WWII Trip - Calais to Dover & on to London

As part of the WWII focus of our trip, we wanted to cross the English Chanel to get a sense of the crossing and the views, even though we were not crossing in exactly the same place.  Getting to Calais from Rouen was easy and we had no problems turning in the rent car and boarding the ferry to Dover.  These ships are huge and carry an incredible number of semi-tractor trailer trucks.  Not having to pay for taking a vehicle across, we treated ourselves to the first class deck - OK, we weren't roughing it like the troops in 1944, but we were on vacation.

This is one of the sister ships to the one we were on as it was coming into dock.

There is nothing lovely or touristy about Calais.  It is a huge port and appears very blue collar and hard working.  We also found it very efficient.

                                              This is the name of the ship we were on.

On our way to the upper deck we passed through this lounge area where we found the "retro-ladies" who were having a grand time and drawing lots of attention.  They readily posed for photos.  All I could wonder was where did they get their hose with the seams in the back.

We loved the serenity of first class, not to mention the free champagne. Don't let this photo fool you.  There were lots of other passengers I just didn't think it appropriate to take their pictures.

In less than three hours we could see the white cliffs of Dover.  Soon we were on the train to London.

WWII Trip - Rouen, 11/14/13

We left the cottage one day early because we decided we did not want to get up early on the 15th and drive 4 hours to drop off the rental car and take the ferry to Dover.  We decided to drive to Rouen, which was a perfect half way point.  This is the city know for where Joan of Arc was executed.  We stayed at a lovely hotel that is managed by Marriott and located right in the heart of the historic district.  

On our drive to Rouen, we saw some of the hedgerows that gave our troops problems during the invasion.  It wasn't that tanks couldn't break through them, the problem was you had no idea what you would find on the other side.  These rows are actually lower than the typical ones because they have been pruned for the winter.  This photo is also misleading because on most of the country roads we traveled the hedgerows were right next to the pavement which made meeting on-coming traffic a challenge.

Once we checked into the hotel, we walked over to the art museum.  On our way we passed a lovely city park with two swans who seemed to enjoy posing for photos.

I was interested in seeing the museum because Monet's home and museum in Giveny, which is near Rouen, was closed for the season.  The museum in Rouen also had many of the early impressionists' works, not just Monet.

Seeing a full moon over the cathedral was a good sign that we would have smooth sailing the next day on our trip across the English Chanel.

WWII Trip - Mont St. Michel, 11/13/13

Following the previous day's constant heavy rain, it was wonderful to wake to clear skies.  It was the perfect day for the 2 hour drive to Mont St. Michel.

Speaking of driving,  we found driving in France very easy.  Everyone drives at the speed limit (cameras are everywhere) and we did not see any aggressive drivers.  Keep in mind we were far away from Paris where all bets are off.  Once we got used the all of the roundabouts, they made perfect sense - no stop and go driving.

Inside the abby

There was one very spoiled abby cat who managed to get everyone to stop on their walk and give a a good scratch.

WWII Trip - Omaha Beach & the American Cemetery, 11/12/13

We managed to arrive on Omaha Beach early in the morning in order to catch low tide.  The invasion began during low tide to take advantage of the long stretch of beach.  During high tide the water line can reach the cliffs.  One reason I wanted to visit Omaha Beach as I recall being told that one of my best friend's dad from Sherman, TX, Dr. Tuck, was one of the medics who landed here on D-Day.  He later became a doctor and mayor of my home town.  Here are a few of the photos taken on the beach.

Notice the storm coming in from the Chanel.

Look closely and you can see a German bunker near the road going up the cliff.  Note how it is not aimed out at the beach but across the beach.  This made it more difficult for the Allies to find the bunkers, especially those ships offshore firing at the beach before the landing.

This is a close up shot of the same bunker shown above.  Obviously there was no TV disk at the time of the invasion.  I was surprised that the beach is occupied with homes, B and B's, restaurants and a thriving tourist business during the summer.  While it is significant ground, life must go on.  I am grateful that what could be preserved has been.

The photo below is the 88mm gun mentioned above.  It was hard to find from the ships in the Chanel who were firing on the beach because at the time of the invasion the bunker was hidden inside the remains of a hotel.  Again, the gun was pointed across the beach, not out to sea.

