Carentan Travel Guide

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Bayeux is best know for the cathedral and the tapestry and both worthy of a couple of hours. Lying on the South West edge of ring road is the War Cemetery, many holding British graves 3900+ but many others. Across the road is the memorial to journalists killed in war zones or through acts of terrorism over 1890 since 1944.
http://www.battlefieldsww2.50megs.com/bayeux_war_cemetery.htm

http://en.rsf.org/the-french-town-of-bayeux-and-03-05-2007,21777

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The scale of this place is overwhelming and very moving. Row upon row of graves. There is a visitor centre that tells many stories using old footage and modern in-fills. Over 9000 in total.
There is a statue called Spirit of American Youth Rising from the sea, a garden of the missing, a further 1550+ servicemen & women who have no marked grave.
Below the cemetery is the beach itself.
http://battlefieldsww2.50megs.com/normandy_american_cemetery.htm

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The beach is stunning yet very moving when you remember the 1000s of young men killed during the D Day landings. The local roads have been re-named after men killed and each kilometre towards Paris is way-marked as part of the Liberty Way.
There is a museum and a number of memorials around the car park area.

Locals practice horse & carriage racing on the beach, alongside kite fliers and sand-surfers.
There are also oyster beds visible at low tide.

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We found this place almost by accident when looking for a place to park.

As we took the turn we entered a lovely open square, surrounded on three sides by elegant, graceful buildings, with a modern, perpetual fountain and stream running from top to bottom.
Originally opened as a convent in 1652 with later additions in 1717and later.
In 1792, post Revolution, the nuns were ordered to leave as the buildingd were required by the town . The buildings were variously used as barracks,a police station, schools and a court but now house all kinds of municipal departmental offices and the Tourist Information Office.

The Tourist Office can be found at the extreme right of the facing wing.

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We made a second visit to Carentan on this trip specially to see the "Must See" the Listed Romanesque/Gothic Church and I was a little disappointed.

Records show that King Henry 1st of England visited the original parish church on this site on Easter Sunday in 1106. All that remains from that period are the lower parts of the base of the tower with Norman arcades.
During the years of English occupation the church was neglected and fell into ruins.It was not until after the end of the 100 years war in 1453 rebuilding and restoration continued.The church was double in size and at the time of consecration in1470 it served a parish of 2000 people Much of the intricate exterior stone work is eroded and inneed of restoration and cleaning . The flying buttresses still appear to be in reasonable condition but the overall effect was rather gloomy and forbidding.
It was a similar story inside - little natural light and towering column to the arched ceiling in the nave and chapels.
The Church suffered serious damage in 1944 to the organ, and stained glass; the clock, the elegant spire and roof were also hit.
The oldest stained glass windows had fortunately been hidden in the countryside during the war for safety but it was a gloomy day so they could not be seen to best effect.

I did not care for the heavy 16th,17th and 18th century paintings some of which are yet to be restored.
The picture of martyred and decapitated St Leon carrying his head stands next to an ancient stone carving showing the same event.

Because of the darkess of the interior it was barely possible to see the organ loft.The choir stalls were attractive and there were two wooden panels with well executed carvings of another martyrdom and the crucifixion of St Peter.

Perhaps because of the dense gloominess of the church I am afraid I got none of the uplift I so often feel on entering religious buildings with a lighter, defter touch of inspired artistry and craftmanship.

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Lovely harbour with even more historical stories to tell. There is a monument to WWII but there is also a memorial to a much older time- the White Ship, wrecked off the coast in 1120 and important because on of those on board was the son of Henry I.

Nice to walk around, few cafes and interesting shops.