Yesterday we started at the D Day Museum in Bayeux. It was very well done and informative. Then we started exploring the sites at Arromanches, where we saw the remains of the artificial harbor made for the D Day landings. Nearby we saw the German defense batteries at Longues-sur-Mer. It's the only German battery to still have it's guns. After that we went to Omaha Beach and the American Cemetary. It was very moving to see row upon row of gleaming white crosses and Stars of David. At about 4:30 we noticed that one of the two flags was being brought down. We walked over just in time to hear a 21 gun salute and then the second flag started coming down. There were hundreds of people there from all over the world, but everyone stopped. And I mean everyone. It was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop. The quiet continued as the flag was carefully folded. Then they played taps. It was quite emotional. I was impressed that even the non-Americans were so respectful. It was a very powerful experience.
Today we started the day by going to see the Bayeux Tapestry. It is a 230 foot tapestry that depicts war, but not World War II. This was the Norman conquest of England that took place in 1066. It was very impressive. Fortunately there was an audio guide that explained every scene. Without that I would have been totally lost.
Then it was back to WWII and more D Day sites. We went to Utah Beach first. After that we went to Sainte-Mere-Eglise, where one of the people who parashooted in the night before the beach landings got hung up on a church steeple. They have a replica of that still hanging on the church. Inside the church they had the typical church stained glass, except one window was different. It pays tribute to what happened there on June 6,1944. We saw American flags hanging everywhere, as well as British and Canadian flags. They have never forgotten here the people who gave them back their liberty during the dark days of WWII.
We finished off the D Day sites by going to La Pointe Du Hoc. It was stormed by elite U.S. Rangers who used ropes and ladders to scale the cliffs. There were heavy casualties during the fighting. This was a strategic point for the German fortifications. We saw the remains of the German artillery battery. The ground there is full of holes from the allied bombs.
On the way back to Bayeux we stopped at a German Cemetary. There was a plaque at the entrance that reminds us that not everyone that gave their life for Germany did so because they believed in what Germany was doing.
We saw a lot, but there was much we didn't see. For me, seeing all this first hand has been a reminder of how terrible war is, and how many people are affected by it. WWII has always been an interest of mine, mostly related to the Holocaust. This is the first time I've seen the evidence of battle. It was very sobering.
We went out for a nice dinner. Our last with Sarah and Dave. Tomorrow they leave for Paris, while we head down to Mont Saint Michel. It's been so nice having this time in London and Normandy with them. I hope they love Paris as much as we do!
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