Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
man conquest of England in 1066. Divided into 58 scenes briefly captioned in almost-
readable Latin, the main narrative - told from an unashamedly Norman perspective - fills
up the centre of the canvas, while religious allegories and depictions of daily life in the
11th century unfold along the borders. The final showdown at the Battle of Hastings is de-
picted in truly graphic fashion, complete with severed limbs and decapitated heads (along
the bottom of scene 52). Halley's Comet, which blazed across the sky in 1066, makes an
appearance at the top of scene 32, while at the bottom of scene 15 there's - no, it can't
be! - an 11th-century 'full Monty'.
Upstairs is an excellent exhibition on the tapestry's creation, its remarkable history and
its conservation, as well as a 15-minute film screened alternately in English and French.
NEED TO KNOW
02 31 51 25 50;
www.tapisserie-bayeux.fr
;
rue de Nesmond; adult/child incl au-
dioguide €8/3.80;
9am-6.15pm
Sleeping
CHÂTEAU DE BELLEFONTAINE €€
( 02 31 22 00 10;
www.hotel-bellefontaine.com
;
49 rue Bellefontaine; d €125-150,
ste €150-230; )
Swans and a bubbling brook welcome you to this majestic 18th-
century château, which is surrounded by a 2-hectare private park and has 20
enormous rooms, many of which have grand fireplaces and period mouldings.
Historic Hotel
HÔTEL D'ARGOUGES €€
( 02 31 92 88 86;
www.hotel-dargouges.com
; 21 rue St-Patrice; d €90-120, q €280;
)
This graceful hotel, in a stately 18th-century residence, has an elegant break-
fast room overlooking a private garden, squeaky parquet floors and 28 rooms,
some with period features such as marble chimneys.
Traditional Hotel
Eating
LA REINE MATHILDE €€
( 02 31 92 00 59; 47 rue St-Martin; cakes from €2.50; 8.30am-7.30pm Tue-Sun)
This sumptuous, c 1900-style
pâtisserie
and
salon de thé
is ideal if you've got a
hankering for something soft and sweet.
Patisserie
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