This is part of the lovely memorial to the National Guard units that landed on Omaha Beach.

This plaque shows a list of National Guard units by state and I noticed that Virginia had six shown.

After our visit to the beach we moved on down the road to the American Cemetery.  Upon arrival you knew you were at a US installation because it was the only facility we visited related to D-Day that required you to go through security.  Before going to the actual cemetery there is an excellent museum dedicated to those who are buried there.  Overhead you can hear the reading of the names as you review the exhibits.

Inside the museum

Leaving the museum, you walk down a lovely path.

Scenes in the cemetery:

Family members gathered at one of the sites.

It appears that someone visited this grave site on Armistice Day.






















We were unable to linger at the cemetery because the storm finally arrived with a vengeance.  We returned to our favorite restaurant to plan the rest of the afternoon.

Because of the weather we decided to visit the town of Bayeux, the home of the famous tapestry depicting William the Conqueror's victory over the Saxons, making him King of England.  Photography was not allowed in the museum housing the tapestry, but we found the area around the museum interesting.

By the time we were through seeing the museum and taking photos, it was getting dark and we needed to head back to the cottage.

Bayeux Cathedral at dusk

WWII - Armistice Day, 11/11/13

Ed Robinson gave us our tour of many of the WWII historic sites in Normandy on Sunday, 11/10.  It was our hope to return on Armistice Day on our own and linger at many of the spots for taking photos.  This was the first day that the weather did not cooperate with us but it turned out to be a good day anyway and we did not have to cope with the tourists taking advantage of the three-day weekend holiday.

Before the rain started we did stop just a few miles from where we were staying to visit the site of the capturing of the US 29th.

After a long march Commander Colonel Wilham E. Warfield allowed his troops to bed down for the night without digging in.  They woke in the morning to find themselves surrounded by German troops.  Warfield ran out of the house where he was staying and was shot.

In this photo you can see that the area where the troops were sleeping was an open field.

This is the house where Warfield was staying.  It is across the road from the field.

Because of the weather we visited the Musee Memorial d'Omaha Beach.  The admiration the French people have for the sacrifices made by the Allied troops is evident throughout the museum.  There is a real bond between many of the local residents and the returning soldiers who visit the sites and contribute items and financial support for the museums.

After visiting the museum, we had lunch at the Normandy Restaurant on Omaha Beach.  It had the best onion soup we had had and a nice beer menu.  We ended up eating there twice.  During our second visit, we met a couple from Dallas who seemed a little hesitant about the menu.  They seemed relieved to know we were fellow Texans and followed our menu recommendations.

WWII Trip - The Cozy Cottage

In my previous post, I mentioned our troubles getting access to the cottage.  Once settled in, we loved it.  While it is located in the remote village of Lison, with a lot of help from our rented Garmon, we discovered we were not that far from all of the places we wanted to visit.  We love finding these places to stay that are so much more fun and interesting than a boring hotel.  We get to shop at the local markets and end up saving money by not having to eat out every meal.  Here are some shots of the cottage and the surrounding neighborhood:

Our rental car in front of the cottage.  Notice - no front yard or sidewalk.

Looking west from our front door. This is an agricultural community and the fields start next to the neighbor's place across the street.

Our cottage was on Rue de l'Eglise and in French eglise means church.  Once we figured that out, all we had to do was find the church - the cottage was right across the street.

As we were leaving the cottage on Armistice Day we discovered a memorial service going on in the cemetery at the church.  Here is what the towns people left at the memorial.

Here are some shots inside the cottage:

Thank goodness the wood was chopped and George quickly mastered making a fire in the Ben Franklin stove.  It really did keep the cottage cozy all night.  It was so relaxing to return to the cottage after a day of touring and taking photos to enjoy a light supper and edit some of the photos taken that day.  There was no TV or radio - what peace!  We did have wi-fi, or as they say in France, WEE-fe.

These shots are from the back yard.  It would be a lovely spot to have dinner outside during the summer.

Looking back at the cottage from the backyard.

The back yard.

George finding lots of photo opportunities

The farm house was in walking distance of our cottage: