July 29 (Day 292) Part 2

From the top: 1-5) Pointe Du Hoc battlements; 6) Pointe Du Hoc landscape; 7) Pointe Du Hoc overlook to beach; 8) my dessert from the Lunch Cafe after Omaha Beach; 9) Omaha Beach sculpture description plaque; 10) Omaha Beach sculpture; 11) stained glass example in Sainte-Mere-Eglise church; 12-13) Saint-Mere-Eglise church with paratrooper; 14-16) Utah Beach Memorials; 17) Utah Beach statue; 18) Utah Beach sample marker (several around statue)

July 29 (Day 292)

After leaving the beach, we stopped at a place for lunch. Again, we were lucky to find something open. It was a nice establishment with excellent food. I ended up getting a spinach tortellini dish. Not only was the food great, the presentation was outstanding. I forgot to get a picture of my main course, but did remember to get one of my dessert. You can see what I mean by presentation.

We returned to our B&B after our visit to Omaha Beach in the late afternoon. As there was still time in the day, Mom and I ended up heading to Pointe Du Hoc. It is just west of Omaha Beach, and is a memorial to the 2^nd Ranger Battalion. The Rangers scaled the 100’ cliff to take out German artillery pieces (captured from the French) that could fire on American troops landing at Omaha and Utah beaches. Of the 225 or so that started the assault, only 90 survived. There are craters lining the area, and many of the fortifications are still there.

Parking at the Pointe was a little awkward. There were small parking areas, with room for about 12 cars, adjacent to the driving lane. This in itself was not an issue, but a squared-off arch spanned the narrow width of the turn-in, and the arch had a center support, evidently intended to keep entering/exiting vehicles in their proper place. Like I said the actual span was narrow, and the main driving lane was also narrow, making it difficult for a larger car like the one we had to turn in. Mom managed to make it through the gauntlet, and then of course, there were the small lots with small parking spaces. Well, I at least talked Mom into backing into the space so it would be easier to exit. Just another adventure!

After walking the area, Mom and I headed back to the B&B. I am sure we played some more Farkle. This tended to be our end of day ritual throughout the trip. It is a fun and fast-paced game, so it is quite convenient for road trips.

We woke up July 5^th to another great breakfast provided by Nancy. Our agenda was to visit the copper “factory” I mentioned in my July 22 entry, then Utah Beach, followed by a stop in Sainte-Mere-Eglise. We started by heading south to Villiedeau-Les-Poeles. Here we received a tour of a small copper factory. In addition to kitchen utensils, they are commissioned to do artwork and the like. They have a neat operation. We first watched a video on the history of the area, how coppersmiths ended up there. We then we treated to a tour where we watched different sections at work. Have some pictures from here. I can tell you I now plan on investing in some copperware.

We left the factory and headed back north, past Carentan, to Utah Beach. There is a big museum located at the “entrance.” We decided to take the tour. The museum is quite expansive, especially after adding another section. What is interesting about the new area is that it was spearheaded (and majority financed) by David Dewhurt, the Lieutenant Governor of Texas, and his brother. Evidently, their father was a pilot who played a pivotal role in the bombing of Utah Beach. There are vehicles, pictures, videos, and all manner of interesting bits of info. There was also a gallery of paintings that could be purchased. I enjoyed the museum, and would like to go back to spend more time there.

Outside there is nice memorial, or rather memorials. There are several of them to different units. Have several pictures posted. As with Omaha Beach, it was a sobering, yet uplifting experience.

Our last stop was the village of Sainte-Mere-Elise. This is where the paratrooper, John Steele, got hung up on the spire of the church. The incident is portrayed in “The Longest Day.” Although there are several things to do here, including a museum, but time was short, so we hung around the church square. Another place to come back to visit.

Anyway, that’s it for today.

