A Day of Days
I've been home from Europe for over a month now, and I realized just the other day that I haven't finished posting about it. Whether that makes you happy or not, I suppose that's something you yourself will have to come to terms with. I have one more post about France, and then probably two about Germany, and then who knows how many about London (I love London).
However, this post about France does not deal with Paris. Instead, we are heading to the northern part of France to the Normandy region--specifically, to the D-Day landing sites. Coming from a family of history buffs (and being one myself), this stop was a priority both times I have visited Europe. Back in 2011, when I was new to everything, I was only able to make one stop: the American Cemetery at Omaha Beach. So worth it! Such a beautiful and humbling place. If you are ever in Europe, you need to make a point to stop there. This trip, however, Audra and I decided we wanted to be able to see more than just one thing. Now, if you are on a time limit, you can find yourself in a bind if you want to see a lot dealing with the June 6 landings. First of all, everything is pretty spread out. If you can't (or won't) rent a car, you rely on public transportation, and that isn't always readily accessible in the smaller coastal towns. Secondly, if you are on a time limit (as we were) and only have a limited time frame (like one day), then you are also in a bit of a bind. Both those problems can be easily solved by simply finding a tour of some kind. Warning--they aren't cheap, but they are most definitely worth every penny.
Our tour left from Paris--how convenient! We had a three hour bus ride from Paris up to Caen, which is where the Peace Memorial and Museum is. Caen was hit by bombs during the Allied landings, and they have a beautiful museum there that outlines the world pre-D-Day, during D-Day, and post-D-Day. It's absolutely amazing. We were able to see a stunning video put together by the museum, I believe, which showed both Allied and Axis footage of the events leading up to and including D-Day side by side. I'd seen quite a lot of the Allied footage, but we don't often get to see the German side of things. So, so interesting.
They fed us lunch at the museum before we continued on our journey. Our first stop was Pointe du Hoc,which is a section of the coastline that was (and still is) the highest point between Utah Beach and Omaha Beach (both American landing sites). On D-Day, US Army Rangers scaled the cliff and took the point from German control. The German fortifications are still there, and the ground is riddled with craters--some from air attacks, and some from sea attacks. An interesting thing to note is that Pointe du Hoc is American soil (since January 1979), so while we were there, we were kind of back home again. You can see how deep some of the craters are--that's me down there! There is also a giant stone Ranger knife memorial looking over the channel.
After Pointe du Hoc, we continued east to another section of Omaha Beach, in the village of Vierville-sur-Mer. At this point, there is a monument dedicated to the National Guard to commemorate where they broke through the German defenses. To look out over the water, standing on a sandy beach with your back to France, it's impossible to imagine that such a bloody day in history happened right where you are standing. When you look down the beach and see families flying kites and splashing in the water, at first, it almost seems sacrilegious. This should be hallowed ground--men died here, fighting for the freedom of the world from Nazi tyranny. But then you realize...this is why they fought and died here. They were fighting so that people could live freely and happily in their homes without fear of oppression, so that families could take holidays to the beach and enjoy the sun and sand and water. This is what they wanted for everyone in the world, so how can you call it sacrilege? Isn't it more like honoring the spirit of the day--hope for a better tomorrow?
After our brief stop there, we moved on to the American Cemetery. If you have the time, there is a beautiful visitor center with a small museum that focuses on the American efforts on D-Day and highlights a few of the many buried on that small plot of land. Then you walk out the back into the cemetery. It is very reminiscent of Arlington National Cemetery, although much smaller and more straightforwardly organized, if that makes sense. After all, there is a finite number of souls here, whereas Arlington will continue to grow throughout time. There is a quote in the museum, which I have included below in one of my pictures, that sums things up nicely. We were not landing in France to gain anything. We didn't want land, we weren't seeking a resource of some kind. We were fighting for the greater good, and in return, all we asked when things were finished was enough ground to bury our fallen. Nothing more. As Americans, we have a bit of a reputation to take, take, take, but I think the folks who live in Normandy region, especially along the beaches, have a different take on things. We passed a billboard that said in bold letters "THANK YOU TO OUR LIBERATORS!" with a picture of American troops from the day. On my first trip, Emily and I met a man about our age on the train who was a "proud Norman" (as he put a fist to his chest and stared off into the middle distance...no joke, it was hilarious), and he told us that they learn about the D-Day landings every year in school. He said, and the words still give me chills, especially to hear from someone so young, "We will never forget what you did for us." After spending a day in Paris where it seems to be a bad thing if you are American, reflecting on that in a simpler place kind of gives you a boost to your pride.
We drove past the artificial Mulberry landing harbor in Arromanches, where we did not stop, but I was still able to get some pictures. The countryside of the Normandy region is beautiful--very picturesque. And on so many houses and fence posts, you see these banners with flags: French, Canadian, British, and American, all together, all flying proudly in remembrance of what was done here.
We stopped at Juno Beach, which was one of the Canadian landing beaches, to see the memorial there. Very lovely, although it smelled like dead fish. So we didn't stay on the beach very long, even though that was the only beach where it apparently hadn't rained earlier. The sand was soft and warm, unlike the other places we stopped.
