Day Trip- Tour of the D-Day Beaches

Day Trip- Tour of the D-Day Beaches
Normandy Region, France
April 5, 2012

We wanted to honor the memory of our grandfather and pay our respects to all that bravely faced battle on D-Day.  Our Grampy was one of the many heroic troops that stormed the beaches of Normandy on June 6, 1944.  Part of the Army Infantry, he waded out of the English Channel and advanced onto the shore of Omaha Beach.   German troops stationed on the cliffs above the beach showered them with heavy gunfire.  My grandfather was told ‘You will see people fall on the left and right of you- just keep running forward.’   And that is what my Grampy did until he was hit in the head and leg.  He spent months in a hospital rehabilitating from his wounds. 

After researching the benefits of a tour guide vs. a self-guided tour of the area, we decided that €60/pp for a knowledgeable guide and driver was a pretty good deal.  We booked online with Normandy Sightseeing Tours and purchased train tickets from Paris to Bayeux and back for a day in the Normandy Region of France.  The views of the French countryside were idyllic.  Sheep dotted rolling hills, huge old cathedrals stood in the middle of tiny walled villages.  It was all as quaint as it could possibly be. Our destination of Bayeux was equally picturesque and I wish we’d had more time to explore the town and surrounding area.  After getting off the train, we set off walking in the general direction of the town square, seeking out Place du Quebec, a small square behind the Churchill Hotel, our rendezvous spot.  We picnicked beside a stream while waiting for our guide. 

 

When Sylvain "Sly" pulled up, I turned to Jo and said ‘I hope he’s our guide!’  I’ll just go ahead and say it- he’s fairly dreamy.  I mean, he’s got this French accent and a dry sense of humor and he looks nice.  But on top of that he’s very knowledgeable about the history of the region and has the ability to explain military strategy and situations in a way that was insightful and thought-provoking.  He added so many details to the story that the history books don’t include and gave us a new perspective on what went down. 

Sylvain said that we could take the highway directly to our first official tour destination but he preferred to take back roads so that his guests could see Normandy.  I am thrilled that he did- the area is just breathtaking!  We passed a thousand-year-old church, a farm that produces award-winning apple brandy, a monument to a battle between the French and English hundreds of years ago.  I decided that I want to return and tour the area by bicycle- there are just so many magnificent views to take in. 

We arrived at our first stop- Pointe du Hoc, 100-foot cliffs where the Germans had stationed 6 heavy guns capable of shooting targets miles away.  Army Rangers succeeded in disabling the guns but misinformation and lack of communication made the mission a very difficult one with very heavy losses.  As Sylvain told us, the small craters that pocked the area were made by the Air Force attacking from the sky and the big pits were the result of the Navy bombarding from sea.  Looking down on the beach from the top of the cliffs, it was easy to recognize how difficult it would have been to scale those walls and accomplish the objective. 

Our next stop was Omaha Beach, the beach my grandfather stormed almost 70 years before.  We walked toward the shore and stood facing inland, looking at the hills and cliffs above.  We were all overcome with emotion over the sacrifice our grandfather made on that beach.  The weather was bleak that day, much as it was on D-Day.  There were high winds and sporadic rain and it was really cold but it added to our understanding of what the troops went through.  We collected vials of sand and sea shells, paid remembrance to our grandfather, grouped hugged and walked to the van. 
As we walked into the American Cemetery, we encountered a group of boisterous teens on a school trip.  As they were laughing and hamming it up for pictures, Sylvain approached them, explained that this cemetery deserved respect and reverence and asked them to behave more appropriately.  He then continued with his tour.  Sly said that we could take some time to walk around the cemetery, go to the Visitor’s Center or observe the flag ceremony. They asked for Americans to participate in taking down and folding the flag and Joanna volunteered.  As she helped lower the flag, a bugler sounded ‘Taps’.  We were all moved to tears. 

The last destination on our tour was Longues-sur-Mer, another German battery.  Still displayed in the bunkers are the actual four guns with a range of 15 miles, enough to defend Omaha and Gold Beaches.  But the Allied Forces were able to destroy them and the evidence of the damage inflicted can be observed in those bunkers.    

By the end of the tour, we were cold, hungry and tired.  But the daytrip to the Normandy Region and our tour of the D-Day Beaches were outstanding and sharing the experience with my sisters made it even more special.  We were able to pay homage to a man that was very special to us and gain some understanding of the life experiences that shaped him.  Touring the D-Day Beaches was the most moving experience of our entire trip. 

