Normandy’s 1100th birthday: how to celebrate

by McLean Robbins on



In honor of the birth of Normandy, over 200 events are being held through October of this year, ranging from medieval fairs to concerts to special exhibitions. Normandy’s rich history can be traced back to the late 8th century, since the reign of Charlemagne. Visiting the area this year? Check out these events:

1000 Years of the Abbey of Saint-Pierre-Sur-Dives
Through October. In celebration of the millennium of the abbey of Saint-Pierre-Sur-Dives, a selection of medieval-themed events, concerts, exhibitions, carnivals and more will be held throughout the year. On July 22 and 23, a light-and-sound spectacle will be projected to reflect the history of the Vikings and the abbey.
Deauville’s “From City to City” Exhibition
The city of Deauville will host an outdoor exhibition, featuring contemporary art installations and cultural games. Every major city in Normandy (Rouen, Le Havre, Evreux, Saint-Lo, Cherbourg and Alencon) will be represented through installations in the form of large, varied-colors cubes displayed around the town, each of which will have its own unique text and image that will symbolize a Norman city. A guided tour will be available to explore this original display of art and heritage.

Discovery Trail of Caen
Families are invited to follow a historic path in Caen from the Chateau du Duc Roi to the historical center of town, following a booklet to explore the rich heritage and history of the city.

Exhibition of the Normandy Abbeys
This exhibit on the abbeys of Normandy will display the evolution of 35 abbeys from 841 to 1204, presenting their unique history through a display of chronological panels. They will illustrate the influence of the Vikings, who once pillaged the Normandy abbeys, while also showcasing architectural changes and the destruction and reconstruction of Monasteries. This will be on display through October.

Eat Well in Normandy
To honor traditional Norman cuisine around the region, the IRQUA Normandie (Institut Régional de la Qualité Agroalimentaire de Normandy) is organizing restaurants to create special menus for the anniversary of Normandy. The menus will include local products from the region, featuring traditional recipes, classic medieval dishes, as well as new innovative creations. A cookbook will also be available that will include some of the recipes that the restaurants use.

Ornavik Medieval Town
The newly-constructed Medieval town of Ornavik will soon open its doors to the public, bringing historic Normandy back to life through a village recreating Viking life in 911. Situated on the Orne Bank in Beauregard park in Herouville-Saint-Clair near Caen, the village will include farms with animals and produce, as well as a chateau built from materials widely used in the Middle Age. The town aims to take visitors back in time to understand Viking life and culture, as well as see the towns that were destroyed during combat.

Land of the Vikings Festival
June 2 – 5. A festival of medieval activities honoring the birth of Normandy and Viking life, including events and activities that reflect an ancient Viking village, including a medieval market, artisans, and boat rides. There will also be equestrian events, combats, tournaments, medieval games, and more.

Rendez-vous in the Gardens of Normandy
June 3 – 5. Nearly 100 parks and gardens throughout Normandy will be showcasing the unique flowers of the region. Gardeners will be present at the gardens to explain their flowering techniques, while workshops, exhibitions, concerts and more will also be hosted.

Bayeux Medieval Festival
July 1 – 3. A three-day festival celebrating Medieval Normandy, which will commence with a vibrant medieval-themed nighttime parade including historical reenactments of Viking life. The festival will welcome actors dressed in authentic costumes, musicians, artisans, combats and more.

Normandy Day Picnic and Folk Concert
June 6. In celebration of the 5th annual Normandy Day, a giant picnic in the park outside of Town Hall will take place after a free performance from the group.

Exhibition on the Rollon Tapestry
Rouen: June 17 – July 27 Villers-Sur-Mer: July 29 – September 7 Saint-Clair-sur-Epte: September 9 – 11 Bayeux: September 16 – 18 In honor of Normandy’s birthday and the signing of the Treaty of Saint-Claire-Sur-Epte, a group of interdisciplinary artists have created a tapestry in honor of the Tapestry of Bayeux, an embroidery depicting the events leading up to the Norman conquest of England in 1066. While the Bayeux Tapestry can be seen at the Musée de la Tapisserie de Bayeux, this new tapestry will be exhibited around Normandy from June until September. The tapestry, spanning nearly 70 feet long and 20 inches tall, was embroidered entirely by hand, and includes designs of 30 different historic scenes, commentaries written by a Viking specialist, and a written history of the birth of Normandy. Each exposition will be accompanied by conferences, story-telling, educational workshops and demonstrations of the embroidery.

More events and festivals are available here.

