SAD--but this summer has been a real challenge.
Friday 24 August 2012
24 August 2012
Woo Hoo! I'm below where I was when I went on vacation--I've now lost 69 lbs!!! Very pleased with myself at this point--and more and more people are starting to notice, which is nice. My weight hasn'y been this low since the early '90s--maybe before.
In spite of that bit of good news, I have to say that if it weren't for bad luck, I wouldn't have any luck at all. I went out to run my errands this afternoon--and the car wouldn't start! It just made a grinding noise, like it was trying to turn over but couldn't quite make it. I have RAC (although why, I'm not sure), but they charge a fotune if they have to come to your house. So I called Piccadilly Motors in Ripon where I bought the car and they sent someone out. Between his very strong Yorkshire accent and my very bad hearing, I wasn't real sure what he said but after a while of him talking, I decided he might have said 'bore wash'. Yesterday evening, when I got home from Liverpool, I decided to move the car back to where I usually park it. [I guess I need to get over my OCD.] Anyway, according to him when you first turn over the engine, the gasoline "washes" the oil off the cylinders--and if you only turn the car on for a few seconds, it's not enough for more oil to replace what was washed off. I guess the morale of the story is to let the car run for at least a few minutes once you've started it...
I start 4 day shifts tomorrow.
In spite of that bit of good news, I have to say that if it weren't for bad luck, I wouldn't have any luck at all. I went out to run my errands this afternoon--and the car wouldn't start! It just made a grinding noise, like it was trying to turn over but couldn't quite make it. I have RAC (although why, I'm not sure), but they charge a fotune if they have to come to your house. So I called Piccadilly Motors in Ripon where I bought the car and they sent someone out. Between his very strong Yorkshire accent and my very bad hearing, I wasn't real sure what he said but after a while of him talking, I decided he might have said 'bore wash'. Yesterday evening, when I got home from Liverpool, I decided to move the car back to where I usually park it. [I guess I need to get over my OCD.] Anyway, according to him when you first turn over the engine, the gasoline "washes" the oil off the cylinders--and if you only turn the car on for a few seconds, it's not enough for more oil to replace what was washed off. I guess the morale of the story is to let the car run for at least a few minutes once you've started it...
I start 4 day shifts tomorrow.
Thursday 23 August 2012
23 August 2012
It's been a few days--but it was a tough set of graves! [That's my story and I'm sticking to it...]
I didn't weigh myself today because I got off my last grave and had to take the train to Liverpool to get my visa renewed. Ugh! L867--or about $1370! [Which is a bit like $1370 I'll never see again...] It's a good thing I don't have to pay for that--especially since I may not get to use it for very long! I got a first class train ticket for Liverpool, thinking I could use their WiFi on the trip, but Trans-Pennine doesn't have WiFi on their trains. What a bummer! So I'm reduced to typing this in an off-line file and pasting it into my blog when I get home.
I'm pretty disgusted/frustrated with work right now. The manager has decided that another guy and I can work regular day-lady hours while the rest of the crew gets our usual 4-on-4-off schedule. There will be no traveling on a 5-on-2-off schedule unless I take vacation--and there is no one to cover vacations! What is up with that?! So I'm back to looking for a new job... I guess I'm supposed to be so grateful I have a job that I won't complain. Obviously this jerk doesn't know me very well! I can't remember a time in my life when I didn't complain if I didn't like something. No breaks, no vacation, no traveling, no overtime--why am I here?
Fortunately for the diet, I'm still recognizing that I am not the source of my frustrations and I'm managing to resist some good old-fashioned comfort eating, but it's hard. Plus, this is only a day-and-a-half break--instead of the usual four--although I guess I'd better get used to that!
Given how much of a hassle it was to finally get an appointment, I figured the whole process would be a nightmare. I was quite pleasantly surprised! You have to book your appointment on the internet. After several months of striking out on getting any appointment at any office (I even tried Belfast, I was that desperate!), I woke up at about 2 am (potty break) on the 10th of July and figured I'd give it a shot. Amazingly, I got an appointment for 21 August--which turned out to be a bad day (right in the middle of a set of graves), so I set my clock fo 2 am on 12 July and tried again and was able to get an appointment for Liverpool at 2 pm on 23 August! A miracle! I had no idea how long the trip would take--and what kind of delays I'd have, so I set out at about 9:20 this morning and
arrived at noon. I headed right over to the Border Agency Office and got right in, even though I was a couple of hours early. I was back at the train station by 2 pm (L867 lighter!), but all taken care of. And the level of service is much better than the folks answering the phones lead you to expect!
