A Day in Normandy with my parents and D-Faq
Now hold on here a minute, if you think this is going to be a long, reflective essay on the touching moments wandering from Bloody Omaha beach to Point du Hoc to Utah, Sword, Juno, Gold, etc beaches or visiting the 101st or 82nd airborne sights further inland or how I found my long lost cousin Bobby at the Cemetery in Collville - well, you my lil' friend are going to be disappointed.
Well maybe not - here is what I will do, I will type a little essay which reflects upon the visit and how I felt - and then I will go on with my version of today's trip.
Are you ready sentimental friend?
This is for you:
Essay which reflects upon the visit and how I felt.
Now that we have that done. Dry a tear. Sniffle one last time. Now exhale...good.
We're ready to move forth.
Look - what can I say? The visit was amazing. Walking the sands of Omaha and then climbing the hill to the top (stopping many times to suck wind and/or inspect German bunkers) to get a sense of it all was mind boggling. Standing atop Point du Hoc and stare down in wonder at efforts of the US Rangers. Walking among the thousands of white crosses at the American Cemetery in Collville. Driving through miles of farm areas where tanks, troops, and land mines wreaked havoc on the land 71 years ago. They all add up to an amazing experience - one I would recommend to anyone headed to France. But to all things, there is a lighter side.
Arrival in Caen (pronounced like Captain Kirk's rival...."kahn"). It took no less than 4 trains and a cab to get to Caen from Marnee le Vallee (Disneyland Paris) but we made it. Taxi to Val d'Europe train station, RER train from there to Gare Lyon in downtown Paris, Metro line 14 to Gare Saint Lazare in downtown Paris, transfer to train to Lisieux, France (big honkin' cathedral on the hill), transfer to train the Caen. Along the way we passed some rivers, and fields and some churches, a few dozen sheep, a score of cows, one sickly horse, a cheesy looking amusement park, a Renault factory (that's "re-nnnnalllllll") and a curious place called Porscheville - I mean a big factory looking place along a river called Porscheville.
I could not see a plethora of Porsches nearby but one would have to assume they make them at this place...which is puzzling because I thought they made those in Germany. Did I miss something? And it was along the river. I'm guessing an auto manufacturing place is not the cleanest facility. Whatcha doing along that river Porscheville?
Are there a lot of wanna be sailors looking for their lost shaker of salt at this place? Porscheville.
Maybe I have it all wrong. Maybe Porschville is where Cindy Loo Porsche lives. Grinchy.
One of the stops along the rail line from Disneyland Paris to Gare Lyon was "Noisy Champs". Well duh. Who wins and remains quiet? And the Cleveland Cavaliers win the 2015 NBA championship...and you could hear a pin drop in this place. What Quiet Champs.
So anyway, we arrive in KAHN and meet our guide Dominique Faquet (D-Faq) and after mom and dad went wee wee, we all crammed into her Lexus RU-2Small and headed out on our day. And D-Faq was telling us all about KAHN and my dad kept asking her questions about CANE and she would reply telling him about KAHN and then he'd ask something else about CANE and this went back and forth for most of the drive between KAHN and Bayeux (Buy-you). Cane/Kahn Cane/Kahn. I just decided to let it go and see how long before either my dad caught on or she finally corrected him. Odds were a good 1:24 that she'd have to correct him..overwhelming odds in her favor.
(we interrupt this blog to report that a major celebration is breaking out across the street from our hotel - I am not sure what is going on, but I bet it includes alcohol).
Back to Kahn...
We got done talking about Cane/Kahn and made it to Omaha Beach - one of three locations that the US Troops were responsible for during D-Day and the one location of all beach fortifications that took the most casualties and proved to be the hardest to destroy. D-Faq did a great job of getting us right down on the beach and was telling us all about the invasion, how the Germans were stationed and how their guns were positioned etc. We talked about the percent of soldiers from the first group that were killed, the large proportion of heavy equipment that sank or was destroyed. It was all soaking in - the reality of what was accomplished and what was sacrificed that day to accomplish this - and then two guys driving horse buggies (like in harness racing) went driving by on the beach.
Let me reset this for you - I'm standing on the sand of the beach, we were there at low tide almost 71 years to the day of the battle (they attacked at low tide), we're picturing the Germans firing down at will...and a harness race drives by. Huh?? Bloody Omaha Derby? Who owns a harness racing buggy? (let alone two).
