July 26, 2017

July 26, 2017
 

About five months ago, we asked our Senator to arrange a White House tour. We were either lucky or early because twelve days ago, we got the word we had an 11 am tour today. The Secret Service is strict; they say we can only bring in a small camera and wallet and they don’t have any kind of storage. So we stopped at the Smithsonian when it opened and put our camera bag and purse in a locker.

On the way to the White House, we stopped at Pershing Park. John Pershing led the American Expeditionary Forces in WWI. The park is to be renovated and become home of the new National WWI Memorial.

At the White House we joined a long line of visitors. We went through several checkpoints before we were allowed in the East entrance. We were allowed free access to wander most of the Ground and First floors. This included several reception rooms, the East room and the State Dining room. The walls were decorated with paintings of most of the Presidents and some First Ladies. Unfortunately the President made no surprise appearance. We left through the front door. In Secret Service lingo it is the North Door because no dignitary ever wants to enter through a side door.

From the White House, we caught a quick lunch and then returned to the American History Museum to retrieve our belongings and finish our visit. Overall this museum was interesting but not compelling. Aimee and I both think it is partly our familiarity with most of the material having been to so many US historic sites. I was actually hoping to see more memorabilia. My favorite relic was Archie and Edith Bunkers’ chairs from All In The Family!

 

We did a very brief visit next door at the Natural History Museum. We saw an excellent wildlife photo exhibit. We ran through the paleontology exhibit expecting to see some of the fossils from our last visit. Surprisingly it was totally different. I guess they redo it on a regular basis.

We then took a very long walk down the National Mall past the Capitol to the Belmont Paul Women’s Equality National Monument. President Obama designated it last year. The site is the oldest house on Capitol Hill and the headquarters for the National Women’s Party. It is now mostly a museum on female suffrage.  After a short film, a ranger gave us a personal guided tour. Aimee and I were pleasantly surprised to be confronted with a statue of Joan of Arc. I like it when our travels run into each other. I guess Joan gave suffragettes inspiration. The ranger recounted a brief history of the movement leading to the passage of the 19th amendment in 1920.

We took the Metro back to our hotel so I could rest my feet. I have walked far too much on this “vacation”.

July 25, 2017

July 25, 2017

We took the Metro to downtown Washington DC to walk the Tidal Basin. Our first stop was the Constitution Gardens. On a very tiny island on the pond is a memorial to the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence. This was a daring move for these rich colonialists. If the Revolution was lost, as was likely, they would have been hung by the British for treason.

Skirting the Reflecting Pool, we walked through the WWII Memorial to the new Martin Luther King Jr Memorial. I have seen photos but I was unprepared for its size. Besides his form popping out of a huge granite block, there is a granite monolith entry and two long wings with lots of his quotes.

We finished our long walk past the ridiculously large FDR Memorial, past the George Mason and Thomas Jefferson Memorials ending at the Smithsonian American History Museum. It was closed for renovation on our last visit. We started on the first floor breezing through the exhibits. We were shocked to have covered only half that floor in an hour. We stopped for a quick lunch but after three hours, we weren't done.

Overwhelmed we left, taking a stroll north through the Sculpture Garden, past a Navy Memorial (part of Pennsylvania Avenue National Historic Site) to Ford’s Theatre National Historic Site. A month ago we reserved an afternoon tour. At 3 pm we line up in a long line. As a group we enter the basement history museum. Aimee and I don’t spend too much time there as we have been to numerous Lincoln sites. We spend more time on the conspiracy that plotted the deed. A prime relic is the murder weapon, a single shot Derringer. We then move up to the theater where we listen to a nice ranger talk recounting the tragic day’s events.

Our group then moves across the street to the room where Lincoln was brought and died many hours later. In that building is another museum on the Booth manhunt and trial of the co-conspirators. If there was any question on the legacy of Lincoln, the art exhibit in the exit said it best. The 15,000 different books written about Lincoln fill the four-story stairwell.

After a long exhausting day, we head back to our hotel. For dinner we walk to the nearby Whole Foods Market. This is a first for us. A nephew gave us this idea for alternative food choices. It was surprisingly delicious.