I packed some chicken this morning--rather than take my chances on what sort of 'diet food' I'd get, but I was hungry on the way over and it was long gone. There's quite a large (and nice!) M&S Simply Food shop in the train station, so I picked up a couple of packs of cooked prawns for the way home. Very yummy! Good service--and still on my diet! What more can you ask for!?
And finally, one final observation to file under 'Is it me--or the rest of the world?' I have just about come around to the idea of having 2 cars (a "beater" or something new--like a Fiat 500--that gets super gas mileage to drive to work and a car for travel/road trips), but I just don't get the idea of multiple cell phones! I think everyone I saw today has a cell phone and probably 90% had more than one! Of that 90%, probably half had at least 3 cell phones! What is up with that?! That's at least 2 (and generally 3 numbers to keep up with! One woman had an iPhone, a Blackberry and a Nokia! Sheesh! I just don't get it.
I didn't weigh myself today because I got off my last grave and had to take the train to Liverpool to get my visa renewed. Ugh! L867--or about $1370! [Which is a bit like $1370 I'll never see again...] It's a good thing I don't have to pay for that--especially since I may not get to use it for very long! I got a first class train ticket for Liverpool, thinking I could use their WiFi on the trip, but Trans-Pennine doesn't have WiFi on their trains. What a bummer! So I'm reduced to typing this in an off-line file and pasting it into my blog when I get home.
I'm pretty disgusted/frustrated with work right now. The manager has decided that another guy and I can work regular day-lady hours while the rest of the crew gets our usual 4-on-4-off schedule. There will be no traveling on a 5-on-2-off schedule unless I take vacation--and there is no one to cover vacations! What is up with that?! So I'm back to looking for a new job... I guess I'm supposed to be so grateful I have a job that I won't complain. Obviously this jerk doesn't know me very well! I can't remember a time in my life when I didn't complain if I didn't like something. No breaks, no vacation, no traveling, no overtime--why am I here?
Fortunately for the diet, I'm still recognizing that I am not the source of my frustrations and I'm managing to resist some good old-fashioned comfort eating, but it's hard. Plus, this is only a day-and-a-half break--instead of the usual four--although I guess I'd better get used to that!
Given how much of a hassle it was to finally get an appointment, I figured the whole process would be a nightmare. I was quite pleasantly surprised! You have to book your appointment on the internet. After several months of striking out on getting any appointment at any office (I even tried Belfast, I was that desperate!), I woke up at about 2 am (potty break) on the 10th of July and figured I'd give it a shot. Amazingly, I got an appointment for 21 August--which turned out to be a bad day (right in the middle of a set of graves), so I set my clock fo 2 am on 12 July and tried again and was able to get an appointment for Liverpool at 2 pm on 23 August! A miracle! I had no idea how long the trip would take--and what kind of delays I'd have, so I set out at about 9:20 this morning and
arrived at noon. I headed right over to the Border Agency Office and got right in, even though I was a couple of hours early. I was back at the train station by 2 pm (L867 lighter!), but all taken care of. And the level of service is much better than the folks answering the phones lead you to expect!
I packed some chicken this morning--rather than take my chances on what sort of 'diet food' I'd get, but I was hungry on the way over and it was long gone. There's quite a large (and nice!) M&S Simply Food shop in the train station, so I picked up a couple of packs of cooked prawns for the way home. Very yummy! Good service--and still on my diet! What more can you ask for!?
And finally, one final observation to file under 'Is it me--or the rest of the world?' I have just about come around to the idea of having 2 cars (a "beater" or something new--like a Fiat 500--that gets super gas mileage to drive to work and a car for travel/road trips), but I just don't get the idea of multiple cell phones! I think everyone I saw today has a cell phone and probably 90% had more than one! Of that 90%, probably half had at least 3 cell phones! What is up with that?! That's at least 2 (and generally 3 numbers to keep up with! One woman had an iPhone, a Blackberry and a Nokia! Sheesh! I just don't get it.
Monday 20 August 2012
20 August 2012
I should have waited until after I got my coffee yesterday; I'd have had something exciting to write about! I took the back way to Ripon thru Markington yesterday; when I got to the A61, there were some people standing in the road. When I got to the intersection, there was a little silver car flipped over on its roof just to the right of the intersection! I couldn't see any other vehicles involved but there must have been--how could something that low to the ground have flipped otherwise?! Anyway, it must have just happened because traffic was trying to go around. I didn't bring my cell phone (because I rarely have a signal) but I was worried about driving off without reporting it so I went in to the George. There was no one at the bar but another patron tried calling the police but he couldn't get a al either so he went outside and got thru. No idea what happened but I would guess there were no fatalities because they never closed the road.
