Normandy to England

July 24, 2018: Today we left France and headed to England. We spent the last few days exploring the Normandy region as we drove from the farm near Nantes up to Calais to take the car ferry over. When we left Jallais, where the farm was, we drove to Mont St Michele as a pit stop. We never intended to go out to the island, just to get out and stretch out legs. We loved the beautiful back roads leading out to it weaving through farms and even caught a glimpse of a real old windmill. The parking area was a mob scene near the island so we drove out of town a little bit and parked on the road and hiked out to the water. It was a nice walk through tidal grasses, herds of sheep and even some old bunkers. It was very low tide when we got there and Julia and Molly decided to go down into the mud/clay to play around. They got filthy and there was no way to get clean until we dumped our drinking water on them back at the car. It was a good break and we had a quick road side lunch before finishing the drive back up to Carenten.

We checked into our hotel and drove to Utah beach, which was just 15 minutes from our hotel. We went into the museum at Utah beach to see the film as well as all of the artifacts. It is a fantastic way to introduce the kids to some of what they will see at the landing beaches. I felt very emotional at the beaches. It seems the older I get I have much greater appreciation and depth of understanding of the sacrifices that were made. After the museum and a quick stroll on the beach we drove down the road to wander in and out of the bunkers that remain there. James and I were here on the anniversary of the landing in 2004, so it was funny to take pictures in some of the same places with our kids. After Utah we drove into St. Mere-Eglise. The kids found the chapel interesting with the paratrooper hanging from the steeple. The ast thing we did before calling it a night was to find Brecourt Manor, the site of a important attack by the US paratroopers who overtook 4 huge German guns. This was made famous in Band of Brothers.

Sunday morning we woke up and drove to Pont du Hoc. On the way we stopped in Grand Camp Maisy at the market and bought fresh fruit and bread. Once we got to the bluff James taught the kids about the location and they found it interesting how the land is still so cratered because of the vicious bombing. We spent a few hours there exploring all of the bunkers. Julia and Molly did some hill work to get ready for hockey season running in and out of all the craters. After we went to the American Cemetery. We started in the visitors center, again, in the hopes of giving the kids some insight with the visuals it provides. I watched the 8 minute movie and again found myself with tears streaming down my face. Even though I have been here before, it is still so stunning to see all of those white crosses. The fact that this is only 1/3rd of the troops boggles the mind. We wandered around and looked at many names and spent some time on the walkway that overlooks Omaha beach. Around 1pm we loaded up on more supplies and went to Omaha beach. We changed into suits and had lunch on the sand and went swimming. It was low tide and the beach was packed. James and I both struggled with the fact that this is now just a regular holiday beach, like a beach on Cape Cod. For us, we cannot separate what happened here 74 years ago so easily. It almost feels wrong to be having a fun time in a place where so many young American men died. On our drive to Bayeux we stopped and explored a last set of German guns/bunkers.

Monday morning James and Casey went to see the Bayeux Tapestry. Molly, Julia and I packed up the room and walked into town to get breakfast. We ate in the cutest little alleyway looking over a canal with a waterwheel. I try my best to soak in all of these amazing European moments, because they are so unique and beautiful. Today we had nothing planned but to drive north. We stopped in the town of Honfleur to break up the drive. Honfleur is a port city at the mouth of the Seine. Monet spent time here and painted several known paintings here. We wandered into the parks, the chapel made entirely of wood by shipbuilders, around the timbered homes and along the port to see the locks and where the Seine meets the ocean. After a few hours in Honfleur we drove up to Boulogne-sure-Mer and walked around the ramparts of the castle. We went to bed early because we had a ferry to catch to England the next morning and we didn't know what to expect in terms of wait times. We got there very early for customs, security and check in and there was no one around and we got on a ferry 90 minutes earlier than the one we had reserved. The ferry was big and the ride took 90 minutes. When we arrived in Dover we went straight to White Cliffs and hiked along the cliffs. It was a good break before driving into London.