Until next time…

July 25 (Day 288) Part 2

July 4 pictures from the top: 1) one of several gardens at the American Military Cemetery, 2) American flag keeping watch, 3) cemetery markers, 4) cemetery memorial with family, 5) Omaha Beach Memorial ceremony, 6-7) flags at Omaha Beach Memorial, 8) Omaha Beach Memorial, 9) flower card from Les Fleurs de la Memoire, 10) garden at American Military Cemetery with wall of unknown Soldier locations in back, 11) flower at the cemetery, 12) matching marker to flower card

July 25 (Day 288)

After taking the last few days taking care of business at work, I have the opportunity to do another update.

I found out when I came back to work that our 4K forklift is broken…again. We got it back in March after some repairs. It seems the battery is dead. I think the contractors forget to switch off the lights in the evenings. They aren’t very bright and during twilight hours, they wouldn’t be that noticeable. Now I have to coordinate a flatbed and crane to come pick it up to transport it to the maintenance folks.

We have been having really windy conditions as of late. My May 10 posting has some pictures of work being done in our yard. In them you can see the covered portion of the sort area. Well, the wind tore off an 8 foot section of it. Fortunately, no one was hurt, and no damage was done, save for a couple of the 2X4s breaking. The plywood is still useable. Now I have to figure a way to fix it and make it sturdier.

I have to make some adjustments concerning our pending move. Evidently, some people were not using the same dimensions for my new yard as I was told I had, so that is turning out to be a headache. I just love it when the parties involved in a given project don’t communicate.

My friend Robert lent me his “bootleg” copies of the late 90s show “Seven Days.” For those unfamiliar, the show is about a government agency that has a machine that can send a person back in time 7 days. It is used to correct, usually prevent, something bad that happened. It was on for three seasons, and has not been released on DVD. I started watching it this past weekend. Once I get through it, I will start with seasons 2 and 3 of “In Plain Sight” and then season 2 of “Eureka.”

Well, I guess it’s time for a little vacation addendum. We spent July 4^th at Omaha Beach. I can’t think of a better place for our Independence Day than to spend time at one of our American Cemeteries abroad along with its Memorial. The opportunity to reflect on the sacrifices of our young men who paid the ultimate price for our continued freedoms is something that cannot be matched in my mind. (Let’s not forget the servicewomen who also have given their lives in conflict).

We were quite fortunate that a ceremony was beginning when we arrived at the Omaha Beach Memorial. There was a large group of kids from the U.S., and I presume other places, touring Europe. They participated in a flag-raising ceremony celebrating the nations that were involved in the D-day invasion. It was a celebratory, yet sobering, occasion, and I was glad we were there. The weather looked to be a little iffy at times, but the Lord deemed it fit not to interfere.

After the ceremony at the memorial, we headed up the road to the Normandy American Cemetery. As one would expect, it was beautiful. The grounds and landscaping were full of greenery and flowers, well-kept. Upon our arrival, a member of Les Fleurs de la Memorie greeted us. This association presents flowers and a card with a plot marker on it. The recipient of the flower is to find the marker and leave the flower on it. I thought this a neat way to remember our fallen heroes. The association’s goal is to have a sponsor for each grave, who will visit at least once a year.

At the cemetery, we were also blessed to have some groups providing music in front of the cemetery memorial. There was a group from a church from one of our southern states, maybe Louisiana or Mississippi. Of course, that isn’t as important as the message they presented in song, that we should not forget our heroes and we are still a Christian nation. They presented quotes from many of our founding fathers and other leaders to emphasize this point. Afterwards there was a jazz band celebrating the music of the WWII era. Mom noticed how many people were tapping their feet to the beat, and we had a little chuckle. It didn’t matter the age, gender, or race of the person. Good music is good music. There was more music planned, but we decided it was time to go, and we headed down to the actual beach adjacent to the cemetery.

We had to take quite a few steps down the hill, and then onto a shaded path, which led straight onto the sand. It was quite a beautiful beach. I just stood there thinking what it must have been like when our troops came in. I looked up the hill, picturing in my mind’s eye what those boys must have been thinking; the impossibility of it all. They completed their mission nonetheless.

I think this is a good stopping point.

