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.