I'm still at 65 lbs down and getting ready to go in for my 2nd grave shift. I did manage to get the pictures done this afternoon for my visa application. What a hassle this is!!
I'm still at 65 lbs down and getting ready to go in for my 2nd grave shift. I did manage to get the pictures done this afternoon for my visa application. What a hassle this is!!
Sunday 19 August 2012
19 August 2012
I wouldn't have bothered with a blog entry today, but I'm at 65 lbs lost, so I wanted to post that. Am I sad or what?! Anyway, nothing exciting today. Went to Waitrose for some prawns and salmon for my lunches, then came home and grilled chicken breasts and burgers in a drizzle. I sat in the car to stay dry and read while everything grilled. I guess I'll swing by McDonald's in Ripon for a couple of cups of coffee before heading to work; 1st grave in a while so this should be exciting. [Much eye-rolling...]
Saturday 18 August 2012
18 August 2012
Sitting at 64 lbs lost! Woo Hoo!! I'm past the halfway point again after my short holiday. Lazy day today, although there was a little excitement this morning when the main breaker tripped and I couldn't get it to stay on. One of the major design flaws in this house is that the breaker box is up at the ceiling in the snug--which is about a foot higher than I can reach. What were they thinking!?! I shouldn't complain though. At least it's a breaker and not those stupid fuse wires like in my last house. Those things were seriously scary!
I drove over to Lancaster (about 1 hour and 45 minutes west) and had a nice visit with my friend Penny. The weather was very threatening on the drive over but quite nice on the way home. The Met Office says it's the warmest day of the year at about 32C (or about 88F) but that's down south somewhere--it wasn't nearly that warm up here. If it stays nice, I may have to get some pictures tomorrow before my first grave.
I drove over to Lancaster (about 1 hour and 45 minutes west) and had a nice visit with my friend Penny. The weather was very threatening on the drive over but quite nice on the way home. The Met Office says it's the warmest day of the year at about 32C (or about 88F) but that's down south somewhere--it wasn't nearly that warm up here. If it stays nice, I may have to get some pictures tomorrow before my first grave.
Friday 17 August 2012
17 August 2012
Woo Hoo! Down another lb for 62 lbs lost! Yippee!! It's a good thing I grilled yesterday because it's been very wet today. I've run a few errands, got some blood drawn (bruises on both hands and inside right elbow to show for that!), got my nails done and am now doing my blog before my appointment at the Turkish baths. One more day of break and then it's back to the grind Sunday night.
Thursday 16 August 2012
16 August 2012
Down a lb!! At 61 lbs, I'm almost back to where I was before the vacation. I had a nice massage today and the weather is fabulous so I'm grilling burgers for the next few nights. And now to finish my vacation stories:
The next day, we headed off to more sea-front towns, with a stop at Sainte-Mere-Eglise, the site of some serious fighting with the paratroopers. I had no idea that about 2/3 of the causalities on 6 June were among the paratroopers! The church is Eglise Notre-Dame de la Paix.
The church in our village--Aumeville-Lestre:
And then it was time to head home, via Calais and The Mermaid Inn in Rye. I meant to get up early and get some pictures, but I forgot to set my alarm back, so I ended up getting up really early! But I got some nice early morning shots around Mermaid Street, starting with this one of a gull and chimney pot (and a TV antenna) out my bedroom window.
The Mermaid Inn sign.
Ceramic signs.
The Olde Bell Inn
More signs
The Orangery and a costume exhibit.
The next day, we headed off to more sea-front towns, with a stop at Sainte-Mere-Eglise, the site of some serious fighting with the paratroopers. I had no idea that about 2/3 of the causalities on 6 June were among the paratroopers! The church is Eglise Notre-Dame de la Paix.
It's very beautiful inside.
This is a building on the Granville medieval walls, dated 1025! What a view!
One of the things we saw as we walked into town was this studio with ceramic skulls; no idea what was up with this but I took a picture anyway :-)
A view of the Granville harbor.
And then it was time to head home, via Calais and The Mermaid Inn in Rye. I meant to get up early and get some pictures, but I forgot to set my alarm back, so I ended up getting up really early! But I got some nice early morning shots around Mermaid Street, starting with this one of a gull and chimney pot (and a TV antenna) out my bedroom window.
