Normandy
This gallery contains my pictures of Mont St Michel, Le Havre, Fe Camp (and the Benedictine Abbey where they make the liquor of the same name), and Etretat.
The "island" of Mont St Michel has been a strategic point holding fortifications since ancient times, and since the 8th century AD it became the seat of the Saint-Michel monastery. During the French Revolution it was converted into a prison which was closed in 1863. The mount was declared a historic monument in 1874 and an UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites in 1979. One of the amazing sites is the tide which fills the flats in about 15 to 20 minutes and can vary by as much as 14 metres between high and low tides.
Le Havre's architecture was created by Auguste Perret in the late 1940's. It was a showcase for all reinforced concrete architecture. This was because the city was all but destroyed in World War II and had to be completely rebuilt. Auguste Perret stepped forward to use new techniques and a easily malleable building material (reinforced concrete) to rebuild this important port city quickly and with a unique blend of neoclassic and neogothic styles. This is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005.
Read MoreThe "island" of Mont St Michel has been a strategic point holding fortifications since ancient times, and since the 8th century AD it became the seat of the Saint-Michel monastery. During the French Revolution it was converted into a prison which was closed in 1863. The mount was declared a historic monument in 1874 and an UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites in 1979. One of the amazing sites is the tide which fills the flats in about 15 to 20 minutes and can vary by as much as 14 metres between high and low tides.
Le Havre's architecture was created by Auguste Perret in the late 1940's. It was a showcase for all reinforced concrete architecture. This was because the city was all but destroyed in World War II and had to be completely rebuilt. Auguste Perret stepped forward to use new techniques and a easily malleable building material (reinforced concrete) to rebuild this important port city quickly and with a unique blend of neoclassic and neogothic styles. This is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005.
