In the week running up to D-Day, we decided to take a trip in the campervan up to the Normandy coast, to take advantage of the great weather and to see some of the sights before it was swamped with people. We stayed at a nice small campsite in the La Manche region, just south of Carentan, which gave us great access to all the coastal areas as well as inland. Despite turning up last to the site that day, we were given the best pitch in the back corner under some fruit trees. On the first day, we opted to go into Bayeux to explore. The weather was extremely hot and the town was gearing up for the commemorations. Bayeux was the first town to be liberated (by the british) on the eve of D Day, and its central cathedral escaped a lot of damage. After a lunch in the old town, we took a look inside and explored the crypt, with some very old paintings still visible on the walls. After this, we walked across to the museum and visited the iconic Bayeux tapestry. It is an amazing sight and much bigger than we had anticipated. We opted for the audio tour, and it was clear that there is a lot of hidden messaging in the tapestry, some of which they clearly were guessing at the meaning of !
As we wound our way back to the campervan, we stopped at the British commonwealth war cemetery on the outskirts of the town. It remains immaculatley kept, with a bewildering number of headstones, testament to the sheer scale of D Day and the number of men who lost ther lives in that campaign. Poignant also, is a section given over the german soldiers who fought and died in the area, with simpler headstones, but recognised nonetheless. Something that must have been difficult to establish at the time, just after the war.
Day 2 and back on the road again to St Mere Eglise, a mecca for US airborne troops, who completed a large drop here on the night before D Day and were scattered around the town before grouping together near the church and liberating the small village, before pushing forward to the bridgehead. A dummy in parachutist gear still hangs from the steeple of the church, re-creating the incident that happened on the night of 05 June 1944. The town is still small, but was awash with re-enactors of all nationalities. Behind the permenant museum, was a full wartime camp recreation, with a huge array of vehicles and equipment. After visiting this site, we moved on up the coast road, stopping at Pont du Hoc, to view the huge german gun emplacements and read about the cliff climbing exploits of the US rangers. We detoured into a small fishing port called Grandcamp-Maisy and enjoyed a lovely lunch before continuing down the coast road. Each village en route felt very lively and had a celebratory atmosphere. There were re-enactments everywhere and large tents being erected for parties. These were the US sectors of Utah and Omaha, and whilst it could be explained away against US exeurberance (they can at times forget the war started a little before 06 June 1944), it seemed that the french were happy with this upbeat attitude. It is very different to the somber and reverend way we approach remembrance, but I guess the french view this as a day of liberation and the chance to have won their lives and freedom back, something we never had to endure in Britain.
We were aiming for the US military cemetary at Colleville-sur-mer, but as we approached, it was clear that the crowds and queues were already enormous, and we quickly agreed to return another day, without the crowds, to pay our respects at what is a truly harrowing yet awe inspiring place. Instead we pushed on down to a small Abbaye, dating back to the 14th century. It was beautifully quiet and away from the bustle of people. It had lovely restored small formal gardens and a temporary exhibit (sadly not quite ready or fully open), as it had been used as a first aid and dressing station by US troops on D Day. We then tried to stop at our final destination of Arromanches-sur-mer, but sadly could not find a parking spot for the camper ! Tired and sunburnt, we beat a path back to the campsite to rest and recuperate !
The final day saw a lazy start, followed by a bike ride into the town of La Hate du Puits. Everything was calm and quiet (a classic Sunday in France!) but we stocked up on bread and enjoyed some brunch. We then went across to the german military cemetary. It was a very different experience, but one no less moving than the others we had seen. After the war, there was to be no triumph or proud sacrifice for the germans, and whilst they repatriated a large number of their dead, many had to be buried in Normandy, or were lost with no known grave, so are commemorated here. The gravestones were ordered to be laid flat, and most display multiple names, to not indicate the scale of loss. Small dark basalt crosses are erected amongst the graves, but all are simply carved with minimal information. It is a true reflection of a defeated army, but time spent reading the gravestones indicated just how young they all were, and how desperate the German Army had become in its recruiting of underage soldiers to fill the ranks. The site was dominated by a large monument, that sits atop a mass grave of several thousand bodies. We then drove to the town of Coutances, stopping on the way to find some lunch. Finding a restaurant open on a Sunday can be a challenge, but we found one in a tiny little seaside spot, where Matt ate his own bodyweight in mussels ! In Coutances we visited the large catholic cathedral, as well as a smaller run down church in its shadow. Down the hill we strolled around a small formal garden before grabbing an ice cream and heading back. It was then up early the next day to head back to Le Vésinet and prepare to go back to work !
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