Accidental Find

As I mentioned, I spent this past weekend with Rose in Normandy. It was a great break for me, to be able to spend a few days in an environment so unlike the one in which I work!!

On Saturday, we took the bus from Carpiquet to Caen to do some shopping. We got off at a bus stop that seemed to be in a promising area for shopping purposes. Right near the bus stop, we saw a beautiful church and decided to go in on a whim. We toured the church (which we later found out was the Abbaye aux Hommes), accompanied by the church's choir practice of various traditional Christmas carols. Just as we were about to head over and see their crêche (which turned out to be really nice!), I saw a sign with an arrow reading "Tomb of William the Conqueror" (in French and English)!!! What?! We had stumbled so unknowingly into the church housing the bones of William the Conqueror?! Wow! We followed the indication and found, indeed, his tomb in the sanctuary of the church. A few minutes later, we learned that he had begun the building of the church itself (although I don't think it was finished until after his death).

Perhaps the fact that William the Conqueror is buried in Caen is a well-known fact (it certainly makes sense that he is)... I don't know. I only know that it wasn't to me and Rose!! :) That surprise discovery really made our day! :D
(This is so you can tell where the tomb is, relative to the main altar.)