Jour 9 on découvre la Normandie!

We began this morning at 7h, met our guide Fabien, and to our delight, our chauffeur Dider from our last exchange. The first highlight was the rest stop minimart where new exotic flavors of potato chips and fruit candies awaited.

From there we headed to Omaha Beach and a chance to wade in the ocean on this side of the Atlantic.  Not everyone understood our desire to bring back a little bit of history in a bottle. But no one can remain indifferent to the beauty of the beach and the importance of this site.  

Next stop was the American Cemetary.  Fabien gave a brief history of the battle before we each spent some time walking among the seemingly endless rows of of crosses and stars of David.  There was an almost overwhelming sense of peace and solitude in spite of the number of visitors.  This quote above the statue at the entrance set the tone.

THIS EMBATTLED SHORE,PORTAL OF FREEDOM HALLOWED BY THE IDEALS THE VALOR THE SACRIFICES OF OUR FELLOW COUNTRYMEN. 

The time capsule containing articles and artifacts from DDAY will not be opened until 2044; an event that these students intend to follow very closely.

Next stop...Pointe du Hoc where the Rangers scaled cliffs 30 meters high on June 6th.  Both the allied air and naval forces had bombed the site days before making the climb even more precarious.  The numerous craters left behind attest to the intensity of the bombing.  We explored les "bunkers" and the craters; some of us arriving at the bottom faster than others!

The views were truly breathtaking and underscored the enormous difficulty facing the Rangers.  Many of the students have studied the Battle of Normandy and have seen the film Saving Private Ryan, but standing on this ground adds another more personal perspective.  Stomachs rumbling, we headed back to Caen for a traditional fondue with Roblucon, followed by crèpe liégeoise,glace,crème brûlée or pêche Melba.  Bon Appétit!

Didier, our driver had exceeded his allowable number of hours on the road.  So he headed for the hotel and we took public transportation back to town.  A quick check in at the hotel then off for a balade to the Château before crashing at 12, that's 24h for you Francophiles  If you look carefully, you will see the two towers of the Abbaye aux Hommes of William the Conqueror in the background. 

Bonne nuit et à demain!