Historic Caen - Seat of William the Conqueror

After the hustle and bustle of Paris, it was time to escape to the rural areas of Normandy enroute to visit a bucket list destination - Juno Beach. We elected to stay in Caen, a city rich with history but also one that suffered horrific devastation during the D-Day invasion and subsequent face off between the Allied and German forces. Caen’s greatest claim to fame was being the seat of William the Conqueror who was Duke of Normandy, despite being regarded as illegitimate; he was the product of a dalliance with a mistress…a complicated issue when determining heredity to a title. But William would secure his dukedom through battles in Normandy and then cross the channel to subjugate Britain at the Battle of Hastings, creating the foundation for the UK monarchy of today.

Stepping off the train one gets an immediate sense of a very modern city that, I imagine, was a result of the destruction of most original structures during World War II. Save for a few old and historic buildings scattered throughout the city, the streets are lined with contemporary architecture but in a way that seems to have been thoughtfully planned and built with quality in mind. Wide streets and boulevards with well-connected public tram lines crisscrossing the city, plus a river canal complete with marina contrasted with the medieval Château de Caen atop the hill. There were well-marked cycle and pedestrian paths and, as we discovered, the city is very walkable. The city was immaculate, probably one of the cleanest urban areas I have ever seen and, with the start of Spring, greenery and early blossoms were everywhere. Unlike Paris, the air was much cleaner and more refreshing in Caen - none of the respiratory searing smog or haze was evident.

After settling into the condo, which was a delightfully spacious and well-appointed abode, it was time for early exploration of the immediate area. It was hard to get lost since the Château de Caen, William the Conquerer’s castle, was at the end of our street - the centerpiece of this part of the city with a commanding position on the hill. At the foot of the hill were several pedestrian malls around which there is a fairly large commercial core. Boulangeries, patisseries, restaurants, and other retail venues lined the wide malls. Similar to Paris, there were delightful bistros everywhere, many being small and intimate places with varied menu options. There were relatively few people about, given the off-season time of year, and most seemed to be local inhabitants or students (Caen has a large university student population as we would find out at the end of our visit). And people seemed much more friendly and relaxed here compared to Paris - a much different pace and, seemingly, simpler way of life. The overall feeling of the place was a pleasant mix of culture, history, and modernity in a very welcoming, peaceful and enjoyable environment.

Day 2 was our pilgrimage to the Normandy beaches and the Juno Beach Centre. I will post a separate blog on that special trip as it was a bit of a spiritual adventure in its own right...and the main purpose of our visit to Caen. If anyone is planning a visit to Juno Beach then I recommend Caen as the place to stay given its location, friendly spaces, great food and easy transit to the beaches of Normandy.

Day 3 was a more deliberate walking tour in Caen, as our itinerary included a visit to the Château de Caen’s walls and grounds and the two abbeys commissioned by William the Conquerer. From below, the Château was an imposing fortification with thick walls, turrets, and what would have been a very deep moat surrounding it. Its position atop one of the few hills in the area gave it a sweeping vista in all directions - a formidable defensive position. The castle structure is amazingly well-preserved for something that is over 1,000 years old, although it had suffered some significant damage from aerial bombardments and shelling during D-Day and in the months that followed. Still intact were the Church of Saint George, the original chapel built in 1082, and the great Hall of the Exchequer, where the knights of the court would congregate. While many of the main buildings were not open to public access, in part due to our visit being quite early in the morning, one is free to roam the grounds and along the parapets at leisure. It was an absolutely brilliant morning to take in the views from the ramparts; the landscapes were quite spectacular in all directions and we could identify some of the landmarks we would visit throughout our stay. Most enjoyable of all was the early morning calmness on the castle walls - very few visitors were present, as well as few staff. 

After a self-guided tour of the castle we headed over to the first of the two abbeys commissioned by William the Conqueror, the Abbaye aux Dames that was founded as a nunnery of the Benedictine order. Both abbeys were constructed as a form of penance to the Catholic Church to earn dispensation for William’s marriage to Mathilda since they were first cousins; the issue of conjoining such close bloodlines was recognized as inappropriate even in those days but permission and forgiveness could, evidently, be bought. In any event, the Abbaye aux Dames with its cloister and land became home of a religious community of women and a hospital. Compared to many churches, the interior of the Abbaye was quite stark and minimalist in nature; even the main Rose window was more subdued than found in most cathedrals. Behind the main alter within a very austere and humble choir area was the final resting place of Queen Mathilda beneath a slab of black marble. And outside where the original cloister would have been was a lovely yard and fountain surrounded by municipal offices for the district.

From the Abbaye it was off through some of the backstreets in search of déjeuner…lunch - the main meal of the day. As with my experience in Brazil, lunch in France is usually a bigger fare than supper. This was a routine I could easily adapt to since I found my overall eating was less; usually a light breakfast that held until déjeuner and the bigger midday meal meant much less desire for supper. I also found that I never went to bed with a full stomach leading to better overall digestion and a better sleep. And those who do eat a full supper in France have it at a much later time (I noticed this in Spain, too). I wondered if gastric reflux had a higher incidence here, as GERD (gastro-esophageal reflux disease) is definitely a thing in Canada. As some of the foods in Normandy are rather rich with decadent cream sauces and lots of cheese, one would think that other health issues might be prevalent, too. And on the note of health, smoking rates seemed quite high in Caen as in Paris - very annoying when trying to enjoy a good meal on a terrace. I was surprised to see that smoking cigarettes amongst the youth seemed more prevalent, too, and compared to Canada there did not seem to be as great an uptake of vape to cigarettes.

After déjeuner and a bit of a nap, it was off to visit the second abbey, the Abbaye aux Hommes (Men’s Abbey). However, unbeknownst to us, there was a huge annual university student celebration in progress that is one of the largest Spring festivals in France. Quite literally there were thousands of students in costume parading through the main core of Caen to some gathering point - we had no idea of the crowds we would have to wade through. It really was quite a loud, festive atmosphere with a whole lot of drinking and weed consumption. As it happened, we had agreed to meet the third member of our party enroute to the abbey and that turned out to be quite the adventure as we threaded through the streets amidst the revelers. However, we did find Waldo in the process!

We managed to link up just mere blocks from the abbey only to discover it was closed due to the crowds and, I would surmise from the police presence, for security reasons. From there we went on foot to the Memorial de Caen, an interpretive centre of World War II and the D-Day events to round out the day. After a brief visit there it was time to head back to the downtown area and have a brief nibble before calling it a day.

I quite enjoyed the adventure to Normandy and the lovely city of Caen. For the first time, I discovered the delights of France’s more rural domain; I would come back and stay in Caen again and certainly it has piqued my interest in further exploring other parts of rural France. And I may just do that soon...

So ended our brief escape from Paris and it was back on the train to head back to the City of Light. I must say train travel in France is so convenient and efficient - it is definitely the way to get around and so relaxing watching the landscape glide by.