Day to Listen, Learn and Reflect

Yesterday, another perfect blue-sky day, was our day to visit the D-Day sites in Normandy. We had booked a full-daytour with Overload Tours, and so we were up and out the door early. We visited German bunkers, beaches, memorials, important bridges or homes, and cemeteries. We found all to be fascinating and some were especially moving. Our guide, Allen, was very knowledgeable and provided background and stories of courage, leadership, and heroism. Personally, I spent most of the day with a lump in my throat, and more than once I was fighting back tears. Here are a few of the places we visited.

Longues-sur-Mer-Battery

Omaha Beach

The American Cemetery

Saint-Mere-Eglise (note the bird that just happened to fly through the picture as I took it)

Utah Beach

One of the many memorials dedicated to an individual

Angoville au Plain, a church that was used as a makeshift hospital

My World War II knowledge is limited and I'm so glad we took the tour and learned all that we did. I can see why someone who is a true student of the war would want to spend days here visiting the sites and memorials that are scattered everywhere, some on tiny back roads. If you visit here, I'd recommend Overlord Tours, although I'm sure there are many that are good. If you were to only visit a few sites on your own, I would recommend Omaha Beach, The American Cemetery, and Sainte-Mere-Eglaise. These were the three places I found most fascinating and emotional. The Cemetery and Sainte-Mere-Eglaise have museums which are very well done, and although we visited both, we didn't have time to see all that they had to offer. We could have spent several hours in both places. As a friend told me back home, every American who can should visit these sites. I agree.

Dinner last night was at Les P'tites Assiettes here in Arromanches. It's located in the Hotel Mulberry, and it was excellent. It felt good to just sit down and enjoy a fabulous dinner. Escargot, smoked salmon, pork, duck, and then those wonderful desserts.

And finally, a couple of personal shout-outs to a few of you. KR, thanks for letting us know more about calvados, the super-strong apple brandy I mentioned a day or so ago. She said that Calvados is 42%-44% alcohol! She recommended finding an aperitif that is just 14% alcohol, and is much easier to drink. We are on the hunt for that now.

BB, thanks so much for loaning my your book on Sainte-Mere-Eglise. It made that part of the day so much more interesting and I kept thinking of that family as we were there.

And LZ, is you are reading this, this is for you. It just happens to be our favorite place to go in the morning for coffee too. Fun to think of you staying there.

And one more thing. Sunset pictures never do justice to the real thing. But here's ours from last night anyway.