I’ll expand on today a bit more. We woke up at 7:15 and had a quick breakfast in the hotel before walking to pick up the rental car. Picking up the car went smoothly except that we got a crappy Kia with super-touchy brakes and a flaccid clutch pedal. Definitely no Panda. We rushed over to the tourist office to pick up the special D-Day tour book to find them closed until 9:30. Crap. So, we checked out the eglise across the street and the HUGE William the Conqueror fortress in town. After the tourist office opened and a bit of confusion, we were off on the scenic route to our first destination: Arromanches.
At Arromanches the allies erected two gigantic artificial harbors capable of sheltering the entire 4000 ship fleet. The harbor was dragged in pieces across the English Channel at 5 mph. Within hours of taking the beaches, trucks were driving back and forth across the harbor, which eventually carried millions of tons of gear per day to the forces inland. Insane. Pieces of the harbor still remain visible and are a testament to the great durability of this very rapid undertaking.
Next, we visited Longues sur Mer where the German guns are still in their gigantic 6-foot-thick pillboxes. Totally surreal. We also hit the port where all of the fuel for the allies came in. We wanted to do the American cemetery, but were also feeling hungry and worried we would miss out on my Mom’s restaurant recommendation. So, we skipped over the cemetery to come back later. Restaurant L’Omaha was, indeed, all it was cracked up to be. We both had prix-fixe menus, and I had an Ile-Flottante for the first time in 5 years.
Feeling rejuvenated we walked out of the restaurant right onto Omaha Beach where the gravity of the events there hit us with full force. The monuments there are absolutely beautiful. They feel old and timeless and deeply spiritual. Walking on the beach at low tide, I couldn’t help but feel like I was walking on history itself. Just as I witnessed the beach reabsorbing that sheep in Ireland, so too did that very beach certainly absorb blood, humans, guns, shells, and equipment to turn them into sand. Those events will always, literally, be a part of that beach.
We returned to the American cemetery in the right mindset to appreciate the importance of it. Situated on the cliffs overlooking the ocean, it is truly a magnificent monument to the men who died. I found the chapel to be particularly moving, its massive weight seeming to rest directly upon the soul. Even the construction of the cemetery itself was surely a huge undertaking. One can only imagine D-Day itself. I read a quote in the guidebook from a British soldier who said it looked like every ship, every tank, and every gun ever made had been assembled for that day.
After the cemetery we went to Point du Hoc, an extremely important defensive point for the Germans. Once thought to be an invincible location, special Army rangers scaled cliffs under heavy fire to take out the especially dangerous guns there. From there, the Germans could fire on many of the beaches. I can’t even imagine fighting while scaling a cliff. Of the 230 or so rangers who began the assault only 90 remained at the end. Only 2 were responsible for finding and destroying the hidden German guns.
With light fading we drove on for a quick visit to Utah beach and St. Mere Eglise, the drop point for the paratroopers. The drive home was surprisingly long on the autoroute, and we were both very tired. After a brief break at the hotel we went out for another fantastic dinner that included rabbit terrine, warm chevre salad, and crème brulee. I was also able to have a menthe a l’eau, a drink which I have missed dearly in the US.
Tomorrow we’re gonna stick around Caen, and Laura has a 3pm train. I’m so tired right now that I can’t believe I actually wrote this.
4 comments:
Oh, Beaker, you have quite a big gun there! It's amazing to see that place through your eyes/pictures and your writing. Those beaches are the real deal. I remember seeing a cemetery in Normandy and being blown away. It was so pristine and moving. But that was so long ago. Anyway, hope you are doing well. We all miss you tremendously back here in the U.S.
Love it all Ben, you are one sexy man...i wish i knew French so i could just bum around there for a bit. James May, one of the presenters from TopGear did a wine tour around France in a Jag, and that got me pretty aroused for France...I have a feeling my weekend in Nice was not quite as neat as your little foray. Looking good my man, sorry to hear about the Kia...
Gary and I were so excited to hear your reaction to the D-Day beaches and memorials. And your pictures are so different than ours because the fields are brown and the beach is empty so it looks more like a landing area than a recreation area. Glad you enjoyed L'Omaha. You covered a lot of ground. Hope your crossing to England goes smoothly. Love, Mom
Those beaches definitely are the real deal. I feel that seeing them is something that every American should really do. Our way of life was just so threatened then and so many lives were at risk. It really was a world war.
Miss you too man!
Stu...I hope you got my email with that Alfa. Yeah, my French is just not what it used to be. How about you come to Japan with me so we can both be confused?
I'm excited to share my other pictures of the beaches. We didn't start to run into large groups until the afternoon, but, honestly, I think it is a good thing that a lot of people are visiting there. Omaha beach was so completely empty. We both got teary just standing there.
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