D-Day Photograph- "Taxis to Hell – and Back – Into the Jaws of Death" is a historic photograph taken on June 6, 1944, by Robert F. Sargent, a Chief Photographer's Mate in the United States Coast Guard.  Public domain; official U.S. Coast Guard photograph.

Sister Trip- An American Girl in Paris

An American Girl in Paris
Paris, France
April 3-6, 2012

“Ah, Paris in the spring- what could be more delightful?” Lut mused as she walked us out of the B&B and helped us into the cab. 

But my first experience in Paris was overwhelming.  We’d made our way from Bruges to Paris by high-speed train and waited outside the station in a long queue for a taxi. Finally we climbed into the back of a car and were quickly weaving in and out of bumper-to-bumper traffic, guys on motorcycles speeding past us on both sides, our taxi driver occasionally rolling down his window to yell out to a fellow driver, pedestrian or even police officer.  He also pointed out various landmarks- the city’s first hospital, the flower market, many different churches-but  they all went by in a blur.  My first few moments in Paris were jarring and I was intimidated.

Our taxi driver called out that we were now on Rue de La Montagne Sainte Genevieve in the Latin Quarter (5th arrondssement).The street had recently been featured in Woody Allen’s movie ‘Midnight in Paris’.  I took in the neighborhood as we climbed up the narrow sloping street- there was a group of food shops at a main intersection, a small market on the same street, a laundromat at the bottom of the hill- everything we needed to survive.  Our taxi driver pulled over, declared ‘This is it… somewhere around here’ and started unloading our bags. 

We found our apartment building, entered an ancient looking stone walled hallway and made our way up four flights of uneven stairs.   We were pleased when we entered the well-decorated apartment (VRBO Listing #336072- $540/3 days).  Although small, it was all that we needed to live for a few days-  a kitchen with high-tech appliances, a dining area, a sleeper futon and a queen size bed in the studio apartment.  Best of all- we had big windows and a view of the towers of Notre Dame. 

We decided to stock the kitchen and walked down to the collection of food shops.  They had a produce stand, bakery, meat market, fishmonger, cheese shop and wine store.  We now faced our first real language challenge- buying food.  I walked into the bakery, said ‘Bonjour!’ and was greeted with a smile.  I pointed to items in the case, said ‘Un quiche Lorraine, et un baguette, et trios croissants s'il vous plait.”  When the clerk asked me something I did not understand I said ‘Parlez-vous anglais?’ to which she responded ‘Of course!’  As she wrapped up our purchases she asked us if were sisters and chatted with us about where we were from.  The next time we saw her to purchase breakfast items and macarons she greeted us warmly and gave us a bag full of tiny little pastries- something like light little croissants with sugar sprinkled on top- it was such a kind gesture. The woman working in the Paris bakery made us feel welcome. 

We moved on to the meat market where I attempted to purchase a rotisserie chicken.  I think I said something like ‘I’d like a chicken of the rotisserie, please.’  The man laughed but said ‘Oh, you try!’ and motioned for me to pick one.  We found a nice bottle of French wine for €6, I chose a reasonably priced wedge of brie from a fine selection in the cheese shop.  We all took turns asking and paying for items to get acquainted with the language. We were met with kindness and appreciation for our attempt at using French, if not with a little amusement at what I’m sure was a choppy stab at their language.  But for all we’d heard about how the French are rude and hate Americans, we were met with smiles, helpful service and friendly conversation. 

It was a beautifully sunny afternoon and we were ready to head out and explore.  We walked down the hill, past art displays and trinket vendors, crossed the River Seine and came upon the Notre Dame Cathedral.  We strolled around a bit, then continued on to the Conciergierie complex which houses La Sainte Chapelle (€8/pp), a chapel with unbelievably dazzling stained glass windows.  Even undergoing restoration with scaffolding erected, the view of the gleaming windows was just gorgeous. 

As we walked around the area we encountered something we anxiously awaited on our Parisian adventure, something we were all too eager to partake in- we found a crepes stand!   We love crepes!  We L-O-V-E crepes.  And now we were going to have them.  In Paris.  Really.  We ordered a plain sugar crepe and one with chocolate and banana.  They were delectable. 