July 24, 2017

July 24, 2017
 

It is a long process getting to anywhere from Tucson. To break up the trip we have tried to include stops. This time we are stopping in Washington DC for a few days. With all the National Park sites and museums, we could easily spend a couple weeks here.

I have a long list to check off, so we are up early to rent a car and drive to the nearby Marine Corps Memorial. But not early enough. It is mobbed with a busload of American Legion youngsters.

We then fight rush hour traffic into DC and across to Anacostia to the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site. I made a reservation over a month ago, getting the last two slots available for the 9 am tour. Like France, the tour starts ten minutes late. Despite being born a slave, and having limited education, this self-made man became famous and wealthy giving speeches and writing books. I was surprised to see he was a global traveler even making it to Egypt. His wealth allowed him to buy this mansion atop a small hill with a view of downtown. After the guided house tour, we watch a film on his life.

We got lost trying to retrace our route back across the Anacostia and Potomac Rivers. So we took the southern bridge and crossed Virginia to Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts. There is no Visitor Center and Park Rangers are nowhere to be seen. This is an outdoor theater. It seems the only participation the NPS has is to donate tax money. That becomes increasingly clear as we drive to the next site. The park is surrounded by palatial mansions, probably owned by senators and lobbyists. It probably didn’t take much effort to pass a bill giving federal tax money to this local entertainment venue. In talking to locals, this area is the wealthiest in the nation, and For Sale signs flourish every four years with the change in administrations. Aimee and I were amused to see one was a mini-White House.

The Potomac River is the border between Virginia and Maryland. George Washington kick-started the construction of a canal to encourage trade along this unnavigable river. The biggest obstacle was here at Great Falls Park. It is a large beautiful cascade, surprisingly close to DC. We start off with the park film and then check out several overlooks. We watch one very skilled kayaker plummet down the falls. Some remnants of the canal and five locks that skirted this 70 foot drop remain.

From the falls we followed the George Washington Memorial Parkway south. This National Park road follows the Potomac and is limited access. It reminds us of the Natchez Trace and Blue Ridge Parkways, albeit much shorter and much busier.

We made a stop at the Clara Barton National Historic Site. Clara was a nurse during the Civil War who went on to found the American Red Cross. She lived in this house near the end of her life. It is in sad shape and is now closed awaiting repairs. Next door is Glen Echo Park. This is an old amusement park that is somehow now NPS responsibility. It appears to be mostly rented out for art and dance classes. With much effort I found a park ranger who didn't feel like getting up and starting any of the park films. After much hesitation, she said the projector was busted. Yeah right!

Back on the George Washington Parkway, we struggled to find the next sites. There was little signage, no turnarounds, and two exits could only be accessed going north. Once we learned the secret and going around the Lincoln Monument twice by accident, we made a stop at Theodore Roosevelt Island. This Potomac islet accessible only by pedestrian bridge has an enormous statue of TR. Farther north, Fort Marcy is one of several Civil War era forts that protected Washington from rebel attack. All that remains are some earthworks. It also happens to be where the body of Vince Foster was found in 1993.

Our next stop was the LBJ Memorial Grove on the Potomac. This is another islet that has a unmarked granite monolith with a nice view of downtown.

Our last stop was back to the Marine Corps Memorial. Surprisingly this massive and iconic Iwo Jima statue is now mostly deserted and the sun is in a better location for a nice photo.

July 23, 2017

July 23, 2017

Our French and Belgian adventure is over. We awoke and took the train to the Brussels airport for our flight back to the US. On the ride, we saw the tip of the Atomium rising over the trees. This distinctive structure is one of the icons of Brussels and is a remnant of the 1958 World's Fair. It made us think of all the Fair leftovers we have seen the last few years.

We enjoyed our time driving the countryside. France was mostly rural with lots of rolling hills and deep cut river valleys. There were cute cities and history everywhere we looked. Most towns retain much of their narrow winding medieval street plan. And a surprising number still have their protective walls. Driving was manageable once we deciphered the French plan for road signs. We did have our occasional adventure on narrow rural roads.

