Fun in France

Saturday we drove to Paris, which was Nancy and Don's first time in France. We did separate things on Sunday: Nancy & Don explored Paris while Jacob and I visited Versailles (Jacob's first Versailles experience). Then Monday we drove up to Normandy to visit the World War II D-Day beaches. We got home super-late Monday night exhausted but had a great trip!

(Photos: Versailles; uncle & niece in a bunker at Pointe du Hoc; all 4 of us at Omaha Beach; Nancy and Don at Pointe du Hoc; Don, Jacob, & Rachel in a bunker at Pointe du Hoc)

Oui and whee

For their last couple of days in Europe, my Grandparents and I went to France to enjoy a couple of days in Paris and a day at the D-Day beaches in Normandy. They left this morning to return to the USA. Below is probably my favorite photo from G&G's visit. They're enjoying a delicious chocolate crepe with Notre Dame Cathedral in the background.

Right when we got to Paris Tuesday we stood in the long, hot line and took the lift to the top of the Eiffel Tower. It was great fun, but Grandma wasn't too thrilled about the 1000-foot rise in an elevator of mostly windows. Once we got to the top she did great.

Wednesday we rented a car and drove to the D-Day beaches in Normandy. In the top photo Grandma and Grandpa are in front of the memorial at Omaha Beach. Below, I'm riding a large anti-aircraft weapon at Pointe du Hoc. We also visited Utah Beach.

Thursday we took the open-top bus tour of Paris so they could see the rest of the big sites in Paris before we boarded the train back to the UK. We saw the Arc de Triomphe and Champs Elysees, and we spent some time in the Louvre and visiting Notre Dame Cathedral. It was a great trip!

Norman Conquests (part II)

"This embattled shore, portal of freedom, is forever hallowed by the ideals, the valor and the sacrifices of our fellow countrymen." (~inscription on above colonnade)

The highlight of our D-Day sites tour was our visit to the Normandy American Cemetery. The entire place, especially the visitors center, were very well done and moving. The Cemetery overlooks Omaha Beach where the Allied victory came at a huge cost of American lives. Here are 2 shots of Omaha Beach, one on the morning of June 6, 1944 and one on October 12, 2008.

The following 2-minute video is actually a marketing piece for the opening of the visitors center at the Normandy American Cemetery in 2007, but I think it gives you a taste of what we experienced as we walked on these beaches and sites where such pivotal events occurred.

We also visited the Rangers Monument at Pointe du Hoc (which we couldn't actually get to because it was blocked off). During the American assault on Omaha Beach, an American Ranger battalion scaled the 100-foot cliff at Pointe du Hoc to capture the German artillery that could have fired on US troops at Omaha Beach. You can tell by the massively scarred landscape around the Monument that the area was heavily bombed prior to the Rangers' arrival. (Also pictured: me in a mostly-destroyed German artillery bunker on the cliff at Pointe du Hoc.)

The other beach where American troops invaded Normandy on D-Day is Utah Beach. Again, here's a shot from D-Day and one from last weekend.

“Our debt to the heroic men and valiant women in the service of our country can never be repaid. They have earned our undying gratitude. America will never forget their sacrifices.”

~U.S. President Harry S. Truman

Norman Conquests (part I)

We spent our 4-day weekend in the beautiful northwestern French region of Normandy. Above is the stunning Mont-St-Michel, which we visited Saturday. We could see its outline from as far away as 22 kilometres, and the views just got more and more stunning the closer we got. I was absolutely awestruck by Le Mont-St-Michel! Jacob said, in his most matter-of-fact voice: "It's one of the cooler places I've seen." Here he is enjoying the view from the top.

While on Le Mont, we toured the famous Abbaye du Mont-Saint-Michel, whose majestic spire tops the Mont. The Abbey was first constructed in the year 708, and it has been one of the most visited Christian pilgrimage destinations for 1300 years. The monks ceased using it as an abbey in 1790, after which it was used as a prison until the late 1800s when it was designated as a national monument. (To the left, a photo of the open-air cloister at the top of the Abbey.)

As the Mont is indeed an island, cars park on the causeway that leads from the mainland to the island. When tides are high, the car parks are completely underwater. The tide was low when we were there, so we made our way out into the muddy flats around the island to take more photos! (Believe it or not, Jacob is actually in this photo; he's just left of center in the distance, crouching on the ground.)
While in Normandy, we also saw the famous Bayeux Tapestry, a 230-foot long embroidered depiction of the events surrounding the all-important 1066 Battle of Hastings. The Tapestry was made in the 1070s, making it an astounding 930 years old! I enjoyed seeing the Tapestry up close and admiring the precise stitching and animation of the characters. It was remarkable!

Photography of the actual Tapestry is prohibited, but I took a few photos of the replica. First, the scene of Edward the Confessor's death and burial preparation; and second, a colorful battle scene.

We stayed in Caen, France. Below are photos from there: the gorgeous Abbaye aux Hommes and an even more gorgeous almond/chocolate crepe (before we shared the crepe, Jacob had a potato & duck crepe, and I had a bacon & mushroom omelet--very delicious!).

(Coming soon: Part II--DDay sites)