Window in the dining room.
Early morning, Mermaid Street.
The Mermaid Inn sign.
The House Opposite, Mermaid Street
Ceramic signs.
Knole House, Sevenoaks, a "calendar house" with 365 rooms, 52 staircases, 12 entrances and 7 courtyards. I don't know about time but these folks definitely had too much money on their hands!
The Sackville Leopards
The Orangery and a costume exhibit.
All-in-all, a great trip! And it was easy to start back on the diet. It wasn't quite as easy to catch up the blog, but I've managed! Later...
15 August 2012
Still 60 lbs--and I was a bit hungry today. Bummer! But I'm hanging in there and trying to stay busy as a distraction. I went to the Turkish Baths tonight after work, which was a nice treat. I've also discovered that my new (smaller) size in my favorite Ulla Popken tunics has gotten me into the cheaper sizes! What a deal!! And now to continue with my France story:
On Monday, we headed into the larger village just up the road (Quettehou) to check out the tourist office and do a little sightseeing. We also went down to the beach near where we were staying just to have a look but it was a bit chilly for the beach so we didn't stay long. The lady at the tourist office was British (go figure) and she gave us lots of good info on the World War II sights and also told us to be sure to get to the American cemetery at Omaha Beach--that it was a very moving experience.It kept trying to rain all day, so we finally had lunch and headed back to the cottage to read all the touristy info we had--and watch more of the Olympics in French.
On Tuesday, we went to Mont saint Michel, which was fabulous! I read somewhere that there are 14 permanent residents on the island--and 3 million visitors every year! It's a beautiful place, although the parking is a bit of a hassle. I suspect the earlier you get there, the better, which unfortunatelydidn't happen. This shot is as we arrived.
After a lot of walking and a free shuttle ride, we made it. This is a view of the Pilgrim's Way, teeming with tourists now as it was with pilgrims back in the day.
The first order of business was lunch! This is where we ate and the food was really good! I had traditional Normandy lobster soup (known to the rest of the world as lobster bisque), an omelet and a sampler of 3 chocolate desserts. Very yummy! The omelet tasted like it had been cooked over a wood fire. About halfway thru the meal, they seated another family (husband, wife and older teenage daughter) next to us. I felt a bit sorry for the husband; he was obviously excited to be there but his wife was a major sourpuss! They were American but his French was really good. I say that because he was actually conversing with the waiter. When I trot out my French, they always correct my pronouncations but they weren't doing that to him :-)
Mont Saint Michel in the late afternoon, as we were leaving. I loved this place; it will definitely be worth another trip when there aren't so many tourists around!
This is the merry-go-round outside the Debarkquement Museum in Arromanches. This has to be the prettiest merry-go-round I've ever seen and the various animals and other things to ride were pretty unique, too. The Debarquement Museum had excellent models of the Mulberry Harbor, parts of which are still visible on the beach.
The beach at Arromanches. I had a huge pot of moules (mussels) for lunch--very yummy!
The America Museum at Ver-sur-Mer, museum about the first efforts at airborne transatlantic mail delivery. Commander Richard Byrd's plane was the America--hence the name. Since Ver-sur-Mer is on Gold Beach, one of the British invasion beaches, it was also a good museum of the British landings.
To be finished tomorrow...
On Monday, we headed into the larger village just up the road (Quettehou) to check out the tourist office and do a little sightseeing. We also went down to the beach near where we were staying just to have a look but it was a bit chilly for the beach so we didn't stay long. The lady at the tourist office was British (go figure) and she gave us lots of good info on the World War II sights and also told us to be sure to get to the American cemetery at Omaha Beach--that it was a very moving experience.It kept trying to rain all day, so we finally had lunch and headed back to the cottage to read all the touristy info we had--and watch more of the Olympics in French.
On Tuesday, we went to Mont saint Michel, which was fabulous! I read somewhere that there are 14 permanent residents on the island--and 3 million visitors every year! It's a beautiful place, although the parking is a bit of a hassle. I suspect the earlier you get there, the better, which unfortunatelydidn't happen. This shot is as we arrived.
After a lot of walking and a free shuttle ride, we made it. This is a view of the Pilgrim's Way, teeming with tourists now as it was with pilgrims back in the day.
