Low Bridge, Everybody Down: Barging in Europe: Joinville, Normandy, Honfleur, Bayeaux

Tom Miller.

The nice thing about carrying a car on board Rabelo is that we have the freedom to explore. Sometimes we feel almost obligated to check out the surrounding areas from where we are moored. Other times we can’t wait to jump in the car to see what we can find.

We found a building in Saint Dizier with the tablets of the 10 commandments on top and Hebrew writing on the front wall. It looks like a synagogue dating back to 1928 but I was unable to find out anything about it. Searching the Internet was only one reference to the building from just after WWII. One of the members of the Jewish community who survived the war returned and was interviewed. I would love to know what the building is used for today.

Synagogue dating 1928

Writing above the entrance.

On rare occasion there will be a sign stating that we can view the source of a river. At Place des Tilleus we found the source of the River St. Louvent.

Source of the river St. Louvent

In Joinville we revisited the church where we were lucky enough to again hear the organist rehearsing for a concert. This time he invited us up to see the organ, play it, and hear the sound of the 1688 organ from its balcony. It was a magical experience.

Joinville organ dating 1688

Stairs leading up to the organ.

There are people who love their garden gnomes. We definitely need some for our yard.

Unusual garden gnomes.

The walks Tom and I take can be magical. They are peaceful when we are away from the city, which can be noisy with mopeds, bicycles, children, dogs, and a wide variety of people.

I LOVE our walks along the canal. Here we have the canal on one side of the tow path and the river on then other side.

We visited Chateau de Cirey which isn’t on the top 10 list of things American tourists visit. It was here that Voltaire (writer, philosopher, playwright and historian) lived with Emilie du Chatelet from 1734-1749. He avoided imprisonment by moving in with her after publishing Lettres Anglaises, which was critical of the French institutions. Voltaire was famous for his wit, his attacks on the established Catholic Church and his advocacy of freedom of religion, freedom of expression and separation of church and state. He wrote more than 20,000 letters and more than 2,000 books and pamphlets.

Chateau de Cirey

Voltaire's library

We walked up the stairs that Voltaire walked on.

Kitchen for Chateau de Cirey. It was beautiful with a fireplace large enough to roast an animal of considerable size.

The property around the chateau was peaceful. This bridge dated from 1886

The grounds were beautiful.

When we go exploring we never know what we will find. In Vignory we found an Ancient Chateau and Fort from the XI-XVI Century. We explored the ruins, which are slowly being restored.

Old Fort

It was time for our next visitors. We were scheduled to meet Bruce and Tess in Normandy. What we hadn’t planned on were the continuing strikes. We wound up renting a car, driving to the airport in Paris to pick them up, and then going to Bayeaux. It was 5 hours of driving, but easier than dealing with an unpredictable train schedule. While Tom and I had visited Normandy once before, we didn’t have a guide and missed many of the important sights. This time we planned in advance and hired a private guide from ddaybattletours.com. Monica was amazing and we strongly recommend her and the company she works with. Monica provided us with an educational and informative day. Having her as our guide and professor brought D-Day to life for us.

We stormed the beaches of Normandy

On D-Day these were the cliffs the allies had to climb under fire.

German gun embankment at Point du Hoc

This beautiful stained glass window in a tiny church is a reminder of the D-Day invasion where PFC John Steele parachuted behind German lines in Normandy. His parachute got caught on the church steeple where he pretended to be dead until he was finally discovered and captured. He later escaped.