The Worlds First Comic Strip (Bayeux, France)

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guest post by Vera Marie Badertscher, A Traveler's Library

Some wonders of the world consist of rock and water, spectacular plants or unusual animals. I visited a true wonder of the world that consists of a piece of linen material and a whole lot of wool thread.

At first I thought that the Bayeux Tapestry would be of interest simply because it is old. And it is an impressive 934 years old in 2011. Created in 1077, it tells the story of the Battle of Hastings in 1066.

But telling history by recounting the dates of battles can put anybody to sleep. That's why, when I donned earphones and entered the dim hall of the Bayeux Tapestry Museum to shuffle slowly around the length of the glass-encased tapestry, I was surprised and delighted to learn that this old piece of cloth brings history vividly, and sometimes amusingly, to life.

First you notice that this is not a woven tapestry. It is, instead, an embroidery made by unknown fabric artists with just ten colors of wool yarn. Although the creators were once thought to be William's wife and the ladies of her court, current speculation says it was French nuns who did the work. The 75-yard (68.6 m.) long embroidery, only twenty inches (50 cm.) from top to bottom, shows scenes of plotting, betrayal, travel, battle, and triumph in what might be dubbed the world's oldest comic strip. Little vignettes on the border shows fantastic, mythical beasts and scenes from morality tales, including some pretty bawdy ones.

You can learn what soldiers wore, what their ships and horse tack looked like, how they ate and fought in the period when Normans (Norsemen--Vikings) were becoming the rulers of most of France, and led by William, conquering England as well. Somebody has counted 626 people in the tapestry, and of course William (about to gain the title “the Conqueror”) stands out as the most important. I was fascinated by the fact that William's brother Odon, the bishop of Bayeux, fought by his side. And when they returned victorious to Bayeux, Odon commissioned the story-telling embroidery for the consecration of his new cathedral, Notre Dame of Bayeux.

At the Tapestry Museum, you will also learn that the tapestry has led a life nearly as adventurous as William the Conqueror's. It was periodically hung around the edges of the cathedral's interior, and in between festivals, the finely woven cloth was folded into an unbelievably small wooden chest--about a yard long and not that high--that still sits in the Treasury of the cathedral. Two fires ravished the cathedral, but the tapestry survived. French revolutionaries threatened to cut it in pieces because they were against anything religious. Small pieces disappeared over the years as people helped themselves to souvenirs. Napoleon grabbed it at one point, and it was moved from place to place, including in the Louvre during WW II.

In 1983 it was moved to its present location in a former seminary
So when you are in Bayeux to visit this tough survivor-- the tapestry, which is really an embroidery-- cross the cobblestone courtyard with the model of a Viking boat and go across the street to the Cathedral. There you will be in the presence of Bishop Odon, and his brother, William the Conqueror, who attended the consecration of Notre Dame of Bayeux. History definitely becomes more interesting than a string of dates, with such visible remnants as the Bayeux tapestry and Cathedral to see.

Vera Marie Badertscher writes about books and movies that inspire travel at A Traveler's Library. She also blogs about 20th century Navajo artist, Quincy Tahoma. The biography of Tahoma that she co-authored with Charnell Havens will be published in April 2011.

Bayeux Vacations

Owen Cavanough: The First European Australian?

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On January 26, 1788, Governor Arthur Phillip (now buried in Bath Abbey) was rowed ashore on a longboat to claim the continent of Australia for England. It became the first settlement by Europeans of Australia, the aborigines having a record of over 40,000 years of continuous settlement before this time.

Though it has caused arguments over the years, it is generally accepted that Able Seaman Owen Cavanough was the first permanent white settler to set foot in Australia. Cavanough stood at the bow of the rowboat that took Phillip and his crew ashore from HMS Sirius, jumping onto land to secure the boat to allow the officers easy passage.

Every year on January 26, Australians celebrate their national day (Australia Day), recalling the First Fleet, a group of eleven ships and around 1400 people (over half being convicts) who took a treacherous eight month journey from England to settle a new land. The day continues to have a tinge of controversy with Aboriginals not holding the commemorated day in the same positive light, sometimes calling it Invasion Day.

After his time in the navy and a journey to Norfolk Island, Cavanough was granted 100 acres a little north of Sydney on the Hawkesbury River to farm vegetables for the infant colony. He had married a convict First Fleeter (seven years and transportation for stealing a dozen knives and forks) a few years after settling in Australia. They had six children and a long peaceful life, Cavanough passing away from drowning at the ripe old age of 79.

Cavanough donated a small piece of his land to build a small sandstone church and school on a river bend in the tiny Hawkesbury village of Ebenezer that holds the distinguished title as Australia’s Oldest Church. He is buried here in an undistinguished grave, being the first white Australian in a nation that now boasts a population of over 21 million, built on the back of convict settlement. Up to six generations of the same family (and several First Fleeters) are buried in the historic cemetery of Ebenezer church.

Today, many Australians actively seek their heritage looking for links to early English arrivals, especially First Fleeters. For many this makes a link to a convict past, once kept as a dark and uncomfortable family secret but now paraded with pride as being the greatest number of generations Australians - some kind of "ultimate" Australian.

Happy Australia Day to all!

Sydney Vacations

Glowworm Magic (Waitomo Caves, New Zealand)

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It twinkles like the sky on the darkest moonless night – a veritable galaxy of tiny blue-green lights. Like most caves, Waitomo have formations that sprout from the ceiling and floor of the caves, formed over millions of years by the constant drip and flow of water. Waitomo Caves have very plain stalactites and stalagmites, but contain a celestial night sky of glow-worms that light the cave’s passage. Millions of glow-worms each emit their tiny bioluminescent light making for an extraordinary natural sight.