The first order of business was lunch! This is where we ate and the food was really good! I had traditional Normandy lobster soup (known to the rest of the world as lobster bisque), an omelet and a sampler of 3 chocolate desserts. Very yummy! The omelet tasted like it had been cooked over a wood fire. About halfway thru the meal, they seated another family (husband, wife and older teenage daughter) next to us. I felt a bit sorry for the husband; he was obviously excited to be there but his wife was a major sourpuss! They were American but his French was really good. I say that because he was actually conversing with the waiter. When I trot out my French, they always correct my pronouncations but they weren't doing that to him :-)
The battlements, as we were leaving.
The next day, we did a little more local sightseeing. The next few pictures are from La chapelle Saint Michel de Lestre, a pretty little ruin about a mile from our cottage.
This is the merry-go-round outside the Debarkquement Museum in Arromanches. This has to be the prettiest merry-go-round I've ever seen and the various animals and other things to ride were pretty unique, too. The Debarquement Museum had excellent models of the Mulberry Harbor, parts of which are still visible on the beach.
The beach at Arromanches. I had a huge pot of moules (mussels) for lunch--very yummy!
The America Museum at Ver-sur-Mer, museum about the first efforts at airborne transatlantic mail delivery. Commander Richard Byrd's plane was the America--hence the name. Since Ver-sur-Mer is on Gold Beach, one of the British invasion beaches, it was also a good museum of the British landings.
Monday 13 August 2012
13 August 2012
I'm ba-a-a-ck! The holiday in Normandy was great--even if I did gain a few lbs :-( I'm at 60 lbs lost, but I've started right back on the diet today, so I'm confident I can knock those lbs right off. That's my story--and I'm sticking to it. It was a good day at work today; I even managed to get all my e-mails caught up. And a good, fishy day on the diet!
Anyway, it was a fun holiday. I'm not sure I'm up to a full description today but I'll get as far as I can. We stopped and had lunch at The Kestrel before heading over to Hull to get the ferry on Friday, 03 August. Usually this is a pretty quick affair, so we figured we'd have time to check out The Deep, the aquarium in Hull--but it wasn't to be. It took forever for our ood to be served and when it arried Jeff's was too hot to eat and mine had been sitting under a heat lamp for so long, the salmon was pretty dried out. Bummer! So we found The Deep (just so we'd know where it is the next time) and headed to the ferry terminal. We got settled in our cabin and then had dinner.
We arrived in Zeebrugges the next morning and set out. According to the TomTom, Barfleur (a close town) was about 5 hours, which didn't take into account huge delays at the toll booths. But we got to the village (Aumeville-Lestre) and managed to find the cottage--all in enough time to hit the Inter Marche (French grocery store--I love French grocery stores!) and get stuff for dinner and breakfast. We grilled chicken, red onions and peppers and had rice to go with it all. Our landlady had left us a lovely bottle of wine and some biscuits, which were both really good. The next morning, we got up, had breakfast (porridge for me) and headed into Bayeux.
This is a shot of Bayeux Cathedral (Cathedrale Notre-Dame de Bayeux), my favoite of the Normandy Cathedrals--and possibly of all the cathedrals I've seen! I just love this one; it's so beautiful. The architecture in 1077 when the cathedral was consecrated was Norman-Romanesque, but what we see now is mostly 13th century Gothic. William the Conqueror was present when his half-brother Odo, bishop of Bayeux consecreted the cathedral. Bayeux is a bit out of the way, so the cathedral has not been ravaged by the many wars thru the centuries as other places. As you can see in the next shot, it's just as lovely inside as out.
This is a picture of an interesting steeple (or something) which I spotted on the way to the Bayeux Tapestry Museum. We headed over to see this after we finished with Mass.
The Bayeux Tapestry, which isn't really a tapestry but an embroidery, was commissioned by Bishop Odo and tells the story of how William, Duke of Normandy came to be King of England in 1066. It's about 70 meters long and about 0.5 meters high; the story is told in about 58 (I think) linen panels of various widths. It is absolutely stunning! The admission is E7.80 (or a little over $10) and includes the tapestry, an audio guide (lots of language choices) and the museum on the next floor. I've been twice and seen different stuff each time. I figure I'm good for another couple of visits before I start to get bored.
This next shot is the side of the restaurant (a crepiery) where we had lunch. I guess crepes are the sweet version and gallettes are the savory. Very yummy, especially with a nice cup of sparkling local cidre. The area is the old Tanners nd Dyers part of the town.
This is Montebourg Abbey, which was just a few miles from where we were staying. It's now a school of some sort.
Stained glass inside the church at Montebourg Abbey.
