We’re in Rouen, the capital of Normandy, France. Walking around in Rouen is like being in a time machine. We stroll around town, passing by modern buildings that one might see in any cosmopolitan city. Then we turn a corner and it looks like we’ve walked into the 15th century. Continue reading “Walking Around in Rouen”
Rouen and the Hundred Years War
We’re cruising through Normandy on the Seine river, heading back from the Atlantic coast toward Paris. Today we’re docked at Normandy’s capital, Rouen. It’s probably best-known for its massive cathedral, but history buffs know Rouen for being where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake. Julia Child fans know it because this is where she had a life-changing experience in a French restaurant. The restaurant is still here. Continue reading “Rouen and the Hundred Years War”
D-Day Beaches – Arromanches and Le Bocage
We have one more stop on our whirlwind tour of the D-Day Beaches – Arromanches. Today Arromanches, (pronounced “arrow-mansh”), is a neat little tourist town on the Normandy coast. Seventy-five years ago this was Gold Beach, where British forces landed on D-day. In the critical days following D-Day, Arromanche was Action Central. Continue reading “D-Day Beaches – Arromanches and Le Bocage”
D-Day Beaches – Batterie Longues-sur-Mer
We’re in Normandy, visiting the D-Day Beaches. We started at the Normandy American Cemetery, made a stop at Omaha Beach, and then headed north toward Arromanche. We’ve been taking a coastal route on narrow roads passing through one small village after another. Home-made tributes to American, British, and Canadian soldiers lined the road whenever we passed through a village. We’re on our way to see the Batterie Longues-sur-Mer. Continue reading “D-Day Beaches – Batterie Longues-sur-Mer”
D-Day Beaches – The First Six Hours
We’re at the Normandy American Cemetery three days before the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landing. It’s a beautiful, serene, thought-provoking place. We traveled 90 minutes by bus to get to the D-Day Beaches. Along the way, our guide for the day painted a picture in words that helped put the D-Day invasion in perspective, so the ride was time well-spent. Continue reading “D-Day Beaches – The First Six Hours”
D-Day Beaches – The Normandy American Cemetery
In three days it will be the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landing on the beaches of Normandy. I’ve wanted to visit the D-Day beaches for a long time. Today is finally the day.
Last night our boat traveled back up the Seine and docked at the small town of Caudebec-en-Caux. At Caudebec-en-Caux we boarded a bus to make the 90-minute ride to Colleville sur Mer, where the American Cemetery is located. Our tour guide, who was with us on the bus, was a youngish French lady. As we made our way to the highway, she started telling us a few things about the D-Day invasion . I thought I already knew quite a bit about the invasion, but I soon realized I knew next to nothing about D-Day, really. Continue reading “D-Day Beaches – The Normandy American Cemetery”
La Route du Cidre — Let’s Take a Drive!
We’re in Pays d’Auge, Normandy, rolling through the countryside on La Route du Cidre. Drinking and driving is bad, but luckily for us, drinking and riding in a gigantic, modern tour bus is perfectly fine – especially in France. Bordeaux has its “Routes du Vin.” Burgundy has “La Route des Grands Crus.” Ah, oui. But Normandy has “La Route du Cidre.” And from cidre, we get Calvados! Continue reading “La Route du Cidre — Let’s Take a Drive!”
Le Havre and Honfleur
We left Les Andelys last night and made our way up river to where the Seine empties into the English Channel. This morning we docked at the port of Le Havre, just across the river from Honfleur. Honfleur is a picturesque little fishing port whose ancient buildings been here for centuries.
Le Havre is a modern container port, manufacturing center, and university town. Everything here is new – every building, post-1944. Le Havre was totally decimated in World War II. Continue reading “Le Havre and Honfleur”
Chateau Gaillard – Richard the Lionheart’s Favorite Place to Hang Out
We’re in the little town of Les Andelys, France. It’s the first stop on our Seine river cruise through Normandy. When we look up, we see the massive remains of a medieval structure called Chateau Gaillard. It used to be Richard the Lionheart’s favorite place to hang out. That’s right – Richard the Lionheart. Continue reading “Chateau Gaillard – Richard the Lionheart’s Favorite Place to Hang Out”
Les Andelys, Normandy
The first thing I did when I woke up this morning was walk over to the sliding glass doors, pull the curtains back, and take a look outside. “We’re moving!” I couldn’t feel anything that gave away the ship’s motion, but the lush greenery on the banks of the Seine was passing by at a pretty good clip. We were on our way to Les Andelys. Continue reading “Les Andelys, Normandy”