Our only disappointment was the food. We both had high expectations which were often not met. Partly because both France and Belgium have a craving for Mussels. It seemed every restaurant featured them and almost everybody ordered a bucket of them. Neither Aimee or I care for mussels. What was always good and inexpensive was the wine, cheese, and bread.

We are also tiring of French breakfasts. They like tiny cups of coffee and a long baguette that they get fresh every day. I am longing for a nice American breakfast. Aimee is also tiring of pay bathrooms with no toilet seat. I don’t concur. I had no problem finding outdoor men’s rooms.

July 22, 2017

July 22, 2017

We are on our last leg of our European tour. We packed up and took the train east to Brussels. Our hotel is not far from the Central Station. It is also not far from the World Heritage Grand Place. While small, it is one of the nicest and prettiest central squares in Europe. Destroyed by the French in 1695, all the buildings were rebuilt quickly by guilds in the same consistent Baroque style. I also took Aimee down the street to see Brussels’ iconic but tiny little statue, Mannekin Pis. We also stopped next door in the oldest shopping mall, the elegant 1845 Royal St Hubert Galleries.

Brussels is not only the capital of Belgium but also of the European Union. To discover more about this institution, we took the subway east a couple miles. The Parliament is closed for tours on Saturday, but there is an extensive Visitor Center called the Parlamentarium. Our audio-guide tour tells us about the organization and history of the EU. It arose out of the devastation of WWII. Realizing their desperate straits, France and Germany started the reconciliation process by forming a common steel and coal market in 1951. Italy and the Benelux nations quickly joined in. Its success led them to widen the scope and over time the number of countries. In 2002, they adopted the Euro currency.

The EU was a necessary step to help Europe compete in a new global world of superpowers. They have come a long way. Unfortunately they have much more work to do. It only gets more daunting from here. The difficulty is obvious just walking through the museum listening to the cacophony of 24 different languages, not to mention different cultures. The European Union governance is a huge stifling bureaucracy organized over and above those of the individual countries. It is our problems on steroids. I wish them luck.

We walked across the street to Leopold Park, once home to the Solvay Institute and the famed Solvay Conference. One of these historic buildings now houses the EU’s recently opened European History Museum. Aimee and I both groaned when we were handed the same electronic tablets we had in Lascaux. It has the same bugs that still have not been worked out. Neither one of us thought the museum particularly engaging. The section on WWI was the highlight as it adds to our recent time in Flanders. On display was the Serbian pistol that sparked the humanitarian disaster.


Back at the hotel, we had to hang out for awhile till it stopped raining. We walked the Grand Place again and then had dinner. I bought myself my last Belgian beer and Aimee her last Belgian chocolate.

July 21, 2017

July 21, 2017

We are on the train early today for a day-trip to the nearby city of Ghent. My main purpose coming here was to see its famous Altarpiece. It is easily the most stolen piece of artwork ever. The painted panels recently co-starred with George Clooney in the 'The Monuments Men' because Hitler snatched it and hid it in Bavaria.

After arriving and taking the tram downtown, I get a little worried when a cop tells me St Bavo’s Cathedral is closed. Today is Belgium’s Independence Day. Fortunately he tells me the church will reopen this afternoon after a ceremony concludes. In the meantime we give ourselves a walking tour of the city center. It looks gorgeous with several cathedrals and a tall World Heritage Belfry. Across the river is the Castle of the Counts where the foreign overseers of Ghent lived.

During our walk we stumbled upon a little courtyard with a 30-piece orchestra tuning up. This seems like the perfect spot for us to kill some time. Aimee orders coffee and I get a beer. The ensemble plays some very entertaining music including a few show tunes. Right up the alley of our unsophisticated ears. It lasts over two hours so we order more to drink and a snack. Aimee tries some girly pink cherry-flavored beer she loves.