(we interrupt this message once again to let you know that the Disneyland fireworks show is now illuminating the sky and we can see most of it from our hotel room balcony. Thank you and now back to your blog reading enjoyment)
Onto the next spot - a delightful stop for lunch in some little town. Stumbled across some one grilling local sausages at 4 euro each. Score!! But let it be known that I was asked by not one, but two parents why I was ordering a sausage when we had packed a sandwich (nothing else, just a sandwich) to which I replied both times that when one stumbles across a local grilling fresh made local sausage for sale - one does not hesitate and pass up this chance because one made a sandwich. Let it further be known that once I had a bite, not one, but two parents decided they also had to have a sausage. Che magnifique. The sausage was awesome, by the way.
Following lunch we stopped per my request to sample local appertif and digestivo (booze) made from apples and it was awesome. Very very awesome. I bought too much.
Anyhow, off to Point du Hoc which is a point along the coast that overlooks Utah beach (the other American landing zone) and to some extend along the coast in the other direction toward Omaha beach. This is the famous location where the US Army Rangers scaled the sheer 100 foot tall cliffs to take out 6 German gun placements (large, large guns). Another awe inspiring location where you can see the 458035739045830750348530 bomb craters left over from the US bombing campaign in the months leading up to D-Day. 495048095845039845 bomb craters...and 1, yes 1 actually hit a gun. With all due respect to the entire D-Day related campaign and the price that was paid - a blind squirrel finds a nut every once in a while. Geeze guys. Point du Hoc should be renamed Point du Crappy Aim. Crazy.
After this we were nearly out of time, but headed to the town of Arromanches to quickly see where the British built a temporary breakwater and piers to create a harbor to aid in the ongoing invasion. Pretty cool fete of engineering. The problem with Arromanches is that it is overwhelmingly touristy. There are gift shops, ice cream shops, a museum, static displays of tanks and guns and other heavy weaponry, etc all over this place. Yet you cannot help but look out at the remains of the harbor/piers and imagine the fleet that arrived over a few days. All of course to the tune of "Let it Go" from Frozen because yes, we had a school band beach side playing songs from Frozen. Is there a message here? 71 years is a long time... should we be letting it go? Well, only if you are Happy...because that was the next song. Who screened applications for the Ammoranches youth band director? Was humorously inappropriate music selection a required skill?
KAAAAHHHHNNNNNN!!
Good times in Normandy.
Well maybe not - here is what I will do, I will type a little essay which reflects upon the visit and how I felt - and then I will go on with my version of today's trip.
Are you ready sentimental friend?
This is for you:
Essay which reflects upon the visit and how I felt.
Now that we have that done. Dry a tear. Sniffle one last time. Now exhale...good.
We're ready to move forth.
Look - what can I say? The visit was amazing. Walking the sands of Omaha and then climbing the hill to the top (stopping many times to suck wind and/or inspect German bunkers) to get a sense of it all was mind boggling. Standing atop Point du Hoc and stare down in wonder at efforts of the US Rangers. Walking among the thousands of white crosses at the American Cemetery in Collville. Driving through miles of farm areas where tanks, troops, and land mines wreaked havoc on the land 71 years ago. They all add up to an amazing experience - one I would recommend to anyone headed to France. But to all things, there is a lighter side.
Arrival in Caen (pronounced like Captain Kirk's rival...."kahn"). It took no less than 4 trains and a cab to get to Caen from Marnee le Vallee (Disneyland Paris) but we made it. Taxi to Val d'Europe train station, RER train from there to Gare Lyon in downtown Paris, Metro line 14 to Gare Saint Lazare in downtown Paris, transfer to train to Lisieux, France (big honkin' cathedral on the hill), transfer to train the Caen. Along the way we passed some rivers, and fields and some churches, a few dozen sheep, a score of cows, one sickly horse, a cheesy looking amusement park, a Renault factory (that's "re-nnnnalllllll") and a curious place called Porscheville - I mean a big factory looking place along a river called Porscheville.
I could not see a plethora of Porsches nearby but one would have to assume they make them at this place...which is puzzling because I thought they made those in Germany. Did I miss something? And it was along the river. I'm guessing an auto manufacturing place is not the cleanest facility. Whatcha doing along that river Porscheville?
Are there a lot of wanna be sailors looking for their lost shaker of salt at this place? Porscheville.
