Saint Nicolas

Saint Nicolas, protector of children

The 6th December is Saint Nicolas' Feast Day. Saint Nicolas is the protector of children and there are lots of stories about how he saved children from kidnappers and butchers' cooking pots. He usually wears red and carries a rod/staff and sometimes a sack.

Father Christmas, Santa Claus, etc. are all ultimately based on this Christian Saint Nicolas tradition although Christmas and Saint Nicolas' Feast Day seem to have merged into one in the UK, and lost the religious connotations of Saint Nick.

Saint Nicolas,
just like Father Christmas

In France, this is celebrated in some areas (particularly in Lorraine and Calais, Brittany and Alsace). He travels around on a donkey that carries a basket laden with small presents (sweets, biscuits, fruit) for children, and has someone called 'Pere Fouettard' (the naughty butcher from one of the stories) follow him around. His name doesn't really have a direct translation but some people think he's the bogeyman.

Gold coins and treats in shoes

Fran and Charly decided this would be a thing for them so on Saint Nicolas' eve, they all put out shoes by the prayer corner (would have been fireplace, but there isn't one), and then overnight Saint Nicolas brought gold coins (those chocolate ones), a clementine and a small toy which are left in the shoes (like stockings on Christmas eve).

In the Netherlands, where Charly lived for a few years, they have someone called 'Zwarte Piet' or 'Black Peter' who is a very popular figure - I think he's supposed to be a Chimney Sweep. That's who is came with Saint Nick when visiting here! He travels with Saint Nicolas too and helps with the present delivering. If a child is good, they will get the coins from Saint Nicolas, but if they are bad, they will get coal or sticks instead from Black Peter.

The Dutch have Saint Nicolas parades where people used to paint themselves black and pretend to be Black Peter. I think Charly said this might now banned as it's just a tad racist...

More on Saint Nicolas here

More on Black Peter and Dutch Sinterklaas here

Fête de Noël à l'École

Plain Hot Chocolate sticks decorated
with marshmallows to look like snow

Cinnamon Hot Chocolate Sticks

This week was also the School Christmas Fair (Friday evening from 4:30-6:30pm, I think).

Fran has spent months thinking about crafty ideas of things that her and the rest of the parent committee can make and sell to raise money for the school.

She did some sewing of little christmas bunting, and then we also made these hot chocolate sticks which you just stir and melt into hot milk.

They're really easy to make - we literally just melted dark chocolate, added some vanilla and sugar and a little milk and then poured into silicon moulds with the stick and left to harden, then they got decorated with cinnamon or marshmallows.

I sat and wrapped them all up in cellophane squares (which conveniently needed to be the exact same size and shape as a square of kitchen towel so that made measuring much easier!) and tied pretty gift ribbons around them.

I think they were sold at 1€ each and we made close to 100 of them - so a good fundraiser - not bad for a few bars of chocolate, a pot of cinnamon and a bag of mini marshmallows anyway!

I didn't actually go to the School Fair in the end. The weather was miserable and I wasn't feeling too great - plus I have no money! Slightly regretting not going now as Fran came back with loads of stuff (including some amazing cake), but never mind.

A Cinnamon Hot Chocolate Stick

A marshmallow snow-topped one
Wrapped in Cellophane
and tied with gift ribbon

The Hot Chocolate Sticks

Noël est à Venir

Christmas Trees up at
Les Eleis Shopping Centre in November...

Last Sunday was the 1st Sunday of advent. Fran and Charly took the children to a special Catholic advent church service. In the afternoon here, the Christmas tree and decorations all went up. It's a bit earlier than I'm used to, but the lights and colours have brightened up what was a rather gloomy living room during winter afternoons.

On Friday 5th, Cherbourg's festive season also begun with the opening of the Christmas Markets and other festive entertainment (including a Luge and Ice Rink!). They actually have a full programme of interesting things going on! I have yet to actually go and look at it all set up so will probably do that at some point during the week.

More Christmas Trees at Les Eleis

Sadly the snow is not falling and it's just rather rainy so I'm not feeling overly festive.

Cherbourg's Christmas Luge being set up

I haven't started on Christmas shopping yet (no money!) but perhaps when I get started I'll feel a bit more Christmassy.

I'm part of the Cherbourg-Octeville Language Assistants Secret Santa. They've decided to do it via Elfster, a gift list style website via which you can set up gift exchanges. It's a nice idea, but as people specifically put what they want on it, and you have to spend a set amount, it seems a bit silly - one may as well just buy themselves a present for the allocated amount.

I've got someone who has only put one thing on their list, and it's under the (30euro!!) allowance. It's also something I can't get in the shops here and will therefore have to get it online - except that I can't because the website that sells it won't let me have my billing address and shipping address as different countries... Nightmare.

My Advent Candle finally arrived on 5th December. Thanks Mummy!