After the concert we head back to St Bavo’s to see the Ghent Altarpiece. It has been coveted and stolen often because it was the first major painting done in oil and in the new realism of Renaissance Art. To deter future theft, it is now in a special room protected by bullet proof glass. We are given an audio guide explanation of the history and symbolism. Five of the panels have been replaced with copies while they are being restored. One panel remains missing from a 1934 theft. We finish with a tour of the cathedral. A copy of the altarpiece now sits in a side chapel, where the original used to hang. Aimee cringes when I open the copy and it makes a loud squeak.

Afterwards we have lunch and walk around Ghent again, this time joined by a million locals. Almost everywhere we walk there is some variety of music being performed. We really like Ghent, but it is getting too crowded for us. So around six, we head back to the train station and return to Bruges.



I had to laugh a little when I asked people what holiday they were celebrating. They seemed to stumble for an explanation. When I googled the date, it seems July 21 has some kind of obscure connection with Belgium’s independence from Holland. Few Belgians understand it fully. Ghent seems to prefer celebrating another tale. In 1539 Ghent refused to pay taxes to their overlord Charles V, the king of Spain and Austria. He personally put down the rebellion by hanging a couple dozen city leaders. Ever since, Gentians honor this defiance by wearing a noose around their neck on holidays.

July 20, 2017

July 20, 2017

The World Heritage city of Bruges is an old Hanseatic League town. It got rich trading wool and cloth. When its connection to the North Sea silted up, business shifted to Antwerp and the city died. Because it thrived on shipping, Bruges is laced with canals. So it is appropriate we start our tour of this Venice of the North in a boat. A canal tour is a nice way to see a lot of the city without wearing out our shoes. I am a little surprised how large it is. Old Medieval cities as a rule weren’t very big, but at its peak, Bruges was as populous as London. Fortunately it escaped damage from both World Wars.

After the canal ride, we finished our walking tour we started yesterday. One notable stop was Burg Square, a plaza surrounded by richly decorated buildings. The Basilica of Holy Blood is supposed to have a vial of Jesus’ blood as a relic. City Hall is next door; Aimee was delighted to watch a newlywed couple leaving. After a tasty Thai lunch, we took a long walk to the east side where several old wooden windmills are preserved. We kept dodging raindrops so we went back to the hotel early to watch a little of the Tour de France.

Bruges is a World Heritage three-fer. Besides being a site itself, it also is part of two others. The Market Square has a bell tower that is one of the Belfries of Belgium. These towers symbolize the rise of civic independence in Flanders. The Begijnhof is one of the Flemish Beguinages. Apparently this is some type of communal convent for widows and spinsters. When we walked through the empty courtyard of the beguinage with its multitude of “Silence” signs, Aimee got spooked out. I am thinking she thought I might leave her here.

July 19, 2017

July 19, 2017

This morning we visited the In Flanders Fields Museum. It is housed in the rebuilt medieval Cloth Hall that dominates the central square of Ypres. It recounts the war focusing almost exclusively on Belgium and the Ypres Salient region. Aimee found it interesting because of the heavy focus on the impact of war on both civilian and soldiers' lives. Many soldiers willingly joined the army merely to get a new pair of boots and regular meals. Of the half million lives lost in this area, most were killed by artillery, giving new meaning for me to the term “blown to bits”. No wonder most bodies were either buried, unidentified or never recovered. Most of the rest were mowed down by machine gun fire. While poison gas was used here it killed few in comparison.

Early in the war, as Germany was sweeping across the Low countries, the Belgian Army, in desperation, opened up ocean sluice gates flooding the Yser River valley blocking the advance. That pushed the Germans south to the town of Ypres. Both sides dug trenches, laid waste to the Flanders countryside, turning it into a barren muddy morass. Every year there was another battle of Ypres with no appreciable movement. Only another page to add to the list of dead and missing. In the final tally most countries lost over 10% of their male population.

From Ypres, we hopped on the noon train to Bruges, another medieval town and capital of West Flanders. We got a little bit of a scare when all of a sudden many of the people waiting for the train with us disappeared. Aimee luckily figured something has been announced in Flemish. We looked up and noticed a track change. We quickly followed the crowd to the new boarding area.