Glow-worms are a more attractive name for what are actually fly larvae. Unenchantingly, the glow is efficiently generated via their mucus and waste. Each glow-worm casts a number of sticky threads like fine fishing lines, using their lights to attract unwary insects into their paralysing curtain of threads. Glow-worms only appear around streams with overhanging ceilings making caves an ideal environment.

In an unusual lifecycle, the larvae progress when sufficiently fed through the pupa stage into adulthood. As an adult, they have no mouth and hence don’t feed, rapidly mating, laying eggs and dying, completing the cycle.

On entering the cave, the stream runs near to the top of the stairs before plunging underground. The steep stairs allows the eyes to slowly acclimatise to the minimal light, the cave barely lit by occasional candles allowing the wondrous glow-worms to weave their spell like the finest Christmas decorations. Bones litter the entrance to the cave, a combination of livestock that haven’t watched their step with some creatures from times further past.

As our group walks further into the cave following the natural course of the stream, any semblance of natural light is lost with the seemingly limitless glow-worms lighting patches of the ceiling like the densest parts of the cosmos. Staring skywards, the delicate lights and tiny threads create a peaceful and tranquil haven, the bubbling stream echoing tunefully through the passageway.

The peaceful verdant farming community of Waitomo hides a rabbit warren of tunnels and subterranean passageways, the limestone etched away by the freezing streams over the centuries. Various companies reach agreement with the farmers for access to their land and underground caves. As such, a smorgasbord of offerings from a variety of companies (with lots of competitive discounts and coupons around) are available to experience the caves including walking, genteel boat rides, abseiling, cave climbing and black water tubing (where you simply don a wetsuit, sit in a large inner tube and allow the chilly stream to take you along the cave, leaning back to enjoy the sparkling light show).

Photo Credit: Glow-worm lines

Keeping Pace in Malta

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by Kirk Shackleton of MyDestinationInfo.com, your local travel guide to worldwide destinations.

My interest in Malta was first kindled when I heard someone refer to its people as Maltese. Is that, then, where Maltesers come from? (I dread to think how exhausted that joke is…). A quick look on Google maps taught me that Malta is a small UNESCO World Heritage dot between Tunisia and Sicily, not another haunt for Brits abroad on the Costa del Sol, as I had imagined. I then discovered it was used to film such visually striking movies as Gladiator, Troy and Casino Royale; my excuses for staying at home were running out. When I saw that Malta’s national team returned from the Table Football World Cup in Germany last September as world champions, and I could get there on a low-cost airline, the decision was made: I had to go.

I very much doubt that any pun was intended when the foundations of a few seaside residences were laid and Paceville was born on the edge of Spinola Bay in Malta, but those foundations have blossomed and now form part of the island’s beating heart. The name says it all: people in Paceville live for today and don’t worry about tomorrow. The streets are lined with bars, pubs and Malta clubs, a scene which has established itself as world class and attracts a myriad of fun-seeking punters throughout the year. By chance, it’s also where most Malta hotels exist, a particularly convenient synergy when planning your visit.

I very quickly learnt that Paceville is not a good place to go if you value your sleep. Fortunately, it takes mercy on the jetlagged traveller, who may find themself wide-eyed and alert on the stroke of midnight and dead to the world at noon, as I did. It is a place that comes alive at night, with countless watering holes to suit every need, from the Boogie Bar to the Buddha Lounge, and everything in between. But Malta should not be confused with Magaluf. Indeed, there is much to see besides strobe lighting and sticky floors.

A few kilometres down the coast, squeezed neatly within a thin peninsula, sits Valletta, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the capital city of Malta. A childhood spent being dragged around obscure European hill towns and more cathedrals than I care to remember, means I usually approach historically significant places with a slight feeling of anxiety, expecting to spend hours with my nose in a guidebook trying to work out exactly what it is that makes the pile of bricks in front of me exceptional. Indeed, the history often means more than the constructions themselves, but not so in Valletta.

Without the remotest appreciation of its 16th century foundations, I happily wondered the narrow streets of the city, an intimate place which exudes charm. The numerous churches and palaces are undeniably beautiful, but I personally felt a greater appreciation for Valletta’s Fort Saint Elmo, whose solid walls dominate the city’s façade onto the sea. The view afforded from this vantage point is staggering: to the left and right, settlements bunching and burgeoning onto the water’s edge, while straight ahead the silky blanket of the Mediterranean Sea lollops and lulls. I trawl the globe looking for idyllic spots to read a book, and was delighted to make this find.

It is impossible to dislike Malta, an island which has something for every holidaymaker. Paceville will not appeal to everyone’s preferences, but is, nevertheless, a vibrant place which overflows with energy and activity. Valletta, in complete contrast, is a historical hub with more architectural splendour than many of mainland Europe’s cities can boast, along with a superbly quirky old British telephone box lurking on one of its street corners! It turns out that Maltesers don’t actually come from Malta, but this disappointment did little to dent my impressions of a marvellous island.

Photo Credits: Paceville, Blue Grotto, Valletta, St Elmo

Photo of the Week: Ghardaia (Algeria)

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Ghardaia in central Algeria is an ancient city that has preserved much of its beautiful mediaeval 100-year old architecture. Very much a product of the harsh Sahara Desert, it has excellent access to water (almost sweet tasting) through an ingenious collection of underground channels and produces superb dates.

As part of the heritage-listed M'Zab valley, the ancient mosque and large market square are glorious sights. Sadly, with much tension between the few western visitors and the Algerians when I was there, photos were a no-no (even walking around was a little uncomfortable) and so this is my sole photo of this remarkable ancient desert city.