This is my second trip to France, the first one being seventeen years ago. One of the things I missed last time that I'm excited about seeing this time is the Bayeux Tapestry. The Tapestry (which actually an embroidery) is a commemoration of the victory of the Norman William the Conqueror in his conquest of England in 1066. Commissioned by Bishop Odo, William's half-brother in the 1070s, it tells the story of intrigue and betrayal leading up to the conquest from the Norman point of view. Although, newer texts, such as 1066: The Hidden History in the Bayeux Tapestry by Andrew Bridgeford, argue that the tapestry is actually subversive, as it really portrays Eustace of Boulogne as the hero. The tapestry, which was nearly destroyed in the French Revolution survives to this day, mostly intact, despite some repairs completed in the Victorian era. Only the scenes from William's coronation are missing. -Sam