See The World

with BILL'S EYES

The bunker closest to and over looking both Omaha and Utah beaches.

Part of the packed Honfleur Aires.

Inside the bunker at Pont du Hoc. Confronting even today.

Not particularly clear but the paratrooper hangs precariously from part of the church roof.

Day 27 we wake up with the cows, literally since we hear them on their way for the morning milking session. If you have read some of our earlier blogs you will know that we have woken to, Children on more than one occasion, Chickens, and today Cows. I see a pattern, do you? Yes --- they all make noises that wake you up.

Today we are intending to make our way towards the WW1 monument at the Somme mainly dedicated to Australia troops that have no discernible grave. Once in the area we will find a place to stay nearby so we can visit the next day. There is over 300 kms to travel today but we still find time in the relatively early morning to visit a place from which we can observe both the Omaha and Utah beaches, which are the code names for the landing places of the US forces on D-Day 6 June 1944, that place being Pont du Hoc not that far from Sainte-Mere-Englise. 

This visit is just a somber as yesterday's visit to the museum but this time we are at the very place the battles were fought and the defensive battlements are still in place but in part only. The cliff faces below Pont du Hoc are as imposing today as they must have been for the troops advancing in boats towards them. Many of the rocket propelled ropes designed to attach a rope ladder to the cliff face could not be deployed because the ropes became soaked and became too heavy to be fired effectively. Those that did deploy required the troopers deploying them to get much closer to the cliff faces than planned and then once the ropes had been set those same troops and others had to scale great heights under rifle and machine gun fire to breach the cliff tops and begin their battle.

It is a visit to an actual almost intact battle ground that brings this particular history into perspective.

I do not want to dwell on this subject too much, so it is off to our next destination via a seaside township along the way called Honfleur, which is on the Northern coastline of France near Le Harve a terminal from which a ferry crosses the English Channel and ends up in Portsmouth England.

Our visit to Honfleur is primarily to break up the long drive but it could easily have been an overnight stay location leaving more kilometers to be driven tomorrow morning. We head for the local Aire which comprises a carpark next to the wharf area and the layout is large and capable of accommodating 80 - 90 CamperVans and costing 11 Euro for a 24 hour stay some with power. We arrive about 1:30 pm and take up one of about four non-powered sites remaining, so we feel glad about that but have not yet had showers. Once clean and fresh we set down to some lunch but later regret that step, since soon after our lunch we go for a walk through the town and there are lots of harbor-side restaurants that we could have eaten at and had a lazy afternoon and further, if we had stayed, we could have had wine with our meal as well.

Our impression of the township is that is popular as evidenced by the many CamperVans, the river cruise ships that terminate here, and the sheer number of people just walking about, many taking pictures. We took a few pictures as well but not half as many as we have of other townships, especially sea-side townships. Whether we are jaded by our prior experiences or that the views did not really justify the effort is a matter for debate since most pictures taken are a personal judgement call.

In fact even that statement is a matter for debate since the advent of digital cameras and phones with large digital storage capability, for a reasonable price, there is no effective cost per picture and we all take as many pictures as we like and more, since we never quite know which one will turnout.

We end up leaving the Aire but not before we receive a ticket, which we are not sure is a fine notice or not. However, since we are not staying we are not sure what to do, so we buy a ticket anyway, just to be sure all is OK.

You will recall that the lovely German couple lent us an extension cord while we stayed at the dairy farm near Englesqueville. Well in my endeavor to make sure they received their cord back I coiled mine up, returned theirs, and then left mine back at the farm. Of course that was only apparent when we arrived at the caravan park near Albert in the Somme area.

Some quick thinking and we located a Super U shop in the town, using Google, and on my bike I leapt with Google Maps directing me, to make it to the store before it closed. Mission accomplished and we had power for the night hot showers the next morning and a cider to calm the soul.

The front of the dairy farm homestead.

The museum has many excellent displays.

One of a few unusual buildings along the harbour-side.

The farm dog getting lots of attention from Lee.

Our view this evening.