After checking in, we began our stroll of Bruges narrow lanes. Unlike Ypres, we are dodging horse carts, horse poop and bikes. It looks like Ypres but a LOT bigger. It is hot, we are thirsty, and we are in Belgium. Like Germany, that means beer. We happen across the Half Moon brewery, so we pay for a tour. It is an overgrown microbrewery. They needed to expand, but no room here. It is Europe, so instead of moving the brewery, they built a pipeline to send beer to a new bottling plant two miles away. Unfortunately for me, I missed a golden investment. Part of the funding was crowd-sourced. A $7500 membership would have gotten me a bottle of beer every day for the rest of my life. I settled for a taste of the brewery’s Brugse Zot (Bruges Fool) blond lager.



We continued our walk to the beautiful main square where we had dinner while listening to a band tuneup for their evening concert.

July 18, 2017

July 18, 2017

Yesterday at Amiens Cathedral, I saw some strange booths in front mentioning some laser show. When I googled it I learned that researchers have discovered remnants of dye on the exterior. They believe all the statues were originally painted. To recreate this view, every night a light show is projected onto the church. So once again, I am staying up late, burning the candle on both ends. These long summer days in the north are killing me.

At 10:30 pm I leave Aimee in bed and make the short walk. The town looks like it is rolling up for the night. I am shocked when I reach the cathedral to find a huge crowd sitting in anticipation of a show. I join the thousand sitting on the plaza steps. Fifteen minutes later, a laser light show starts projected on the church’s facade. It is entertaining and imaginative, but not what I came for. It ends leaving me disappointed…. but not for long. Within a few minutes the lights slowly brighten illuminating the entryways. I am stunned! The statues appear brightly colored. It is beautiful! What a cool effect!

This morning we are on the move. Our time in France is at an end. We take the train to Lille on the border and then transfer to a set of Belgian trains that takes us to Ypres. We have to be careful making our connections as Belgium is bilingual and most cities have two names, one French and one Flemish. Ypres also goes by Ieper.

In Ypres, we check into our B&B and quickly make a beeline to Grote Markt or the Main Market Square.Ypres looks like a beautiful Medieval town. Sadly it is a re-creation. Ypres was leveled completely during WWI. We came to Ypres to help mark the 100th anniversary of the 1917 Battle here. Ypres was an area of stalemate for almost the entire war. It is mostly unknown to Americans so we enlisted the help of a local guide with Flanders Field Battlefield Tours.

After a quick lunch, she takes us to several symbolically important battle sites around Ypres, each representing a phase of the four-year conflict. A first aid station where the poem In Flanders Field was penned, the site of the first poison gas attack, Langemark German cemetery, Tyne Cot, and Passchendaele. Each of these sites have a memorial on them. They also have cemeteries. Around every corner is another cemetery. Along the road our guide points out an unexploded shell awaiting pickup by the Belgian army. Farmers to this day continue turning them up, along with the occasional body. Our final stop is Hill 62 Sanctuary Wood where a set of trenches have been preserved.

Leaving our tour, we walk to nearby Menin Gate. The entire town of Ypres was going to be preserved as a memorial for the missing, but residents objected. They wanted their town back. Instead a huge memorial archway was built with the names of the missing. It is a little shocking as there are thousands of names engraved on every surface. A million soldiers were lost by the British Empire. Incredibly, most bodies were never found or identified.

With our whirlwind tour complete, we drank a beer to cool down and then had dinner. At 8 pm we returned to Menin Gate and a sea of several thousand people. We are here to watch a ceremony to the fallen, a daily event since 1928. Wreaths of poppies are laid and a couple of Belgian buglers sound the tune 'Last Post'.

July 17, 2017

July 17, 2017

Our three weeks with the car is over. We are scheduled to return it at the train station in Rouen. A car isn't necessary for visiting cities easily reached by train. In fact a car is usually more of a headache in the narrow streets of most European city centers. We drove the hour ride up the Seine River only stopping to fill up the car with gas. I hope we can drive the last fifteen miles without the gas gauge dropping. Filling up with gas has been problematic. Most gas stations not on the tollway are unmanned and my credit card has only worked once.