I've got the job of resident wrapper here
 because Fran can't wrap to save her life

Santa and a 'drop of blood'
- trying to get more people to donate blood
at the blood donation day round the corner

The Family Christmas tree
(They're in England for Christmas so this is just a small, fake one)

Le Mardi est Jour de Gâteau

Le Salon d'Honoré
(Photo taken from TripAdvisor)

This week, we had to move Cake Wednesday to Tuesday, ergo; Cake Tuesday.

For this week's cake day, we did some research and TripAdvisor suggested that we try the café, 'Le Salon d'Honoré' on Grand Rue in Cherbourg town centre.

Well done TripAdvisor, this is one fabulous little tea room! Not only is it beautiful but they have a wonderful array of teas and cakes.

Just part of the extensive tea menu
at 'Le Salon d'Honoré'

The café is decorated in a lovely washed out peppermint green/duck egg blue kind of colour with some cream floral wall paper sections, wooden floors and pale pink and cream cushions and decorations. The walls have lovely frames, mirrors and china plate hangings. It's just so pretty!

Menu Cover

Allison ordered the 'Opus Viennois' perfumed green tea (an aromatic mix of Cinnamon, Orange, Vanilla and Rose). It smelt like 'Christmas Potpourri', as Allison described it!

I had the tea infusion 'Bisou de Fruits' (kiss of fruit) which had a delicious blend of Apple, Papaya, Pineapple and Caramel. It smelt and tasted amazing!

Cupcakes!
Chocolate with chocolate icing
and chocolate cream filling (left) and
Caramel with Caramel filling and
Vanilla cream icing and caramel sauce on top! (right)

The teas are all served on a beautiful mismatch of different china tea sets (but the cup and saucers match!). It is really sweet.

We also ordered cupcakes - one chocolate and one caramel to share. These not only had the icing on top, but were filled with creamy sauce of their corresponding flavour! Very tasty!

It seems to be run by a lovely older woman who brings everything over to your table on pretty trays.

The weather was absolutely horrible today but this little place was able to make me very happy!

I think this is in my top two favourite places in Cherbourg, along with the Parc Emmanuel Liais with their gardens and greenhouses.

Allison's 'Opus Viennois' (right)
and my 'Bisou de Fruits' (left)
Also, our Caramel and Chocolate cupcakes!

Cherbourg Ferme le Lundi

Harbourside view towards Cherbourg

This afternoon I had to take Aurianne for a walk to make sure that she had a long nap. As she needed to sleep for about 2 hours, I thought that it would be worth actually doing something/going somewhere so decided to walk to Cité de la Mer as I've yet to visit the biggest (only) attraction in Cherbourg.

We set off at 1:30pm, and Aurianne was asleep before I'd even done the buggy straps up! It's about a 40 minute walk to Cité de la Mer and so as I needed to be back for 4:45pm, I'd get just over 1.5hours to explore the exhibitions (which I anticipated would be plenty of time, but if not I could always go again).

Irish Ferries, Ferry is called 'Oscar Wilde'

I arrived at Cité de la Mer and thought 'hmm, not many cars in the car park, it must be a quiet day today'. But when I got to the doors I realised it was shut. It doesn't even shut every Monday, just random Mondays between November and May. The annual schedule makes no sense.

Cité de la Me

I was pretty annoyed - we'd walked much further than I would have liked to, for absolutely no reason!

As I didn't want to completely waste the trip, I wandered around on that side of the harbour for a while. I came across a memorial for fishermen lost at sea which was quite interesting.

After about 20 minutes of wandering, I started to head back in the direction of home thinking I could sit in a café and eat cake in town. However, when I got into town, I realised that it was largely desserted. This is because it was Monday.

Absurd opening times of Cité de la Mer

People in Cherbourg (and across France for that matter) refuse to work more than 35 hours a week, and insist on having two days off.

As the town centre is retail area, many people actually want to go shopping on Saturdays when they're home from their office jobs etc. Therefore, most shops and cafés will close on Monday to make up for this 'lost day off'.

It is very annoying.

View out to sea

Memorial for Fishermen lost at Sea

This meant that I couldn't sit in a café and get cake because there weren't many open! Instead, I went to the Petit Jean street bakery and bought myself a Cherbourgeois and a Pepité au Chocolat (which Marc had yesterday - there's also the option of 'Pepititée' or something, which is the same thing but with a chocolate topping too).

By this point it was about 3:15, but Aurianne was still asleep (she clearly needed it) so I went home via Parc Liais and sat on a bench eating my chocolatey goodness.

I got back home at around 3:45pm and then had to sit in the foyer waiting for Aurianne to wake up, which she finally did at about 4:05pm! A very long nap for Aurianne, and very tired legs for me!

