Normandy, France
Today was, in my opinion, the biggest and most important day of the entire voyage. We dedicated our time to the exploration of the entire length of the World War II D-Day (June 6, 1944) invasion site of Normandy…that is, the coastline between Caen and Cherbourg. Our long anticipated exploration began quite early this morning, because we had many sites and a relatively long distance of about 60 miles (100 km) to cover. Right near the ship's berth, we passed Pegasus Bridge, a critical crossing point on the Orne River that was captured and held by British commandos the night before the actual invasion. One of the expendable gliders used in that operation was on display nearby.
The first part of our trip paralleled Sector Two (the British section of the invasion area consisting of Gold, Juno, and Sword beaches), and we stopped at the seaside town of Arromanches to see the remains of Churchill's ingenious Floating Harbour or Artificial Port that was set up within days of the invasion. Many of the massive concrete caisons are still in place, although the floating platforms and roads have long since been dismantled or destroyed by storms. We had time to view the excellent Landing Museum near the shore within view of the caisons and learn all about both the invasion and the construction of the Floating Harbour. A short distance west of Arromanches, we stopped to examine a couple of the last remaining intact German gun emplacements set up to thwart any attempted landings in the area.
Lunch was a delightful affair at the beautiful Chateau 'La Cheneviere', and the food was delicious, but the naturalists were notably excited by the diverse collection of magnificent trees on the surrounding grounds. It allowed us to appreciate the physical beauty of the region and take our minds off the war for a little while.
The highlight of the day, however, was our visit to the American Cemetery just above Omaha Beach, near the town of Coleville Sur Mer. The circular memorial, with maps and descriptions of the events of June, 1944, is very impressive, but the sight of the manicured grounds and 9,387 white marble grave markers of the fallen American soldiers was very moving, and an emotional experience for some of us. Many people climbed down to the wide, tranquil beach and could hardly imagine what it must have been like at this very spot some 64 years ago on that murderous day. American forces landed along the entire length of Omaha beach, which is about four miles (6 km) long, but unlike the other landing sites in Normandy, this one was much more heavily defended…resulting in appalling casualties. We encountered drizzle on and off during the day, but by the end of our visit here, the sun came out and the marble headstones and monuments were dazzling in their brightness.
A couple miles down the coast, the road brought us down to the seaside town of Vierville Sur Mer, where we made a short stop and had another chance to walk on the famous beach. From here, we drove to Sainte ere Eglise, a small picturesque town made famous by the pre-invasion landing of the 82nd Airborne paratroopers just after midnight on the night of June 5/6th, 1944. Most people went into the St. Mary's Church and admired the beautiful stained-glass window containing images of the American paratroopers floating towards the Earth. Outside, a mannequin representing the hapless John Steele hangs by its parachute still snagged on the steeple of the church.
We then drove through numerous apple orchards and made a quick stop at the Yvetot Bocage cider house near Valognes for a sample or two of their finest before continuing to Cherbourg, where we re-embarked the National Geographic Endeavour to finish up an eventful and emotional day.
Today was, in my opinion, the biggest and most important day of the entire voyage. We dedicated our time to the exploration of the entire length of the World War II D-Day (June 6, 1944) invasion site of Normandy…that is, the coastline between Caen and Cherbourg. Our long anticipated exploration began quite early this morning, because we had many sites and a relatively long distance of about 60 miles (100 km) to cover. Right near the ship's berth, we passed Pegasus Bridge, a critical crossing point on the Orne River that was captured and held by British commandos the night before the actual invasion. One of the expendable gliders used in that operation was on display nearby.
The first part of our trip paralleled Sector Two (the British section of the invasion area consisting of Gold, Juno, and Sword beaches), and we stopped at the seaside town of Arromanches to see the remains of Churchill's ingenious Floating Harbour or Artificial Port that was set up within days of the invasion. Many of the massive concrete caisons are still in place, although the floating platforms and roads have long since been dismantled or destroyed by storms. We had time to view the excellent Landing Museum near the shore within view of the caisons and learn all about both the invasion and the construction of the Floating Harbour. A short distance west of Arromanches, we stopped to examine a couple of the last remaining intact German gun emplacements set up to thwart any attempted landings in the area.
Lunch was a delightful affair at the beautiful Chateau 'La Cheneviere', and the food was delicious, but the naturalists were notably excited by the diverse collection of magnificent trees on the surrounding grounds. It allowed us to appreciate the physical beauty of the region and take our minds off the war for a little while.
The highlight of the day, however, was our visit to the American Cemetery just above Omaha Beach, near the town of Coleville Sur Mer. The circular memorial, with maps and descriptions of the events of June, 1944, is very impressive, but the sight of the manicured grounds and 9,387 white marble grave markers of the fallen American soldiers was very moving, and an emotional experience for some of us. Many people climbed down to the wide, tranquil beach and could hardly imagine what it must have been like at this very spot some 64 years ago on that murderous day. American forces landed along the entire length of Omaha beach, which is about four miles (6 km) long, but unlike the other landing sites in Normandy, this one was much more heavily defended…resulting in appalling casualties. We encountered drizzle on and off during the day, but by the end of our visit here, the sun came out and the marble headstones and monuments were dazzling in their brightness.
A couple miles down the coast, the road brought us down to the seaside town of Vierville Sur Mer, where we made a short stop and had another chance to walk on the famous beach. From here, we drove to Sainte ere Eglise, a small picturesque town made famous by the pre-invasion landing of the 82nd Airborne paratroopers just after midnight on the night of June 5/6th, 1944. Most people went into the St. Mary's Church and admired the beautiful stained-glass window containing images of the American paratroopers floating towards the Earth. Outside, a mannequin representing the hapless John Steele hangs by its parachute still snagged on the steeple of the church.
We then drove through numerous apple orchards and made a quick stop at the Yvetot Bocage cider house near Valognes for a sample or two of their finest before continuing to Cherbourg, where we re-embarked the National Geographic Endeavour to finish up an eventful and emotional day.
