La touriste et la coiffeuse

Wednesday 8 May

This was certainly a day for adrenaline filled activities as J spotted a hairdresser open for business on the public holiday and made a  booking. How do you explain something as subtle and critical as a  hair cut and colour in another language? The carefully laid pre trip plan was to hand over the colour recipe written down from the last visit to the Wellington hairdresser. But could it be found - well, no. So plan B was to resort to lots of pointing and loud talking and waving arms. This seemed to do the trick. The result looks fine at this stage. But as at least half the population knows, you can't really tell until the next day.

Lets say the price was high enough to suggest a good job had been done - 61 euros or around $96 NZ. The coiffeuse's name was Laura,  and the salon was Coiffure Carry.  She seems really nice. If you are ever in Bayeux for a cut and colour try her first!

As if that wasn't enough excitement we also took a look at the Bayeux tapestry, and were again amazed  to see something so old (nearly 1,000 years) that was so skillfully made and is in such good condition. I remember learning about it at school (back then it was a lot newer) and the story that sticks was of Harold being hit in the eye by an arrow during the battle of Hastings. Yes that scene is really there! The tapestry is over 70m longin total..

Bayeux is (or was) known for its lace making which was a major industry employing around 20,000 lace  makers until the late 19th century when machines largely took over. Today the skills of hand lace making have been preserved in a small way. We saw displays of how it is made - the process is incredibly  painstaking and  detailed, not to mention very hard on the eyes as  it is so fine. There is a special lace making device rather like a glass bottle designed to concentrate light on to the work so you can see what to do. Possibly  the most surprising thing in the exhibition was a photograph of a quite elderly lace maker - with 50+ eye sight I imagine she would have been doing it all pretty much by feel.

We are finishing the day with dinner out at the number two recommended restaurant in Bayeux - 'L'Angle St Laurent' to make the most of  the new hair do! Oops - couldn't get in and had to make do with a nearby lower quality establishment. At least they still had foie gras.

P