When we reach the Gare de Rouen train station, we find construction in front. Missing the detour route, I make an illegal left to avoid starting all over in an area with tons of narrow one-way streets. As we approach the parking garage, we don’t see any rental car sign. We go in the 15 minute free line, expecting to hop out of the car to find the Hertz counter. After driving up a level, Aimee spies a Hertz sign and we continue on. We end up leaving this lot, driving over a bridge to a second parking garage, and winding down to the 2nd basement. All the while, our big mini-van with its surround proximity sensors is beeping nonstop in the narrow spiral ramps. With only a few signs, it was sheer dumb luck that we dead-end, running into a guy who admitted to working for Hertz. We then had to find our way back to the train station on foot to finish payment. Aimee breathes a big sigh of relief that her prayer was answered.

Stashing our bags with Hertz, we walked into Rouen's center. We soon learned that most sites are closed on Monday, so we spent most of the day walking around and eating a nice long lunch.

Rouen is the spot where Joan of Arc was tried, convicted and burnt at the stake in 1431 at the age of 19. Her crime, rallying the French king to drive out the English. Rouen has a fine old cathedral (with a tomb containing the heart of Richard the Lionhearted), and lots of half timbered medieval buildings. Unfortunately it suffered terribly from Allied bombing during WWII. On the old Market Square, where Joan was burnt, is a memorial cross and modern church. The church is a very artistic assemblage of stained glass recovered from another church.

In the late afternoon, we hopped an hour-long train to Amiens. We are only here for the night, so as soon as we arrive we check in, ditch the bags, and walk the several blocks to the World Heritage Site of Amiens Cathedral. It is close to 6 pm when we get to the front door. We luckily find it open for another half hour giving us the opportunity to walk around the interior. It is huge inside, the biggest in France. It contains a beautiful array of Renaissance-era colorfully-painted sculpture. More spectacular is the entrance facade. It is covered with dozens of figures in almost pristine condition. I am shocked, especially after seeing so many damaged by war. There are some storyboards and photos of how residents sandbagged the church to protect it during WW1. Amiens was on the front line in the war! Amiens Cathedral definitely deserves being a World Heritage site.

July 16, 2017

July 16, 2017

Last night was low tide on the Normandy coast, so Aimee and I walked far out onto the Arromanches beach to get a closer look at the remaining concrete pieces of the D-Day temporary harbor. Having visited the local museum yesterday, we now know what we are looking at.

I also noticed firework mortar tubes setup on the beach. I excitedly tell Aimee we didn’t miss the Bastille Day festivities after all. We have a nice dinner on D-Day Plaza. This time I ordered a traditional French meal of Sole Meuniere with a starter of Foie Gras. Delicious. After dinner we rested up and then came out later to hear a rock band play for a couple hours. At exactly 11 pm, the band stopped, we turned around and the fireworks started on the beach below accompanied to music. For a small town it was great display.

This morning we checked out and headed east. We made a drive-by stop at one last D-Day site. Aimee groaned when I told her it was just a bridge that starred in The Longest Day. Aimee and I were both shocked to find the relatively modern drawbridge nicknamed Pegasus mobbed with tourists. On the eve of D-Day, British glider troops landed here to take this vital crossing. We got in the spirit of the event by having coffee at a little cafe next door. Its claim to fame is being the first house liberated in France. Unfortunately this bridge is a modern replacement. The original is now next door in a museum.



We finish our drive in Honfleur. We check into our cute hotel and walk downhill to the old town. Honfleur is an old Viking port town at the mouth of the Seine. Since the locals were shipwrights, the Church is all wooden with a ceiling that looks suspiciously like an inverted ship. The Old Port is a little square of water now filled completely with modern watercraft and lined with restaurants. We had a nice lunch at a water-side cafe and then worked it off with a jetty walk to the mouth of the Seine River. There we get a good view of the industrial port of Le Havre and Normandy Bridge, maybe the longest cable-stayed bridge in the world. We then finished with some window shopping.

