Day Twelve -- Rouen and the Normandie Beaches

This is a very long day -- we are on a bus at 8:15 am to visit first the American Museum in Arromanches, then the American Cemetery at Omaha Beach and lastly La Pointe Du Hoc where American Rangers landed on D-Day. Our guide, Olivier, gives a running narrative of the German occupation of France and how Rouen was destroyed by fires brought on by the arrival of German tanks. Olivier explained that Rouen was liberated late (Aug 25th) since the Allied Troops had difficulty getting to Normandy with no bridge across the Seine.

In Arromanches the American Museum is small and very crowded -- but there are some interesting exhibits. The outside area is more intriguing since it is here that the Allies built a harbor to use as a base of operations --  some of the stone stanchions used for ramps, etc. are still in evidence.

We have been given 20 Euros each by the ship for our lunch. Phil and I find "Brasserie du 6 juin" -- Patte and Dave join us. When we see all the guides in the restaurant we know we have chosen well.

On June 6, 1944 between 6:30 am and 7:30 am 135,000 men and 20,000 vehicles went ashore at five beaches (all with code names) on the Normandy coast.   The Americans landed at Omaha and Utah,  the British landed at Gold, the Canadians landed at Juno and the British and French landed at Sword.  These landings were only the beginning --- the Battle of Normandy lasted three months -- much longer than the Allies expected.  We stopped at Omaha where the American Cemetery is located. Omaha lost 3,000 young men and Utah lost 920 young men that day.

Olivier leads us to the top of Omaha Beach explaining more about the landings and the dangers faced by everyone involved.  It is up to us if we want to walk down to the beach -- we do.   It is really something to stand on Omaha Beach -- look up the cliff as those men did -- and know how many of them lost their lives on the very spot where we stand.

After a tough climb back up the hill we walk over to the Cemetery -- all the headstones are white with Crosses for the Christians and Star of David for the Jewish casualties. Walking through the cemetery to the chapel in the very center of the graves I think how beautiful it is.

There is also a memorial with a sculpture depicting youth since most of the casualties were so young. On either side of the sculpture are maps of the battles that were fought.

After spending an hour and a half at Omaha we are off to La Pointe Du Hoc which was a strategic position in the German fortifications along the coast of Normandy. The task of taking this location fell to the American Rangers. They had to scale the cliff under enemy fire before the battle had begun. The fighting here on June 6th and 7th cost the lives of 135 Rangers.

La Pointe Du Hoc has been left just as it was in 1944.  The bomb craters are there --- the German bunkers are there --- and the destroyed bunkers are as they were.   The cliff scaled by the Rangers is as it was -- except there is a platform so visitors can more easily look down to the water.  

All of these sites are truly amazing and certainly gives one pause --- the bus ride home was very quiet.

We arrive back to the AmaLegro at 6:30 -- dinner at 7:30 -- "Name that Tune" after dinner --- we are terrible getting only half right.

Thanks for Reading!