Maybe I have it all wrong. Maybe Porschville is where Cindy Loo Porsche lives. Grinchy.
One of the stops along the rail line from Disneyland Paris to Gare Lyon was "Noisy Champs". Well duh. Who wins and remains quiet? And the Cleveland Cavaliers win the 2015 NBA championship...and you could hear a pin drop in this place. What Quiet Champs.
So anyway, we arrive in KAHN and meet our guide Dominique Faquet (D-Faq) and after mom and dad went wee wee, we all crammed into her Lexus RU-2Small and headed out on our day. And D-Faq was telling us all about KAHN and my dad kept asking her questions about CANE and she would reply telling him about KAHN and then he'd ask something else about CANE and this went back and forth for most of the drive between KAHN and Bayeux (Buy-you). Cane/Kahn Cane/Kahn. I just decided to let it go and see how long before either my dad caught on or she finally corrected him. Odds were a good 1:24 that she'd have to correct him..overwhelming odds in her favor.
(we interrupt this blog to report that a major celebration is breaking out across the street from our hotel - I am not sure what is going on, but I bet it includes alcohol).
Back to Kahn...
We got done talking about Cane/Kahn and made it to Omaha Beach - one of three locations that the US Troops were responsible for during D-Day and the one location of all beach fortifications that took the most casualties and proved to be the hardest to destroy. D-Faq did a great job of getting us right down on the beach and was telling us all about the invasion, how the Germans were stationed and how their guns were positioned etc. We talked about the percent of soldiers from the first group that were killed, the large proportion of heavy equipment that sank or was destroyed. It was all soaking in - the reality of what was accomplished and what was sacrificed that day to accomplish this - and then two guys driving horse buggies (like in harness racing) went driving by on the beach.
Let me reset this for you - I'm standing on the sand of the beach, we were there at low tide almost 71 years to the day of the battle (they attacked at low tide), we're picturing the Germans firing down at will...and a harness race drives by. Huh?? Bloody Omaha Derby? Who owns a harness racing buggy? (let alone two).
(we interrupt this message once again to let you know that the Disneyland fireworks show is now illuminating the sky and we can see most of it from our hotel room balcony. Thank you and now back to your blog reading enjoyment)
Onto the next spot - a delightful stop for lunch in some little town. Stumbled across some one grilling local sausages at 4 euro each. Score!! But let it be known that I was asked by not one, but two parents why I was ordering a sausage when we had packed a sandwich (nothing else, just a sandwich) to which I replied both times that when one stumbles across a local grilling fresh made local sausage for sale - one does not hesitate and pass up this chance because one made a sandwich. Let it further be known that once I had a bite, not one, but two parents decided they also had to have a sausage. Che magnifique. The sausage was awesome, by the way.
Following lunch we stopped per my request to sample local appertif and digestivo (booze) made from apples and it was awesome. Very very awesome. I bought too much.
Anyhow, off to Point du Hoc which is a point along the coast that overlooks Utah beach (the other American landing zone) and to some extend along the coast in the other direction toward Omaha beach. This is the famous location where the US Army Rangers scaled the sheer 100 foot tall cliffs to take out 6 German gun placements (large, large guns). Another awe inspiring location where you can see the 458035739045830750348530 bomb craters left over from the US bombing campaign in the months leading up to D-Day. 495048095845039845 bomb craters...and 1, yes 1 actually hit a gun. With all due respect to the entire D-Day related campaign and the price that was paid - a blind squirrel finds a nut every once in a while. Geeze guys. Point du Hoc should be renamed Point du Crappy Aim. Crazy.
After this we were nearly out of time, but headed to the town of Arromanches to quickly see where the British built a temporary breakwater and piers to create a harbor to aid in the ongoing invasion. Pretty cool fete of engineering. The problem with Arromanches is that it is overwhelmingly touristy. There are gift shops, ice cream shops, a museum, static displays of tanks and guns and other heavy weaponry, etc all over this place. Yet you cannot help but look out at the remains of the harbor/piers and imagine the fleet that arrived over a few days. All of course to the tune of "Let it Go" from Frozen because yes, we had a school band beach side playing songs from Frozen. Is there a message here? 71 years is a long time... should we be letting it go? Well, only if you are Happy...because that was the next song. Who screened applications for the Ammoranches youth band director? Was humorously inappropriate music selection a required skill?
KAAAAHHHHNNNNNN!!
Good times in Normandy.
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