Normandy

 7/11: Our guide, Dale, picked us up at 0830 and we headed out to see the Beaches of Normandy. Our first stop was the Church of Sainte Mere Eglise, where the Paratrooper got his parachute stuck on the church steeple. Dale gave us a fantastic tutorial explaining the details of June 6, 1944, including the factors that helped and hindered Operation Overlord.

Next we went to Utah Beach, which was a huge success for the Americans (I think only 15 men died, as opposed to Omaha Beach where 1000’s died). This success was due to some luck (weather forcing the pilots to fly faster and men jumping out late and low, and currents blowing the incoming boats off course). Because the paratroopers did not all land in the drop zones that were planned, they were dispersed and confused the Germans. Because of the current, the Rangers in the boats ended up landing at the tip of the beach, which was in a zone between widerstandsnests (the German strongholds). Small penetrations were eventually achieved by groups of survivors making improvised assaults, scaling the bluffs between the most well-defended points. Dale lamented that far fewer Americans visit Utah vs Omaha Beach because there isn’t the same tragedy (which tends to receive more press and attention).

Dale drawing the German widerstansnest

Coming out of the Higgins boat - a revolutionary design

Next we went to Angoville Au Plain where we visited a tiny church where two brave medics treated 80 soldiers, including a few Germans. It was truly incredible to hear the story of these men who helped so many with relatively little training and few supplies. Dale has written a book about these guys so he is a wealth of knowledge. The 5 of us were all alone in the church, so we felt the extra reverence in the silence with our thoughts.

A bomb hitting the church floor

Poignant stained glass honoring the 2 medics - I love how the colors are used to show depth. It is full of symbolism. 

Blood stains on the church pews. Soldiers’ heads were placed towards the center of the isle to allow for easier assessment of more patients at once.

Our next stop was Point du Hoc, where Army Rangers scaled 100 ft cliffs to disarm a German stronghold. This feat was incredible, and according to Dale, who has also written a general book about D Day, current day Army Rangers visited this site not too many years ago and were unable to make it up the cliff. Here Rangers were able to disable the Germans largest guns that could assault the beaches.

Lunch with Dale - favorite sandwiches of bread, ham, and cheese!

We continued on to Omaha Beach, the scene of Saving Private Ryan and the beach with the heaviest casualties on D Day. It was incredible to see the area while Dale described the reasons why this beach was so challenging for the Americans.

Our final stop was the Normandy American Cemetery. Over 9,000 are buried here, and it was a beautiful and emotional place to visit. We strolled the grounds, and ended our time there watching the American flags being lowered while listening to Taps.

Magnificently manicured grounds - these trees are pruned to look like the waves of the sea.

We ended the day with dinner at our place, packing up our duffels (we’re pretty fast at this now!) and making lunches to take with us for our long day of travel tomorrow (taking a train to Paris, then on to Toulouse, and on to St. Lary.)

Reflecting on our time in Bayeux, I am so thankful we had 2 full days here. It is such a beautiful, quaint, picturesque, peaceful town.

Can’t get enough of this place!

Bob and I have said this many times over the course of the last month of travel, in every location we’ve been in: “I’m not sure exactly what I expected, but it was WAY better!”

The Cathedral, the Tapistry, the War Museum, Cemeteries, and the tour with Dale…it was all so memorable. I am so grateful that Bob has done such a fantastic job planning every stage of our journey. The time we’ve spent in each place has been just right, and the places and experiences we’ve had along the way are their own individual vacation for most…and we are fortunate enough to do them one after the other after the other…

I’m so thankful we’ve all stayed healthy, and we feel like we have all the right clothes and supplies so far! None of us feel like we’ve forgotten anything. (I did lose one of my favorite earrings during our day yesterday :-( but if that’s the worst thing that’s fine by me!) We’ve become adept at unpacking just what we need for each day, which makes it easier to repack everything a day or two later. We’re just over 1 month into this journey, and I’m feeling very blessed and grateful.