Caen - Reborn after WWII

Friday – Stayed in bed until 08:30 followed by a decent hotel breakfast. We decided against getting a taxi and walked the 1.6km to the retirement residence. Mum was ready to go but first made a cup of tea and asked Sylvie to help with her iPad. When leaving we saw an aged lady sitting on the couch opposite the front door. Apparently, she waits there every day for her family who almost never come to see her and take her out. Sad! We caught a taxi into Caen and later also home. The main activity today was to look for clothing for Gisèle and have lunch but it was in search of a toilet that we stumbled on a small coffee, cake and soup café. At the end of the day Sylvie and I walked home from the residence via the old part of Caen, seeing many beautiful buildings, some from the Middle Ages. Lovely old architecture. At 18:30 Marie-The and Aziz arrived to join us for dinner. After much a doo we finally chose the small restaurant “Le Petit B” which had a decent menu and enjoyed a convivial evening. Back in the hotel we did another pre-pack for tomorrow.

Caen was known in Roman times as 'Catumagos', from the Gaulish roots magos meaning 'field' and catu meaning 'combat'. It remained a minor settlement throughout the Roman period and began to see major development commence in the 10th century, under the patronage of the Dukes of Normandy. Around 1060, William the Conqueror began construction of the Château de Caen, which became the center of the ducal court. Duchess Matilda of Flanders also founded the Benedictine Abbey of Sainte-Trinité, Caen around the same time, eventually being buried in the abbey.
Caen is known today for its historical buildings built during the reign of William the Conqueror, who was buried there, and for the Battle for Caen, heavy fighting that took place in and around Caen during the Battle of Normandy in 1944, destroying much of the city. The city has now preserved the memory by erecting a memorial and a museum dedicated to peace, the Mémorial de Caen.Read more