If you are ever in France and have the opportunity, I highly recommend visiting the region. Even if you aren't "into history," I don't think it is something to be missed. The tour guide we had gave a wonderful talk on the history of D-Day for those who did not know some of the specifics. It was a great way to see a lot quickly, although I think next time, I might rent a car and do my own tour.
~Stay Gold!
However, this post about France does not deal with Paris. Instead, we are heading to the northern part of France to the Normandy region--specifically, to the D-Day landing sites. Coming from a family of history buffs (and being one myself), this stop was a priority both times I have visited Europe. Back in 2011, when I was new to everything, I was only able to make one stop: the American Cemetery at Omaha Beach. So worth it! Such a beautiful and humbling place. If you are ever in Europe, you need to make a point to stop there. This trip, however, Audra and I decided we wanted to be able to see more than just one thing. Now, if you are on a time limit, you can find yourself in a bind if you want to see a lot dealing with the June 6 landings. First of all, everything is pretty spread out. If you can't (or won't) rent a car, you rely on public transportation, and that isn't always readily accessible in the smaller coastal towns. Secondly, if you are on a time limit (as we were) and only have a limited time frame (like one day), then you are also in a bit of a bind. Both those problems can be easily solved by simply finding a tour of some kind. Warning--they aren't cheap, but they are most definitely worth every penny.
Our tour left from Paris--how convenient! We had a three hour bus ride from Paris up to Caen, which is where the Peace Memorial and Museum is. Caen was hit by bombs during the Allied landings, and they have a beautiful museum there that outlines the world pre-D-Day, during D-Day, and post-D-Day. It's absolutely amazing. We were able to see a stunning video put together by the museum, I believe, which showed both Allied and Axis footage of the events leading up to and including D-Day side by side. I'd seen quite a lot of the Allied footage, but we don't often get to see the German side of things. So, so interesting.
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| This wall was covered in stones from different states. The one right in the middle below the odd-shaped brownish colored stone is the Illinois stone. It is white marble with a metal plaque on it. |
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| The back of the museum. |
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| Inside the museum, there was a giant balloon looking section that you walked around as you learned about the rise of Hitler and the Nazi party. Then you walked through it, and it was pitch black with images projected on the top of the dome while a speech played and crowds cheered. It was such an eerie feeling, as if you were really in the crowd listening to a rally. |
They fed us lunch at the museum before we continued on our journey. Our first stop was Pointe du Hoc,which is a section of the coastline that was (and still is) the highest point between Utah Beach and Omaha Beach (both American landing sites). On D-Day, US Army Rangers scaled the cliff and took the point from German control. The German fortifications are still there, and the ground is riddled with craters--some from air attacks, and some from sea attacks. An interesting thing to note is that Pointe du Hoc is American soil (since January 1979), so while we were there, we were kind of back home again. You can see how deep some of the craters are--that's me down there! There is also a giant stone Ranger knife memorial looking over the channel.
After our brief stop there, we moved on to the American Cemetery. If you have the time, there is a beautiful visitor center with a small museum that focuses on the American efforts on D-Day and highlights a few of the many buried on that small plot of land. Then you walk out the back into the cemetery. It is very reminiscent of Arlington National Cemetery, although much smaller and more straightforwardly organized, if that makes sense. After all, there is a finite number of souls here, whereas Arlington will continue to grow throughout time. There is a quote in the museum, which I have included below in one of my pictures, that sums things up nicely. We were not landing in France to gain anything. We didn't want land, we weren't seeking a resource of some kind. We were fighting for the greater good, and in return, all we asked when things were finished was enough ground to bury our fallen. Nothing more. As Americans, we have a bit of a reputation to take, take, take, but I think the folks who live in Normandy region, especially along the beaches, have a different take on things. We passed a billboard that said in bold letters "THANK YOU TO OUR LIBERATORS!" with a picture of American troops from the day. On my first trip, Emily and I met a man about our age on the train who was a "proud Norman" (as he put a fist to his chest and stared off into the middle distance...no joke, it was hilarious), and he told us that they learn about the D-Day landings every year in school. He said, and the words still give me chills, especially to hear from someone so young, "We will never forget what you did for us." After spending a day in Paris where it seems to be a bad thing if you are American, reflecting on that in a simpler place kind of gives you a boost to your pride.
We drove past the artificial Mulberry landing harbor in Arromanches, where we did not stop, but I was still able to get some pictures. The countryside of the Normandy region is beautiful--very picturesque. And on so many houses and fence posts, you see these banners with flags: French, Canadian, British, and American, all together, all flying proudly in remembrance of what was done here.
We stopped at Juno Beach, which was one of the Canadian landing beaches, to see the memorial there. Very lovely, although it smelled like dead fish. So we didn't stay on the beach very long, even though that was the only beach where it apparently hadn't rained earlier. The sand was soft and warm, unlike the other places we stopped.
If you are ever in France and have the opportunity, I highly recommend visiting the region. Even if you aren't "into history," I don't think it is something to be missed. The tour guide we had gave a wonderful talk on the history of D-Day for those who did not know some of the specifics. It was a great way to see a lot quickly, although I think next time, I might rent a car and do my own tour.
~Stay Gold!
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