Paris Trip: Day Five!

Day Five

Wednesday November 7th, 2007

Today was one of the busiest days we had on this trip.  We were up, finished breakfast, and on the bus by 7:45.  Today was the day trip to the Normandy beaches of D-Day fame.

Our first stop was Arromanches, code name Gold Beach.  It was on the shores of  this tiny village that most of the British troops landed.  Today, the village has grown into a formidable tourist sight, with an over priced D-Day museum, and dozens of cafes, shops, galleries and souvenir shops. 

Now, had we visited in the spring or summer, it would be lovely to enjoy the towns sights and the pleasant weather.  However, it was November, and that means not only was it 28 degrees Fahrenheit, but the wind was blowing REALLY strongly.  All but two shops were closed, and there was only one café and, ironically, an ice cream parlor open.  The bus pulled up, we got off, and then they announced that the buses would be back in three and a half hours. 

We took pictures of the beach and of the remains of one of the famous temporary harbors that Churchill built out of scrap metal.  We thought that perhaps the museum was free or included, but it is not.  It cost 6.50 Euros to go in.  Although it was warm, it was really small, and not worth it to my mother and I.  We walked down the city streets, passing the closed shops.  We did a bit of shopping, including one souvenir shop that salvaged a number of items from D-Day.  They had everything from bullets to first aide kits, helmets to boots.  We visited the local church, which replaced the stained glass windows that had gotten blown out in the War with scenes of Americans, British, and Canadian soldiers liberating the village and all of France.

We had an interesting lunch at the one restaurant.  It was provided by Uniworld, and was some type of traditional meal.  We finally got to go back on the bus, and were on our way to the Normandy American Cemetery. 

The night before, Uniworld left the name and grave location of a solider buried in the cemetery.  When we arrived, be were given flowers to place on the grave.  It was very special, and a really nice touch.  We were then given 45 minutes to explore the grounds.  My mom and I had read an article earlier in the year about the new visitors center, and so we decided to spend our time there.

The center was great, and brand new.  It was set up to be savored, with a number of personal stories about soldiers who are buried in the cemetery.  I only wish I didn’t have to rush through it so quickly.  I was pretty disappointed that I did not get to make it to the chapel.

This was one part of our trip that made my mother and I really upset.  We spent three and a half hours in a closed town trying to entertain ourselves, and ended up with only 45 minutes in the American Cemetery and visitors center.  I felt cheated.  We got the impression that the only reason our stop in Arromanches was because Uniworld had some kind of agreement to pump money into the town.

After we were herded back into the bus, we went to Omaha beach.  It was quite an experience.  Although a little town had sprung up in response to the tourism, there was not a lot there.  Unlike at Gold Beach, there was nothing built upon the sand.  Our tour guide told us that it is protected under law, out of respect for the men who died there.  The memorial is simple, beautiful and haunting.  The sand was an eerie red color.  It was amazing to stand at a sight that is held in such regard by the French, German and American people alike.

However, we were only allowed 15 minutes to get out and walk around.  Again, this beach is one of the most famous beaches, and we felt robbed that our time was so short.

Our next stop was Pointe du Hoc.  I had never heard of this place until we got there, and it turned out to be my favorite Normandy Beach highlight.  This point, on the top of a cliff, had some of the largest and most powerful guns of the 1940s, plus several bunkers full of German reinforcements, supplies and weapons.  Pointe du Hoc sits between the Utah landing site and the Omaha site.  This strong hold was the biggest threat to the allied troops.

The most interesting part about this was place was the fact that most of the underground bunkers and above ground structures were still standing.  There were remains of several big guns, and even original barbed wire.  We explored all over this area, including inside the bunkers.  We also got some incredible pictures of the interior bunkers and different ruins.  There were some serious craters, which were created by the dropping of bombs to take the point out of commission on D-Day.  We spent a good two hours there, but the visitor’s center was closed. 

This was one of the busiest days that we had so far, but it was also the one day with my most complaints.  The time structure was really disappointing, and I felt that they were not as apt to what the travelers’ expectations were.  I think that this day on the itinerary could, and should, be reworked. 

The sights were all amazing, but we really were exhausted after all the places we went!

I did want to make a quick note about the attitude of the French people towards Americans, and the French in World War II.  Our tour guide, Dominique, made a point of mentioning this at the beginning of our tour.  Few people realize that World War I, which had happened just twenty years before, wiped out half of all males in the country.  The population could not support an army built by men.  Thus, they felt there was no choice but to surrender.

Dominique told us that the French people are eternally grateful for the liberation, and that the generation that remembers the war will never forget that they owe their current country to the Americans, British and Canadians.  This was really well illustrated in all the towns, which sported the American flag, the Union Jack, and the Maple Leaf right along with the French flag.  There were window paintings, fliers and billboards that proudly proclaimed in English and French “Welcome to our liberators!”  It made me feel really proud to be an American, and really welcome.

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