After resting back in our hotel room, we hiked the short Cote de Grace trail to the top of the cliff for a bird’s eye view of the Honfleur harbor. We then walked back downhill for a harbor-side wine and dessert dinner and a big dose of people watching.

July 15, 2017

July 15, 2017

Yesterday was Fete Nationale, or as we refer to it, Bastille Day. I wanted to watch the fireworks, but the closest one was several towns away and late at night. So instead Aimee and I watched a male group sing what sounded like French folk songs. The stage was just outside our hotel. On several occasions groups from the audience would join and do some kind of line dance. It was all entertaining.

Aimee and I need a little down day, so today we hung around Arromanches. We started with coffee at a little street-side cafe and then perused a sale that sprung up along the streets. It looked like a town garage sale with some antiques thrown in.

We followed that up with a couple hours inside the local D-Day Landing Museum. There are literally dozens of museums in Normandy about D-Day. The one here has a lot of general info but focuses on the Artificial Port that was built here. It was nicknamed Port Winston because of Churchill’s determination to design it. D-Day heroics on the beaches get a lot of press, but behind the scene actions like these massive innovative engineering projects were key to invasion success. Germany had all the harbors heavily fortified. Without a means to deliver the necessary supplies, the breakout from Normandy would have dragged on for years.

The museum had a great movie and very intricate models that illustrated how the port was assembled and operated. First old ships and concrete boats were towed across the Channel and sunk to protect the harbor from the nasty weather that plagues Normandy. Then floating docks and causeway roads were arranged to offload ships. Half of these were lost in transit crossing the Channel. An identical harbor at Omaha Beach lasted only days, but the one here survived for months.

We then had a long lunch at a street-side cafe with a big bottle of cider. It is too cold here for grapes, so cider is the alcoholic beverage of choice. Arromanches is a very popular beach resort. We lingered at our table to people-watch. This included a group of Americans touring Normandy on tandem bicycles.

After lunch we walked uphill, where we get a great view of the dozen or so surviving elements of the harbor. Also here is Arromanches 360, a circular cinema that shows a film called “Normandy’s 100 days”. Aimee and I weren't expecting much but it was well done. It conveys a lot of the emotions of the invasion through the flashing of photos on the many screens combined with a stirring cannon-laden sound track.

July 14, 2017

July 14, 2017

Last night after dinner, we walked around the beach at Arromanches. It was a beautiful evening for a stroll. After D-day an artificial temporary 'Mulberry' harbor was built here to offload supplies until the port of Cherbourg could be captured. Ships and huge concrete sections were towed from England and sunk to create a breakwater. Much of this can still be seen scattered around us. We also walked up the local hill to get a bird’s eye view.

This morning we explored Longues sur Mer. This was the site of a German artillery battery that was part of the Atlantic Wall defending against Allied invasion. Unlike at other spots, three of the four cannon still remain intact. There is also an observation post next to the beach.

Our next stop is the Normandy American Cemetery. It sits above Omaha Beach. We begin at a memorial to an Engineer brigade sitting atop a German gun bunker pointing right down Omaha Beach. It is amazing anyone survived the assault.

At the Visitor Center we watch a couple movies, and then browse the small museum with timelines devoted to the invasion preparation and the aftermath. There are lots of personal stories. We then head outdoors to the Memorial and a sea of headstones. It is moving to see so many young men lost in the prime of their lives.

Aimee is getting tired of WWII history so I figure she can detox seeing a sewing project in the nearby city of Bayeux. We eat lunch and stroll the large beautiful cathedral before visiting the Tapestry Museum. The Bayeux Tapestry is a gigantic piece of embroidery almost a football field long. It was stitched nearly 1000 years ago to commemorate the 1066 Battle of Hastings where William the Conqueror invaded and defeated the English king. We view the tapestry with an audio guide that interprets the action in each segment. It delightfully reads like a Medieval Comic Strip. The detail in each scene is amazing and oftentimes comical. We also spent a little time in the attached museum. The best part was the movie.

We return to our hotel on the Arromanches beach to find a madhouse. Today is Bastille Day and the beginning of a three-day holiday weekend. I cannot believe we found an open parking spot. We aren’t leaving.