Until next time…

July 22 (Day 285) Part 3

Pictures from 3 July. From the top: a neat, old, knarly tree on Le Mont St. Michel, the pizza kiosk mentioned in my last blog, a couple of pictures of my parents on Le Mont St. Michel, several exterior shots of Le Mont St. Michel, some interior shots, a  huge winch used during construction of St. Michel, a long view of St. Michel

July 22 (Day 285) Part 2

I guess you could say that July 3 was the “start” of our vacation, the day we really got out to see the sights. We drove down from Carentan to Le Mont St. Michel. The “mount” is about 120 Km SSW of Carentan, just west of Avranches. As normal, the drive was quite scenic. St. Michel is something you can see from quite a distance. So, up close, it is enormous. The mount used to be accessible at low tide by walking, but at high tide, not so much. A causeway was built in the 1800s so pilgrims could walk to it regardless of the tide. The first thing I realized is that people, just a handful mind you, actually live on the island. Well, it used to be island, something being remedied currently. There is a project in the works to return it to its original design of being “separated” from the mainland during high tide. It is supposed to be done around 2015, so I hope to get a chance to go back and see that.

Since the current mount was constructed over a period of 1,000 years, there is a lot of architectural variance. I found this very cool. It is like a hodgepodge of buildings lumped together, but somehow it seemed to make some sort of sense. Since it is a big tourist site, there are restaurants, shops, and even hotels on the island, located at the base.

The main fort/chapel is at the peak of course, and as the name implies, there are lots of steps, in addition to inclined roads, so the trek can be tiring for some. As I alluded to earlier with the construction, walking around was something out of MC Escher. There were small stairs and alleys, nooks, and rooms galore. The overall effect though was one of grandeur - tall, steep, massive walls, parapets and lookouts, columns and long passageways. The view over the English Channel was also magnificent.

We spent several hours at Le Mont St. Michel, and had quite a nice time. Around 2pm, we noticed a huge influx of Asian tourists; they were right on time. Let me explain. We were told that the Asians often take tours, which are of course, on specific schedules. I forget where they were in the morning, but they showed up when expected in the afternoon. Fortunately for us, we were on our way out. It was time for lunch, but not before I picked up my souvenirs. I bought myself a magnet, my usual for vacation destinations, but also a puzzle of Le Mont St. Michel. That’s going to be a fun one!

I believe I mentioned previously that the Europeans have a different take on when restaurants and shops are open. Unlike the 24hr. mentality of the U.S., Europeans close early and often. That is with the partial exception of touristy areas. At this point we were trying to eat after the “normally” prescribed time for lunch, but we found one eatery just on the mainland that was open. I had a goat cheese salad. The goat cheese was warm and actually laid out on toasted bread, which was laid out on top of the greens. It was quite good. If you didn’t know, goat cheese is pretty strong and not to everyone’s liking, especially my Mom. She loves cheese, but not a fan of this type. More for me!

After lunch we headed to Villiedeau-les-Poeles, which was actually on the main road back. Nancy, our B&B hostess, told us about a copper “factory” located there that had tours. We were late for a tour, but scheduled a time to return on the 5^th, and instead roamed the immediate area for a while. As with all the towns we ended up visiting during our travels, this one was quaint. There will be more about this later, but for now, check out the picture of the pizza dispenser in the next post of pictures. This has to be one of the craziest things I have ever seen. You actually order the pizza through the touch-screen and delivered in the slot. At least there isn’t a delivery charge! We mentioned it to the lady we talked to at the copper factory and she basically said “tsk, tsk,” do not try it. We were tempted to do it just to see it work, but we exercised caution.

After a short time, we got back in the car and headed back to Carentan. We just lounged around the B&B, likely playing Farkel.

Well, until next time…

July 22 (Day 285)

Here are some pictures from July 2. From the top: a real neat looking house in Bayeux, the Bayeux Tapestry Museum, the interior of the restaurant we ate at in Carentan (notice the old bike on the wall), exterior view of the restaurant, a couple pics of the family at the restaurant, my meal at a nice canal in Baeux, and several pictures of flowers in Bayeux.