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The Abbey of St. Remi is less well known than the Notre Dame Cathedral, but definitely merits a visit if you are going to Reims for more than a few hours. Although it’s not in the center of town, it is an easy bus ride away and if you have good walking shoes, easily reached on foot from downtown.

The remains of St. Remi are here along with several other dignitaries.

 This is the left side of the tomb,

 this is the right side of the tomb,

 and this is the view above the tomb.

The peaceful beauty of this abbey is evident the moment you enter, but there is a reminder on the ground 🙂

The exterior of the Reims Cathedral is undergoing extensive renovations, so the main entrance is now on the right side, and scaffolding is on both the front and back obscuring at least a third of the building.

Hidden in the rear of the cathedral is a beautiful garden,

 with a long path and several seats.


On the left side of the church (facing the front) there is a delightful little specialty food shop Terroir Des Rois. They have everything from chocolate to 30 year old balsamic vinegar, and if you can’t decide, premade gift baskets are available.

In front of the shop are a few chairs and tables so you can taste their featured champagne of the day, a cold non alcoholic drink, or sip the champagne you just bought,

for a very modest supplemental fee depending on the size of the bottle you purchased,

while gazing at this magnificent view from your table:)

In the Summer, there is a light and music show projected onto the front of the cathedral twice a night starting at 11 PM and each lasts for 20 minutes:)


Not all the projectors were working, so there were several blank/black spots,

but the last projection worked fine 🙂


The Cathedral of Reims is undergoing extensive renovations, so the best view of what it would be like without cranes and scaffolding is this model inside the cathedral.

 Most of the interior is not under renovation, so enjoy today’s photo post:)





 One of several pulpits.


 One of several organs.



 My favorite part of the cathedral was these stained glass windows by Chagall🙂

Put a few coins in a box at the left of the altar and the mosaic lights up for a few minutes:)

The Vatican State is not just where the Vatican Museum and St. Peter’s Basilica are located, it is also the area around St. John’s Basilica of Lateran or San Giovanni Laterano, the oldest Christian church in Rome and the home church of the Pope on the outer edges of town. The cement pillars in front of the entrance mark the beginning of Vatican control, and there are guards standing nearby as “border control”.

If you are driving to the site, there are also border control booths for cars.

The “Holy Stairs” are located across the street in the plain beige building, where pilgrims climb the 28 marble stairs inside on their knees.

The main entrance to the church is massive

with imposing columns

and intricate sculptures.

Entering on the left side, you see all the booths for confession, some of which had priests

who spoke several languages.

Crossing over to the right into the main part of the church there were huge marble sculptures of all the disciples on both sides.

This is the center section of the church from the front door.

The center is of focus is the “Bishop’s Chair” where the Pope sits to officially become Pope.

The oldest church has the latest technology; on either side of the front door, there are multi language audio guides you can listen to while seated at the screens.

Today’s post is photographic one, so your eyes get to eat today 🙂

The Grand Hotel and Casino in Cabourg welcomes visitors, but

right next to the Grand Hotel are some grand homes for part time residents,

most of which stood empty and shuttered awaiting their residents in July and August.

Some of the shuttered homes face the beach

which is as empty as the homes in June.

 The center of town had a nice marché with clothes and trinkets for sale at very discounted prices, like 5 Euros ($6) for leather coin purses.

 If you didn’t want to shop, there were other amusements.

A little further south is Omaha Beach, with a memorial, a souvenir shop, and a theatre showing  a commemorative film. Even if you just want to stop to take a look, you will have to pay for parking which will cost 6 Euros for the day or any portion thereof, even 5 minutes!

 There was a convention of old Triumphs and motorcycles from the UK in the parking lot.

The memorial stands overlooking all the beaches with bunkers still visible in the ocean.

 Inland from the beach is the town of Bayeux.

The famous Cathedral can be seen from afar like a beacon enticing everyone to come closer. Driving into town there are wonderful buildings which have stood in place for centuries.

 The town square in front of the Cathedral is a gathering place, with cafés, shops, and a wedding!

Entering through the back of the Cathedral near the City Hall or Mairie gives visitors a glimpse of the majestic building from a rare angle. This Cathedral is as or more spectacular than Notre Dame in Paris, I stood in awe at the craftsmanship and beauty of it!

 Every angle is magnificent.

The tree in the courtyard is a reminder that no matter how people may build monuments, nature will always persevere.

Au revoir Bayeux 🙂




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