Bravo Bayeaux

One curious thing I've discovered: some things get more amazing as you get older. Giraffes for instance. I took them for granted when I was little, now they totally astonish me. I think I've known about the Bayeaux tapestry since I was about 10 and pictures are everywhere in school history books and pictures, never thought anything of it. But seeing the real thing blew my mind. It's amazing. Much longer than I thought, bigger, more colourful and more detailed. And it really is like a film, complete with flashbacks and sub plots with the central drama of Harold's oath built up on either side. Seeing individual pictures in books is very different from seeing the story unfold frame by frame. I loved all the detail of the preparations, the horses being put on the boats and the fleet setting sail, the man falling in the river, people eating at table and the captions running all through, making sure you don't miss vital details. A definite highlight of our trip to Normandy.