Day 20 Giverny and Bayeux

We caught the Metro to the Gare de l'Est station and picked up our rental car. We had been upgraded to a more 'prestigious' but compact car. After a struggle, we were able to get our 3 cases into the boot and navigated our way through Paris traffic finding the auto-route to Giverny.
The sun was shining and the drive very picturesque. Monet's garden looked very pretty with flowering Spring bulbs and rows of tulips. We walked around the garden and admired the famous pond but the water lilies weren't flowering. Toured Monet's house including his bright yellow dining room, bright blue kitchen and a recreation of his studio.
We then got back in the car and headed towards Bayeux. The Normandy countryside is so green with gently rolling hills. Bayeux is a lovely village and it was easy to find the William Conqueror Centre. Minimal tourists and the audio-guide is excellent. As you walk around the tapestry, the story of William the Conqueror, Harold and The Battle of Hastings is told including explanations about the borders. It really is good and then they have an excellent film to watch and exhibition. We all rated it as one of the best exhibits we have seen during our holiday.
Then we walked across to the Bayeux Cathedral which was consecrated in 1077 by Bishop Odo, who was William's brother and also features in the tapestry. We then did part of a heritage walk around Bayeux including finding a a antique shop selling WW2 artifacts. The boys were very impressed that you could buy bullets and helmets that have been dug up around the area. We stayed in a golf resort at Port-En-Bessin which is on the coast and about 10 minutes from Bayeux - beautiful Normandy countryside to look at.