Five unusual destinations from London

by Alex Robertson Textor on

London is incredibly well served as a transit hub. Collectively, London airports see more traffic than any other cluster of city airports in Europe. An impressively broad network of routes connects the city’s airports to destinations across Europe, the Americas, Asia, and Africa. For anyone predisposed to travel, this range of destinations is inspiring.

Many of the world’s most visited destinations are served from London, some along multiple routes. Many others are less well known. Among these are the following five truly unusual destinations.

1. Ascension Island. This Atlantic Ocean island, hundreds of miles south of the Equator and well over one thousand miles from the African and South American coasts, hosts a joint US/UK air force military base and a European Space Agency tracking station. It is also home to one of the world’s very few GPS ground antennas. To fly to Ascension Island, hop aboard a military plane bound for the Falkland Islands at Brize Norton Royal Air Force base in Oxfordshire, west of London. Upon arrival, laze about on the knockout beach above.

2. Hassi Messaoud, Algeria. Monarch flies to the inland oil town of Hassi Messaoud in Ouargla Province from London-Gatwick, though you have to book your ticket through Jet Air. This route is designed to ferry oil company workers to and fro, and you can expect to shell out just over £1050 for a round trip ticket. While this is most definitely not standard tourist territory, it might just be the ticket for oil industry hobbyists, of which there are no doubt a handful. Somewhere.

3. Tórshavn, Faroe Islands. Atlantic Airways, the Faroese national carrier, flies between London Stansted and the Faroe Islands from early June through early September. The Faroes, which lie north of Scotland, are a truly glorious (if extremely expensive) summer destination for whale watching, hiking, fishing, and birdwatching.

4. Sylhet, Bangladesh. Most of the UK’s Bangladeshi population has ancestral ties to Bangladesh’s Sylhet region. It’s not surprising then that there are links between London and the region’s biggest city, also named Sylhet. Connections are provided by United Airways (BD) (not to be confused with US carrier United) and Biman Bangladesh. United’s route stops in Dubai and Dhaka along the way; the Biman Bangladesh link is flown via Dubai. The region, known as Sylhet Division, is verdant and lush and full of tea plantations.

5. Sion, Switzerland. This tiny airport in the canton of Valais is served by just two airlines. From mid-December through April, an airline called Snowjet operated by Titan Airways connects Sion and London Stansted. Sion is 45 minutes by road from Verbier, the most stylish of Switzerland’s Four Valleys ski towns.

[Image of Ascension Island: Drew Avery | Flickr]

Four top battle locations to remember on Memorial Day

by Chris Owen on
Memorial Day is all about honoring those who gave their lives via military service to the United States. Picnics, celebrations and parties are typical to commemorate the day. Travel to typical Memorial Day locations like beaches, parks and theme-parks is too. But what about locations where some of the most famous battles of all times occurred? Check these four top battle locations with photos from Flickr users who give their impressions of what they mean today.

Gettysburg– Flickr user Soaptree tells us “the portrait statue of General Gouverneur K. Warren, Chief Engineer of the Army of the Potomac, stands on the boulder from which he spotted the Confederate advance on Little Round Top the afternoon of July 2, 1863.”


Pearl Harbor survivors render a salute during Taps in this photo from Flickr user expert infantry taken at the joint U.S. Navy and National Park Service ceremony commemorating the 66th anniversary of the Dec. 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. “More than 2,500 people attended the ceremony on board Naval Station Pearl Harbor that honored those who gave their lives during the attack. (US Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Michael Hight)”

Midway was a major event in the Word War II campaign against Japan. Just 1,000 miles northwest of Hawaii, Midway atoll was an important strategic objective for the Japanese Navy who thought a victory there would prove their superiority in the Pacific. Little did they know that the United States had cracked Japanese message codes and set up an ambush. This Flickr photo from USFWS Pacific shows “Albatross and bonin petrel nests can be seen on both sides of the walkway. Sand Island, Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge. “

Iwo Jima This photo of The Marine Corps War Memorial, aka the Iwo Jima Memorial, in Arlington, Virginia comes from Flickr user NCinDC showing the iconic image of five Marines raising the U.S. flag, a photograph that brings support for American soldiers even today.

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Skeletons at royal castle in Scotland killed in battle, experts say

by Sean McLachlan on


Stirling Castle in Scotland was the scene of several brutal sieges and battles in its violent history. Now a new exhibition looks at the castle’s past and the grim discovery of several skeletons in the Royal Chapel showing signs of violent death.

