This post has taken a few months to produce. Principally, because I am an arch-procrastinator. But, in my defense, it also took this long because the post covers two separate visits which β conveniently, for the purposes of stitching together this weak excuse β happened several months apart. Earlier this summer June we made a somewhat rushed trip to the town of Bayeux.
Then, just a couple of days ago, we had a look around the town of Falaise. So, how could I have possibly written this post until today? Arch-procrastinator, remember? Also, there is a through-line connecting these two town visits: the life of William the Conqueror.
Stay with me on this β¦. William Guillaume in French or, commonly, Gulielmus , in Latin was born in Falaise around or At the time, the town was the seat of power for the duchy of Normandie.
A castle already stood on the rocky outcrop where the remains of the last fortifications exist today. After his father died while returning from pilgrimage to Jerusalem, little Billy became duke at the age of 7 or 8. Many years passed, during which the young ruler gained much experience in waging war and governing an expanding duchy.
Finally, in , he took a short sailing trip with a few buddies. That banner ended up in Bayeux where boatloads of visitors and their buddies travel to see it firsthand.