Harbourside view

Cherbourgeois
(wasn't as good as last time)

Pepité au Chocolat
(sweet bread with chocolate chips, and folded into
three with Creme Patisserie in the middle. Yum.)

Omaha Beach - Débarquement de Normandie

On 6th June 1944, American, British (and Commonwealth) and Canadian (and French) troops landed on the coast of Normandy in what is now the best known D-Day landings.

For the sea invasions (there were also air strikes and parachute drops), the coast was split into 5 sections: Omaha, Sword, Juno, Gold and Utah. British troops landed on the Gold and Sword Beaches, Canadian troops landed on Juno, and the American troops landed on Utah and Omaha.

I went to visit Omaha beach, which is near to the village of Colleville-sur-Mer. This is the largest of the 5 landing beaches, and was also the setting for the bloody, but realistic, beginning scenes in the film 'Saving Private Ryan'.

The beach is beautiful. We arrived as the sun was setting and it was very serene and peaceful. Had we not been trying to get to the American Military Museum before it closed (and had we had better shoes) we may have walked along it, but instead we stood on the sand-dunes and looked across the beach and out to see.

It is very sad to think about the tragic events of 6th June 1944. We were able to liberate this area of France and then liberate Cherbourg, and then Paris, because of the brave acts of these men, which ultimately was a big part of the French liberation and the winning of the war. For this, so many soldiers sacrificed their lives, and I think it is important to learn about these fateful events and to remember what their sacrifice has done for the freedom and future of France, Great Britain and many other countries.

Also near to Colleville-sur-Mer, is the Omaha Beach Museum. Unfortunately we didn't get a chance to visit this either, but perhaps we will when we go to visit the American Military Cemetery, which is also situated near to Colleville-sur-Mer.

All of these sites should definitely be visited at some point. I think it is really important to appreciate the history and to remember the men who died during the war so that they are Never Forgotten.

Cimetière Militaire Britannique de Bayeux

Bayeux War Cemetery Centrepiece

We arrived at the British Military Cemetery (also known as the Bayeux War Cemetery) at about 4pm (only 2 hours later than planned!). I think it may have been much nicer to go at this time though as the sun was starting to set, and there were less people around.

Opposite the Cemetery, there is a big memorial monument, called the 'Bayeux Memorial' which has the names of over 1,800 Commonwealth soldiers who have no known graves written on it, and the words "We, once conquered by William, have now set free the Conqueror’s native land." in Latin.

View of part of the cemetery from the gates

I was a little worried that the Cemetery would have a closing time and that we wouldn't be able to get in (like the American and German cemeteries do) but this cemetery can be accessed at any time which I think is much better.

In this Cemetery there are not only the graves of the Commonwealth soldiers, but also over 450 Nazi German graves, 25 Polish, 7 Russian, 3 French, 2 Czech and 2 Italian graves. Wikipedia tells me that there are 18 Commonwealth Cemeteries in Normandy containing 22,000 casualties of World War II, but than Bayeux is the largest.

Bayeux Memorial

It was a very calm place. Other than another couple, who almost left because they thought they couldn't get in through the gates, we were the only ones there.

It was very moving, particularly as on most graves, the age of the soldier is put on there, and on many there is a message from the family too, which is very sad as many of them are from parents and wives.

It was also especially nice to see the poppies everywhere that had been placed, especially on the large stone monument in the middle of the cemetery (apparently this is called a Centrepiece) and on the other stone monument called 'The Cross of Sacrifice'.

"A Soldier of the War
Known Unto God"

Some of the graves are unmarked and just say 'A Soldier in the War - Known unto God'. It's very sad, but at least all those who have no known grave have their names inscribed on the Bayeux Memorial.

There are also two stone buildings facing each other with the centrepiece monument in between. One gives information about the War and the soldiers who died, the other has a iron cupboard in the wall which houses a Visitors book and the grave record books in alphabetical order.

Cupboard in the stone building that
holds records and visitors book

We didn't spend very long there, perhaps 20-30 minutes, but it was very moving.

The Records book: All soldiers are listed in Alphabetical order,
with their rank and regiment, and family connections
where known, and then a grave reference

"The Cross of Sacrifice"
- Bayeux War Cemetery

View from the gates

The grave of a Sailor in the War, Unnamed.

Memorial for the soldiers who gave their lives for the liberation of Bayeux

Poppy wreaths left at the Cemetery

Notre-Dame du Bessin | Cathédrale de Bayeux

Notre-Dame du Bessin

Notre-Dame du Bessin is the Cathedral of Bayeux (yeah, another Notre-Dame). It's huge!

We planned to just have a quick wander around the Cathedral, and then go find lunch.

Info about the Cathedral

It took us a little while to find the Entrance (it was around the other side) but we found it eventually.