Utah beach (misnomer since there is little actual beach) but may be that was part of the reason for the choice of code name.

Honfleur harbour-side yacht display.

Cider is the local drink, so it seemed reasonable to taste the fare.

Day 26 is day 26 because I checked what I wrote yesterday, such is the nature of a holiday. I would not even know the day of the week or date and Lee thinks that is a good thing.

We begin our day at Mont St Michel and intend to travel some 150 kms and end up at a township St-Mere-Eglisa that bore the brunt of the allied invasion on D-Day 6 June 1944 during the 2nd World War to view a museum devoted to the US paratroopers that were an integral part of that invasion to reclaim France from the occupation of German troops.

I am not one that venerates war and the associated aspects that are commercialized or often depicted in films for a variety of reasons, as that does not appeal to me. War is a serious subject and one that can be very personal as it was for my father who never spoke of it and for me who has never had a personal experience of it. My father's generation lived it and I and my generation know and appreciate the ultimate sacrifice many made, whatever side that person was, in the situtation.

However, as has been said much more eloquently that I ever can, we live today with relative freedom and opportunities that are a direct consequence of the efforts and faith of those who came before us. 

So it was my intention to experience, at least at some superficial level, the experiences of those brave and selfless people that fought the battle on behalf of future generations.

The township is geared to accommodate the tourists as well as the tourist busses and the museum we chose to see is one of many in the area.

We entered the museum after easily finding a park and noted without recognition the church which stood not far from the entrance to the museum. More about that later.

This is a small museum but all reports we read before going there indicated that the subject matter is very well depicted. There are numerous displays of the uniforms and clothing of the troops, numerous examples of the equipment, machinery and gunnery that was used.

I was particularly taken with a video prepared by the museum that explained the preparation and execution of the Allied invasion of the area about this French town. It was graphic and heart wrenching on so many levels. I left the small theatre sad and not really wanting to see more of the displays but did so in awe of the situation and the people that were involved on both sides of the conflict.

Some of our pictures will convey the feelings we had and other will fall far short. One of the pictures is a recreation of an airplane filled with paratroopers ready to jump into the night to meet their fate but with a purpose and determination that must have helped to counter the natural feelings of fear and uncertainty of their fate amplified by the sounds enveloping them from the plane engines, the wind, the anti-aircraft shells exploding in the air about them. The tour included those sounds and provided a glimpse of their circumstances. We can only be glad we are not one of them. 

After the tour we were able to better appreciate the church we had passed going in, since on one side of the roof of the church roof there was a paratrooper uniformed dummy hanging by a parachute wrapped about a portion of the church roof top. This is symbolic of one unfortunate paratrooper that became a potential target for the occupiers of the town, but who feigned his demise until he was cut down by the occupying troops and held prisoner, but just for a short while, as he escaped and joined fellow paratroopers much later in the day. One of many amazing stories of the 6 June 1944.

We end our day on a much happier note by finding an Aire at a dairy farm near Englesqueville. As an interesting counter point to the theme of the day we had the pleasure of having two lovely German CamperVanners lend us an extension cord so that we could connect to the mains electricity for the night. They spoke very acceptable English and I enjoyed speaking in my high school German but so few words it was a vain effort on my part.

The pictures tell the story about the farm and we have so many pictures of cows that even Maddie (our 18 month old Grand Daughter) will be bored looking at them and of course pictures of the farm dog that befriended us, mainly because we fed him biscuits, patted him and allowed him to come into the Camper Van and stay for part of the evening.

This is one of the gliders used to carry troops and vehicles to the battlefield.

Cows and more cows on their way for evening milking just meters from our parking spot.

A map of the area involved in D-day.

Milking in action.

These paratroopers await their fate.

Cows enjoying a pre-milk feed which I am sure is part of the reason they willingly make their way to the milking sheds.

Day 26 is overcast and adds to the somber visit ahead of us today.

I said 'CHEESE' and she smiled.

Difficult to capture the very useful depiction of the landscape awaiting the paratroopers at night absent the sound and light accompany this display.

Restaurants and yachts go together.