London/Normandy 2016: Day 8

On the Eurostar -- Amanda seems particularly Enthused

  We woke up early to take the high-speed Eurostar train from London to Paris. The train traveled through the "Chunnel," the tunnel linking the U.K. to France. At it's deepest point, the tunnel is some 250 feet below the English Channel. After switching train stations in Paris, we then took another train to our final destination in Normandy -- Caen. 

At Gare Saint Lazare waiting for our Train to Caen

Ducal Castle of Caen

 After checking into our hotel, we began to explore the city. Our first stop was the ducal castle of Caen.

William the Conquer began construction on the castle in 950 but work continued up through the 14th century. William was the seventh Duke of Normandy and he chose to make Caen his capital. It later served as his base for the 1066 invasion of England. The castle was built very traditionally for its time period.






At the peak of its walls, visitors are able to take in quite breathtaking views of the city and its surroundings. You can scan from the east to the west and see everything the city contains.

Caen as seen from the Castle

On our way to the castle, we passed by a large Gothic-style church that had been damaged during the fighting for the city during the Second World War. British naval fire destroyed the steeple of Eglise Saint Jean and permanently altered the enite building's appearance, as it now tilts to the left. After we were done walking around the castle's grounds, we ate a group meal at an Italian restaurant before returning to the hotel for the evening.