One man had 44 skull fractures from repeated blows with a blunt object, and up to 60 more over the rest of his body. The Middle Ages were a pitiless time, and despite what modern romance novels say there wasn’t much chivalry. The skeleton of a woman had 10 fractures to her skull, resulting from two heavy blows. Neat, square holes through the top of her skull suggest she may then have fallen and been killed with a weapon such as a war hammer. At least five skeletons in the chapel showed signs of violent death. Carbon dating shows they died in several incidents between the 13th century and c.1450.

One of the skulls can be seen in this photo courtesy of Historic Scotland. Holding it is Dr. Jo Buckberry of Bradford University, who carried out the research on the skeletons.

The chapel was excavated as part of Historic Scotland’s restoration of the castle’s 16th century palace. The fact that the people were buried here indicates they were important.

One has been tentatively identified as Sir John de Stricheley, who died in 1341. Sir De Stricheley and the lady’s skeleton were featured last year on BBC2’s History Cold Case series.

Stirling Castle was an important castle on the boundary between Scotland and England and was besieged numerous times during the Wars of Scottish Independence (1296-1328 and 1332-1357). Several battles occurred nearby.

The exhibition, including facial reconstructions of Sir De Stricheley and the lady, will open June 4.

[Castle photo courtesy Finlay McWalter]

Hiking the Basque coastline

by Sean McLachlan on


While the Sierra de Toloño offers some amazing trails and views, the most alluring sights I’ve seen in the Basque region are along its coastline.

The coast of northeast Spain and southwest France along the Bay of Biscay is part of the Basque heartland. Inland villages played a key role in keeping Basque culture alive, but it’s the ports–Bilbao, San Sebastian, and many smaller towns–that helped the Basques make their mark on world history.

Today I’m hiking a stretch of Spanish coastline east of San Sebastian and within sight of the French border. Much of my trail today corresponds with the famous Camino de Santiago. This pilgrimage route stretching from France to Galicia on the northwest corner of the Iberian peninsula became popular in the Middle Ages. It’s still one of the most popular trails in Europe, with a record 200,000+ hikers last year.

I can see why. Our route takes us past little towns where churches once offered medieval pilgrims spiritual solace, vineyards growing on steep slopes leading down to the sea, and wide views of the water. The coastline here is rugged, with jagged rocks jutting up from the foamy surf and numerous little islands, some topped by churches and homes.

%Gallery-124603%One of these islands has an important history. It makes up part of the little port of Getaria, home to Juan Sebastián Elcano, the Basque people’s most famous sailor. He was one of Magellan’s officers on the explorer’s circumnavigation of the globe.

The journey started in 1519 with 241 men. That number quickly dropped due to malnutrition, disease, mutiny, and storms. When Magellan was killed in the Philippines in 1521, two other officers took joint command. They were killed by natives soon thereafter. Another officer took over, but he proved unpopular and when his ship sprung a leak, some men decided to follow Elcano in the only remaining vessel. They finally made it back to Spain in 1522 with only 18 of the original crew.

His hometown, shown above, isn’t very big and probably wasn’t much of anything 500 years ago. I can imagine Elcano climbing to the top of that little mountain on the island that dominates Getaria and looking out over the sweeping view of the Bay of Biscay. It’s not surprising such a place produced one of the world’s greatest sailors.

Continuing along the coast we find a slope covered in thick grass. Looking out on the sea, there’s a good view of Getaria to our left and to our right, almost lost in the distance, we spot the coastline of France. It’s a perfect place for a picnic and we feast on Spanish tortilla (a bit like a thick omelet with potatoes), cheese, bread, and fresh cherries. I’ve been on a lot of hikes in Spain and I’ve eaten well on all of them. This picnic takes the prize for best view, though.

This coastline made much of its wealth from whaling. Whale oil used to be the petrol of the world, lighting up the streetlamps of Paris and London and used in a variety of products. While whales enjoy some protection today, they were hunted by the thousand until early 20th century and came close to going extinct. Basque whalers were some of the most adventurous. When stocks were used up in the Bay of Biscay and other parts of the European coastline, Basque whalers went further afield to Siberia, Iceland, Greenland, and even the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador. In fact, they may have arrived in the New World before Columbus!

Our hike ends when we make it to the beach at Zarautz, an old whaling port turned resort. People are surfing and swimming, the smart ones wearing wetsuits to protect them from the cold water. When whaling died and the iron industry faltered, the Basque coast reinvented itself as a northern resort paradise for rich Europeans. San Sebastian, which I’m visiting in the next installment of this series, was one of the best. When you see the photos you’ll know why.

Don’t miss the rest of my series: Beyond Bilbao: Hiking through the Basque region.

This trip was sponsored by Country Walkers. The views expressed in this series, however, are entirely my own.