Normandy Day 2

This was my second and last day in Caen. I didn't clarify earlier, Caen is sort of the base to all of the D-day beaches and history. There isn't much there but it was a strong point during WW2 and was very important!

I neglected to mention William the Conquerors castle in my first post. It was cool, not much there!

Day 2 Summary: walk, Beaches tour,walk, D-Day memorial museum,walk, dinner,walk, return home.

I got a sampling of the free continental breakfast before I had to leave for my tour which started at 9. I was told there are no buses that run that early on a sunday so I set off by foot. I got about 80% of the way there and got lost, only to be saved by a guy heading there, but for a different reason. There was a marathon that morning that was finishing right outside the memorial; we walked the rest of the way together. He was very impressed by my french, he only spoke french!

The beaches tour was breathtaking. We went to Omaha, and Utah beaches, the American cemetery and Pont du Hoc. The guide was bilingual which was great for me but I told him to do the entire thing in french because I was the only english speaking person and if I didn't understand the French I would just ask him to translate that little part!

Omaha and Utah are way different than Juno. Not nearly as long and more built up. The roads and town is much closer to the water but there are more artifacts and bunkers left from the war. I really wish my dad could have been there so we could have talked about all the war movies we have seen and compared them. It was truly something to be amazed at. There were houses still standing from the bombs and big fields of grass where you can only imagine how many people died fighting on those fields.

Pointe Du Hoc was really interesting. This was a major battle for the Americans. It was a couple cannons and artillery set on top of a cliff. The americans had to climb the cliff to take the guns and take a strongpoint of the Germans. This was located between Omaha and Utah beach, a very strategic point for the Germans. The entire point is full of craters from bombings and bombardments. As it turns out the gun positions were fake and the entire mission was for nothing except to be able to flank the Germans on other beaches.

View of Pont Du Hoc, American's had to climb that cliff!




The entire tour took about 5 hours and they returned us to the memorial. This was so much war to handle in one day. I could have spent double the amount of time at the museum but it had gotten to be too much. I was still there for about 3 hours but it was so intense. The museum covered everything from pre-war europe to post-war treaties, cold war and other major wars. They had two amazing films that I watched and really wished I could have a copy of.
--> piece of Berlin Wall.

I then went out to the bus stop to see if I could catch one back into Caen, but because of the marathon they weren't running that day. So another walk back into town. It only took me 20 minutes compared to 40 before because it is down hill going back!

I had a couple hours before my train ride back so I did some more wandering, found a nice cafe, had my usual ham and cheese baguette and sat out on the street. I then went to the chateau of William the Conqueror and sat on the grass hill outside and people watched and read my book for half an hour.

Made the trek back to the train station, boarded and was homeward bound. 2 hours later, arrive in Paris, 1 hour later arrive in St. Leu and my bed! Another 19 hour day.

What an amazing weekend. So much history, so many people being killed and loosing their lives in a few small towns and beaches. And 66 years and 6 days later, Ryan "The Manny" is visiting.

I haven't planned my next weekend trip but it will either be London or Barcelona; probably Barcelona next weekend because it is Etienne's 12th birthday and he is having 11 kids over for a co-ed sleepover and Marie wants my help...yikes! I suppose I should actually have some sort of a challenge in my job eh!

Ryan "The Manny"