European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 19, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Nor m a n d y fishing boats in the coastal town of Signy sur Mer must get under Way Early in the morning before the tide Rolls. Out. By the stars and stripes ask an american about Normandy and chances Are you ii get a comment about a Day but the history of this French coastal Region stretches Back centuries before the june 6, 1944, landings. Briefly stated there is much much More to Normandy than the invasion beaches. Further Inland for example is Rouen the capital of upper Normandy. The City sits astride the Seine along the River s meandering path from Paris to be Havre. Rouen like Paris has a famous notre Dame Cathedral dating from the 12th Century arid an did town Levieux Rouen of narrow twisting streets surrounded by More than 700 half timbered houses Many of them painstakingly reconstructed after bomb damage during world War  focal Point of Rouen s Rich history rests with the exploits of Joan of arc the farm girl who rallied the Norman armies against the English. Joan was captured and went on trial in Rouen in february 1431. The trial lasted three months and the judges finally sentenced her to life imprisonment if she promised never to Wear men s clothing again. But More tricks and plots evolved and Joan was accused of breaking her vow. On May 30, she was burned alive in Rouen s place Dii Vieux-march6. Legend has it that her heart was not consumed by the fire causing the English to believe they had burned a Saint. Nearly 500 years later Joan was canonized As the Patron Saint of France. The Fate of Joan is recognized today in Rouen by the Church of Joan of arc and a 65-foot-Hrgh Cross erected on the spot where she was burned. Geographically the Region is crisscrossed by hedgerows and weaving country fanes that connect villages and on the Road French coastal province offers much More than the a Day invasion beaches towns sore that Date from the roman Era. It has a grasslands area dotted by herds of Dairy cows grazing in hedgerow lined pastures. It also has rolling Hills that drop into Fertile Valley Farmland. To the North Scenic Chalk Cliffs Tine the Shore of the Caux Region. Coastal Normandy stretches from the Mouth of the Bresie River above Dieppe to the Estuary of the Selene which flows into the Bay of Mont Saint Michel. The Region continues Inland toward mantes la Josie outside Paris and Chartres and Alegon in the South. Its diversity and War torn history have intertwined Normandy with the sea since the Northmen of Scandinavia or normans began raiding the French coastal villages venturing All the Way up the Seine to Paris. The Norman Leader Rollo besieged Paris until the French bargained with him gave him what is now Normandy and made him the first Duke of Normandy. Prior to june 6, 1944, the greatest invasion in Norman history had been the assault by William the conquerer Duke of Normandy on the English. William Defeated the English at the Battle of Hastings after launching his Cros Schannel invasion in 1066 from the Norman coast near dives sur Mer. Today no warships Dot the coastline but in bigger Norman ports such As Cherbourg and be Havre the sea remains a major Industry accounting for about a third of France s total seagoing.  a the quaintness of the Region lies in the Small coastal fishing villages where there Are no giant freighters Only trawlers that ply the Channel Waters bringing in the fruits of the sea to Supply much of France. In St. Vaast la Hougue a Village on the Cote tin Peninsula of Normandy the chief Industry is the sea and a secondary one is entertaining tourists. A big event in this town and others along the coast is the returning of the boats with their catch in the morning. The seamen decked out in striped sweaters Marine berets and yellow slickers a unload their catch of Ray Sardi nes crab lobster and assorted other seafood. Some Are loaded directly into waiting trucks for the 140m Ile journey to Paris where some of the country s finest seafood restaurants proudly advertise the specialities of Normandy fresh daily. And part of the catch is sold directly from the boats to townspeople and visitors who have come Down to watch the daily event. A amps Ken George across the Peninsula and Down the coastline is another Norman Village famed throughout the world. Rising some 500 feet above the Bay is Mont Saint Michel the Island which has been described As Quot the wonder of the Western . / Mont Saint Michel is on the. Geographic dividing line Between Normandy and Brittany and makes a Good starting Point for further exploration into Brittany another rustic French coastal province. Interior Normandy also boasts Alenton a City of about 35,000 that has been famous for its Fine lace since the 1600s. The City has a school of lace As Well As a lace museum Musee de la Dentelle other Norman towns known for lace include Bayeux a also famous for its display of Queen Matilda s tapestry and the Benedictine Abbey in Argenta where the nuns created Quot be. Pointe d Argenta Quot or the Argenta stitch. A a a Quot a a a a a a. A. Close to Alen on is mount Ava Loirs which at 1,368 feet is the highest Peak in Western France and the Pinnacle of the Mance ites Alps. In other parts of the Region handicrafts also play an important part in the lives and times of the normans. Noron la Poterie is famous for Salt gaze pottery while Rouen s noted Blue on White pottery dates from the 16th Century. Residents of Villedieu-Les-po6les have been hammering Copper into a variety of pots pans and milk jugs since the 17th Century. Today Copper stores line the streets of the Village. The artisans of Petiers and maids Are expert at weaving and in Reilly sur Lozon the residents weave Willow into baskets for bread and fruit. Ironwork much of it elaborate locks and hinges for use on furniture has Long been a tradition in numerous cities and stripes Magazine May 19, 1994