Perspective.
Thanks for not coming down too hard on me for being such a whiner about our hotel. Hans is right...it's not that bad. It just isn't that great, either. I was surprised that they actually came in and "cleaned" our room today while we were gone. I was under the impression that daily cleaning didn't happen in French hotels. Now I feel guilty because the nice French ladies probably came in to clean and saw my pillowcases from home.
I am World War II'd out. Wow.
Our first stop today was not a WWII site, but a French supermarket. We had decided last night that we'd have a picnic today, somewhere near the sea. So it was off to the market for us. It's pretty interesting going into a "local" market...I recall going into the markets in Inverness, Scotland (Tesco), Zushi, Japan (Daiei), Sindelfingen, Germany (Real) and now Insigny, France (Intermarche).
We picked up some fruit, sandwiches, spreadable cheese, bread, cookies, chocolate mousse and Coke. I also picked up some French lotions and beautiful soaps in lavender and lemon. We browsed through all the aisles. There was nothing too strange there. Not like shopping at the Daiei in Japan! When I went in Yokosuka with Donna, they were handing out free samples of squid...
After Intermarche, we headed out to the American Cemetery. Talk about putting things in perspective. As we walked slowly and (relatively) quietly around this large cemetery, all I could think about were the sacrifices that these men made. And then I felt properly shamed for complaining about things like pillows and towels.
What a peaceful and beautiful place to rest, though I still have a hard time wrapping my mind around why anyone would choose to leave a loved one in Normandy. I told Hans that if it had been my husband or brother, I would have wanted the military to send him home. That being said, the cemetery is immaculate and beautifully kept. It's quiet, with only the sound of the waves and the constant cool breeze from the sea. The quiet is only broken by the sound of the carillion playing hymns at the top of the hour.
My grandpa served in Italy and North Africa, so he was nowhere near Normandy on D-Day, but I still know that he would have enjoyed seeing the sights that we saw today. He was in my thoughts all day.
Next, we went to Pont du Hoc. Don't ask me the particulars of what happened everywhere, because I'm not totally clear on who did what in which area. And after seeing so many things today, it's all a bit of a mash in my mind. The Rangers landed there, scaled the cliffs and took out some guns. That's about all I know. Oh, and there were ships shelling the heck out of the area. Pont du Hoc is still full of craters. We took pictures of the gun emplacements and Josiah and Annika in the bottom of a shell crater.
Then...on to St. Mere Egliese and the 101st Airborne Musee. Interesting, but rather a quick stop, because the kids were beginning to get more than a little bored. St. Mere Egliese was immortalized in the movie "The Longest Day". Recall John Steele, the paratrooper who got hung up on the church spire? There's still a parachute and a mannequin hanging from the spire.
And then...on to find Brecourt Manor, which was that first stop for the Band of Brothers. Recall how they regrouped in that village, then turned around and volunteered to take out some German guns. It was their first real combat. We found that field, which was easy enough seeing as they have a monument now and are flying the American flag. I'm guessing that Brecourt Manor probably wasn't that well known until Band of Brothers came along. They have a sign up asking people to respect that it is private property. The most interesting thing about this field is the fact that it is super-close to the village, in fact, just outside the town. Easy Company must have jogged a few hundred yards and proceeded to take out those guns.
Last stop. McDonald's. Totally in keeping with the theme, right?
I am World War II'd out. Wow.
Our first stop today was not a WWII site, but a French supermarket. We had decided last night that we'd have a picnic today, somewhere near the sea. So it was off to the market for us. It's pretty interesting going into a "local" market...I recall going into the markets in Inverness, Scotland (Tesco), Zushi, Japan (Daiei), Sindelfingen, Germany (Real) and now Insigny, France (Intermarche).
We picked up some fruit, sandwiches, spreadable cheese, bread, cookies, chocolate mousse and Coke. I also picked up some French lotions and beautiful soaps in lavender and lemon. We browsed through all the aisles. There was nothing too strange there. Not like shopping at the Daiei in Japan! When I went in Yokosuka with Donna, they were handing out free samples of squid...
After Intermarche, we headed out to the American Cemetery. Talk about putting things in perspective. As we walked slowly and (relatively) quietly around this large cemetery, all I could think about were the sacrifices that these men made. And then I felt properly shamed for complaining about things like pillows and towels.
What a peaceful and beautiful place to rest, though I still have a hard time wrapping my mind around why anyone would choose to leave a loved one in Normandy. I told Hans that if it had been my husband or brother, I would have wanted the military to send him home. That being said, the cemetery is immaculate and beautifully kept. It's quiet, with only the sound of the waves and the constant cool breeze from the sea. The quiet is only broken by the sound of the carillion playing hymns at the top of the hour.
My grandpa served in Italy and North Africa, so he was nowhere near Normandy on D-Day, but I still know that he would have enjoyed seeing the sights that we saw today. He was in my thoughts all day.
Next, we went to Pont du Hoc. Don't ask me the particulars of what happened everywhere, because I'm not totally clear on who did what in which area. And after seeing so many things today, it's all a bit of a mash in my mind. The Rangers landed there, scaled the cliffs and took out some guns. That's about all I know. Oh, and there were ships shelling the heck out of the area. Pont du Hoc is still full of craters. We took pictures of the gun emplacements and Josiah and Annika in the bottom of a shell crater.
Then...on to St. Mere Egliese and the 101st Airborne Musee. Interesting, but rather a quick stop, because the kids were beginning to get more than a little bored. St. Mere Egliese was immortalized in the movie "The Longest Day". Recall John Steele, the paratrooper who got hung up on the church spire? There's still a parachute and a mannequin hanging from the spire.
And then...on to find Brecourt Manor, which was that first stop for the Band of Brothers. Recall how they regrouped in that village, then turned around and volunteered to take out some German guns. It was their first real combat. We found that field, which was easy enough seeing as they have a monument now and are flying the American flag. I'm guessing that Brecourt Manor probably wasn't that well known until Band of Brothers came along. They have a sign up asking people to respect that it is private property. The most interesting thing about this field is the fact that it is super-close to the village, in fact, just outside the town. Easy Company must have jogged a few hundred yards and proceeded to take out those guns.
Last stop. McDonald's. Totally in keeping with the theme, right?
Comments
In 1982 while touring Europe, Aunt Liz and Pat put flowers on the grave of Uncle Vic's brother's which lies in the US cemetery near Maastrict, The Netherlands, such as you described. It was really beautiful. They were the first family members to visit his grave.
Brecourt Manor was cool, though, because it looks almost exactly like it did in Band of Brothers. The shocking part was like Rachel says, though. Le Gran Chemin, the (very) little town that they trickled into, hung out in, and then sortied out of is literally one block from the four German guns that they had to take out. I would have liked to have walked it some, but it's someone's private horse paddock now, so we stayed on the road.