We departed school early (07h) and the drive takes awhile. As you can see by my watch, Saturday morning was a little long and cramped. The first stop was lunch at the Ibis Styles in Ouistreham, France. It was pretty good and we has some good wine.
Above left, just a reminder that the trip was on weekend, and right,our déjeuner. I like how sugar cubes immediately absorb liquid and start to deteriorate. Below, I hadn't used my flasks (they were both gifts) so I brought them along.
One good thing about this trip (as this was the third time to Normandy) is I saw some things I hadn't. For instance, the first stop was the Memorial Pegasus. The Bénouville Bridge had been renamed Pegasus Bridge on 26 June 1944 in honor of being the first objective taken by the airborne troops in the Normandy campaign.
The bridge raises so it has a massive counterweight (on the left), and below, I took an "artistic" shot of the rivets. I don't think this bridge could have more bridges. A bomb actually hit the bridge but didn't explode. It's good to have Divine intervention when you're on a world-changing operation.
The next stop was the Musée du Débarquement or Arromanches. This was the site of the artificial harbor, the Mulberry Harbor, which I knew nothing about. This was an incredible undertaking and was key to the success to the Normandy victory.
The front of the Musée (on a beautiful day - especially for Normandy)
A gyropilot (and how to operate it) and on the right, a cool French phrase book in front of a radio with installation instructions. I wish my French came with installation instructions.
Above, there were a lot of cool models in this museum and I had to take this picture of some heroes.
My first visit was in 2002 with the 1st Infantry Division (or the Big Red One). I didn't see this monument to those lost from the BRO on that trip so it was pretty cool to see it this time. You can see the Big Red One patch in the picture on the left.
The next stop was the American Cemetery and it was supposed to be our next visit. In other words, we stopped there, but didn't visit - it was closed...
Signs provided in both English and French. People always have the need to leave comments.
Since the cemetery was closed, we visited some old gun batteries instead. I think the landscape in much of Normandy is amazing and even more so, these bunkers are almost 70 years old - still in good shape.
Here are two shot of these bunkers. I know they weren't made with style in mind,
but I think the design (while practical) is actually quite appealing.
Here's a shot from behind the bunkers.
Again, I love the landscape out there and the weather was perfect.
Day 2
We stayed at the Grand Hôtel du Luxembourg in Bayeux. That morning was pretty nice as we didn't start so early. This is a fountain in Bayeux. It's nothing special but it was a nice morning.
Then we drove to Pointe du Hoc. This is where the US Rangers landed / assaulted. I have seen this place three times and every time, I am amazed with the landscape. I tried to take two panoramic pics but it's always difficult to capture the feeling of this place. I like the second picture (below).
I last visited only about five months ago and since then there are several new things...including this building. I think it was closed do the the US Government shutdown, but I would have liked to go inside. I think the building is awesome. It's below...
Near the building is a series of metal plates describing what happened with some maps and some quotes. Reagan is quoted! And he's quoted again just in front of the building (below, right). I think Reagan was a pretty awesome president.
The last visit was the Musee Memorial de la Bataille de Normandie. This was pretty cool. It actually focuses on the American contribution to the effort - which is nice. The link above is one of a few sites. Sadly, I don't think they have their own website.
I thought the building itself was cool - this is one of its sides. Someone asked why I thought it was made the way it was - which was a good question. We talked about it and we agreed it resembled a fortified post of sorts. Or maybe a beachhead reinforcement.
A couple random pictures. It's always interesting to see Nazi paraphernalia. And there was a British phone booth. The British did a lot in Normandy so it was nice to see - especially against that blue sky. I added the 06 June 1944.
So despite being on the weekend, it was a good trip.
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