We made our way up the Left Bank of the River Seine, walking from the Pont Neuf to the Pont des Arts, a bridge covered with padlocks of every size and shape, many displaying the names of a couple, often with a date included.   Jo asked someone if they could explain the meaning and they responded that this was a love bridge and the padlocks were locks of love.  Couples seal their love on the bridge, tighten a lock around the chain-link and throw the key into the river, a resounding symbol of never ending devotion to one another.  

We wandered around the Saint Germain neighborhood, weaving in and out of narrow streets full of restaurants and shops as we made our way back toward the Latin Quarter that evening.  Roaming about, relaxing in the squares and sitting in courtyards, we got a little taste of the surrounding neighborhoods.  On foot the city was so much less daunting.  It was charming and warm.  The little details were more noticeable- the landmarks weren’t just zooming by.  I realized that while it crept up slowly, I was becoming enchanted with Paris.

We were waiting in line the next morning to climb 387 steps up the Towers of Notre Dame (€8.50/pp).  When we were let in, we made our way up a winding spiral staircase, the treads of the steps rubbed away by centuries of foot traffic.  When we finally emerged at the top, the dramatic sight of all of Paris, including our first view of the Eiffel Tower, with the gargoyles of Norte Dame in the foreground dominating the scene was a cathartic experience.  Like many teenage girls I was enamored with Paris.  Two decades later, I was fulfilling a dream.

From Notre Dame we walked down steps along the Seine to the Batobus stop.  The Batobus (€15/pp) is a hop-on, hop-off boat that transports tourists to eight different stops around Paris via the Seine.  There is usually about 10-15 minutes between stops, a great way to get off your feet, organize your thoughts and relax just a little before exploring a new area.  We rode the Batobus to the Louvre stop.  Fortress turned palace turned museum, the Louvre was grandiose, opulent, and excessive.  The walls stretched around a vast expanse with a huge courtyard displaying the glass pyramids that house the entrance to the museum.  Because of our limited time we did not enter but instead walked around the courtyard and grounds viewing the sculptures and monuments displayed within the complex. 

We hopped back on the Batobus and hopped off at the Champs Elysées stop.  We walked past the Grand Palais to the Place de la Concorde, a vast city square with spectacular fountains and a large Egyptian obelisk that was given as a gift to France around 1830.  The obelisk stands on the place where a guillotine was once used during the French Revolution to execute thousands of French nobles, including King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette.  Nearby we saw a movie being filmed along the banks of the Seine- they had a director, actors, a crew, everything.  It was pretty exciting- I plan to watch for myself in every independent French movie I come across. 

Our next stop was the Eiffel Tower.  When we arrived under the massive supports of the tower it was striking just how colossal the tower really is.  We purchased tickets to climb the steps (€5/pp) and started the ascent.  There are approximately 670 steps to the 2nd level- we climbed to the first level, walked around a bit, then continued on to the 2nd level. The views were breathtaking. We purchased postcards from the gift shop, stamps from an automated machine and mailed them out from the on-site mailbox which marks each letter with a special Eiffel Tower postmark. 

The next morning we decided to brave the Paris Metro System.  Using my handy Streetwise Paris Map, I plotted our course to Gare St. Lazare to catch the train for our trip to Bayeux and the tour of the Normandy D-Day Beaches.  As it turns out, it really was not that hard- everything is well marked, there are signs posted, etc.  We just walked down to our nearest Metro station, purchased a carnet of 10 tickets from an automated machine, passed through the turnstile and entered the network of hallways leading to the platforms.  We just had to be sure to follow the signs displaying the name of the last stop in the direction we were going and we easily found the correct place. Really, it was simple, but we were still pretty proud of ourselves for figuring it out and making it to the train station that morning.  We rode the same route in reverse on our way back that evening.

Happily, there was a crepe stand near the exit of the Metro on our walk up the hill to our apartment.  We ordered a Nutella and banana crepe- scrumptious!  It was the last crepe we had in Paris.  We stuffed our packs, cleaned the apartment and moved out the next morning.  We rode the Metro to Gare de L’Est and boarded the train to Mannheim, Germany. 

Paris is a city with a million views- everywhere you turn there is some fascinating sight, whether it is a fountain, or building, or bridge.  It is a captivating city with an atmosphere that is romantic and enticing.  Everyone we encountered was warm and hospitable .  In the short time we were there, Paris had gone from being intimidating to inviting.