Detail of the decoration above the church door at Montebourg Abbey.
On Tuesday, we got up and headed off for the D-Day (Debarquement in French) Beaches. This was a memorial along the road on the way to Utah Beach. There was an American flag and a French flag here but I only got a shot og the American flag at this stop. I think this is also the spot where the French General LeClerc came back to France.
We climbed over the dunes and there were some folks down there harness racing; made for some nice shots.
And another shot of the American flag before heading back to the car. I only brought the one card for my camera, so I wanted to download the pictures to my computer before moving on.
This is the memorial (and museum) at Utah Beach.
A fully restored B-26 at the Utah Beach Museum.
The church at Sainte-Marie-du-Mont.
Motorcycle in the small museum across the road from the church.
Jeep outside the museum.
The American Cemetery at Omaha Beach, a very moving visit.
Church at Colleville-sur-Mer.
Anyway, it was a fun holiday. I'm not sure I'm up to a full description today but I'll get as far as I can. We stopped and had lunch at The Kestrel before heading over to Hull to get the ferry on Friday, 03 August. Usually this is a pretty quick affair, so we figured we'd have time to check out The Deep, the aquarium in Hull--but it wasn't to be. It took forever for our ood to be served and when it arried Jeff's was too hot to eat and mine had been sitting under a heat lamp for so long, the salmon was pretty dried out. Bummer! So we found The Deep (just so we'd know where it is the next time) and headed to the ferry terminal. We got settled in our cabin and then had dinner.
We arrived in Zeebrugges the next morning and set out. According to the TomTom, Barfleur (a close town) was about 5 hours, which didn't take into account huge delays at the toll booths. But we got to the village (Aumeville-Lestre) and managed to find the cottage--all in enough time to hit the Inter Marche (French grocery store--I love French grocery stores!) and get stuff for dinner and breakfast. We grilled chicken, red onions and peppers and had rice to go with it all. Our landlady had left us a lovely bottle of wine and some biscuits, which were both really good. The next morning, we got up, had breakfast (porridge for me) and headed into Bayeux.
This is a shot of Bayeux Cathedral (Cathedrale Notre-Dame de Bayeux), my favoite of the Normandy Cathedrals--and possibly of all the cathedrals I've seen! I just love this one; it's so beautiful. The architecture in 1077 when the cathedral was consecrated was Norman-Romanesque, but what we see now is mostly 13th century Gothic. William the Conqueror was present when his half-brother Odo, bishop of Bayeux consecreted the cathedral. Bayeux is a bit out of the way, so the cathedral has not been ravaged by the many wars thru the centuries as other places. As you can see in the next shot, it's just as lovely inside as out.
This is a picture of an interesting steeple (or something) which I spotted on the way to the Bayeux Tapestry Museum. We headed over to see this after we finished with Mass.
This next shot is the side of the restaurant (a crepiery) where we had lunch. I guess crepes are the sweet version and gallettes are the savory. Very yummy, especially with a nice cup of sparkling local cidre. The area is the old Tanners nd Dyers part of the town.
This is Montebourg Abbey, which was just a few miles from where we were staying. It's now a school of some sort.
Stained glass inside the church at Montebourg Abbey.
Detail of the decoration above the church door at Montebourg Abbey.
On Tuesday, we got up and headed off for the D-Day (Debarquement in French) Beaches. This was a memorial along the road on the way to Utah Beach. There was an American flag and a French flag here but I only got a shot og the American flag at this stop. I think this is also the spot where the French General LeClerc came back to France.
We climbed over the dunes and there were some folks down there harness racing; made for some nice shots.
And another shot of the American flag before heading back to the car. I only brought the one card for my camera, so I wanted to download the pictures to my computer before moving on.
While I was waiting on the computer, I happened to glance up and see this pine cone "bug", which I just had to gt a picture of. I'm such a child!
This is the memorial (and museum) at Utah Beach.
A fully restored B-26 at the Utah Beach Museum.
The church at Sainte-Marie-du-Mont.
Inside the church.
Motorcycle in the small museum across the road from the church.
One of the exhibits in the museum; it took me a moment to figure out I was looking at an authentic flag :-)
Jeep outside the museum.
Omaha Beach. For some reason, I wasn't expecting such lovely, tranquil beaches; it seemed like the events of almost 70 years ago should have left a mark...
The American Cemetery at Omaha Beach, a very moving visit.
After we had a look around this church, we went on home and had another BBQ for supper at the cottage. More to come tomorrow night...
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