We spent about 20 minutes walking around when I spotted some people coming down from a stair case in the wall. I was feeling rather curious, so me and Allison decided to go up there to see where it led.

Cathedrale of Bayeux

These spiral church steps were really dark and sketchy, and to be honest we really didn't feel like we were supposed to be going up there, but we just kept going anywhere. After a few minutes of climbing, we finally saw a room with some light so we went in there. I was so grateful for a rest - I was really out of breath (so unfit) and the spiral stairs had been quite creepy!

In the Knave of the Cathedral

The room we ended up in had a good view over the town of Bayeux and out towards some woods (which we were later told used to be where a big Castle was - but that got knocked down/destroyed during the revolution).

There was also a big display board with some information about a bell on it. It was all in French so I didn't take that long to look at it. After a few minutes, some other people came up the stairs.

Memorial Plaque for British Soldiers who liberated Bayeux,
and Poppy Remembrance Wreaths in the Cathedral

A man started talking to us in French (I had no idea what he was on about) and Allison said that he was asking if we were with a guide. He then asked 'are you going down? or staying with me?' - which I understood. We were a bit freaked out about going back down the dark steps on our own so opted to stay with the tour.

There was also a Canadian couple, a French couple and an older French man with the guide who were all quite nice.

He talked for about 5 minutes in French about the display board, which I (surprisingly was largely able to understand). It was all about a bell which was made this year to commemorate 70 years since the liberation of Bayeux.

Display board about the bell

This bell was commissioned by the Bishop of Bayeux, and (I believe) paid for by 10 different nations, including Great Britain, Canada, USA, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany, and has a patron from each country - the British patron of the bell is, naturally, HRH Queen Elizabeth II. However, Queen Liz wasn't able to make it to the ceremony for the bell on 6th June 2014 so Charles and Camilla came instead (Fran says Kate & Wills were at that too).

View across Bayeux
(the woods are where the castle was)

The 70th Anniversary Bell

The guide talked all about how it was made - by metal being poured into a Cast etc. and about how the bell handle is a claw.

He also talked about the design on the bell which are symbols to commemorate 70 years of peace, although I don't remember exactly what it was.

We then walked up yet more steps to the room with four Bells. This was really difficult to get to and the steps got really narrow.

In the room itself, there were wooden planks to stand on which made a walkway around the room, but it didn't feel especially safe! If you looked down between the wood structure and the stone walls you could see ALL the way down. Terrifying.

The Bell Tower, Notre-Dame du Bessin

Our guide switched to 'Franglais' around this time so we were able to understand a bit more of what he was saying. He rang a couple of the bells for us and told us that these four bells are only rung for ceremonies, and that there were other bells that were used for the time. I think the largest bell in that room was 2 tonnes. He said the other bells in the other tower were 3 and 4 tonnes!

In this room, he also showed us some really old graffiti which had been carved into the stone walls - one of the oldest ones we could see was early 17th Century! People had also used charcoal too, but some of the charcoal graffiti that was lower down had been rubbed away.

The Bells of Notre-Dame (du Bessin)

We walked through some more slightly scary steps, and through a narrow corridor which led to the other tower. Here he showed us the recent renovations of the belfry (apparently they had been swinging and knocking the wall every time they rang the bells!)

We walked back down some much safer looking steps (better lit and smooth rather than dark and bumpy) and ended up in yet another room. In this room we were offered drinks and snacks. Allison was feeling really uncomfortable about this as we think we may have had to pay for the tour, but as we hadn't...

Very old Graffiti!
You can see the bell carved into the stone!

It was possible to
go even higher!

In this room, the guide showed us the cover that had been made for the 70th Anniversary Bell. It looked like a robe and had lace edging and laced '70' on it. The older french man told us that this was 'Dentalle' which is a special kind of lacework done in Bayeux. Apparently it took over 300 hours to make!

We also found out that this 'cover' will go into the Cathedral treasury where they apparently have lots of other valuable things, once it has been on display.

The bell cover made from Dentalle lace

Very old belfries (over 400 years old)

After this, we climbed back down the stairs (so many stairs!) and ended up back in the main bit of the Cathedral (but on the opposite side as we'd crossed over to the other side).

We thought we might have to pay (not that we would have minded as it was an excellent little tour), but the guide just said 'à bientôt', we said 'merci' and that was that!

View from the first bell tower
across to the other tower.

A wonderful place to visit, and with the tour it was amazing! I would agree with TripAdvisor saying it's the #3 Attraction in Bayeux!

More photographs from our visit at the Cathedral...

Intricate decor at Bayeux Cathedral

Stained Glass Window

Inside the Crypt

Lovely remembrance candles

Surprised they didn't use
the 'Bluet de France' for these...

Statues of Angels in the Crypt

Decoration of the pillar arches in the Crypt

The Organ (in repair),
else the tour guide said
he would have shown us that too