The Dreadful Day - D-Day

Our trip didn’t start off so good, but after being bumped from the first plane, having to argue with Hertz rental agency, having to get lost at least twice in Paris and once in Caen, the trip started to unfold. We are now staying in this adorable european hotel off the coast of France. Of course, after it takes you a bit back because it is nothing like US hotels, but once you get to know the people, the beautiful view and knowing you are sitting in France, it is not so bad.

We woke up from a very long slumber to an absolute gorgeous day to take a tour of D-Day. Our hotel was kind enough to help us make reservations and off to the Memorial Museum of D-Day. The museum is huge, but the feeling of comfort and gratitude from the french to the US is overwhelming. We took 1 1/2 hours to tour the museum and just dented. If you go, you must at least spend 5 hours to enjoy everything in there, it is just way too big. Then Gary and I, because of last minute reservations, were put in separate tour buses, which not that we were trying to ignore each other, but after the previous days traveling it was a welcome relief of just being separate for a little while.

The first beach, I first realized I was way over my head in exactly the little I knew of World War II and D-Day. The logistics what the US did along with Canada and the UK, was totally amazing.

Here is the beach where they brought in an immense amount of equipment to build up a bay for them to access in calm waters. The logistics I never knew and it was amazing.

The second beach we looked at the German complexity that I also didn’t realize, of how much they built up to fortify the beach, unbelievable

Here is the American Grave and Memorial and Omaha Beach. I thought I was the only one really moved by this, but so many other Americans had mentioned the same overwhelming feelings of knowing the sacrifice. This alone was well worth seeing.

Third Beach was also the Omaha Beach and the bloodiest beach. Maybe I was imagining things, but I realized that the sand had turned a coral versus the other beaches. As my husband asked, do you really think the blood of all those soldiers change the color of the sand. I would hope so for at least the sacrifice that all those young men made.

Here is one of the German's artillary holes. They made hundreds of these in the cliffs.

Yes, you could say, me tired, and cold!!!
The fourth Beach was where a multitude of rangers came scaling over the cliff to take it from the Germans. So many died.

Here is where the French left the land the way the US bombed it. Huge craters.

War & Peace

We drove back from Normandy the next and finally got booked into our hotel. Of course where would an American stay, Holiday Inn, and then off to the Hotel de Invalides. OMG. The real definition in english is a hospital. It was the hospital that Napolean built for the sick, I am assuming veterans. After he died, he asked for his ashes to be thrown into the Seine, but they were buried somewhere else and then finally France created a memorial to him and placed his body in the red tomb. It still is a running hospital and you will paitents roaming the gardens in wheelchairs. It was fabulous. Because of only getting there 2 hours prior to closing we didn’t even see half of it, but the half we did see, was pretty amazing.

His tomb.

I liked this tomb, I am assuming it was the tomb of an unknown soldier, but I couldn't read french and so I will only assume.

The cross behind the tomb.

The chapel to the hospital.

Gary trying to be a solider, obviously a happy one.

Unbelievable

Up bright and running, definitely not early, we are off to the Palace of Versailles. I first realized the monster I created by giving my husband the camera. Believe me I have cherished every picture that he took, but we got to the Palace, and it is so big, that I swear he was taking pictures of even the bolts holding up the gates. I am sure there is nothing in the US that is that big and grand. Just enjoy the ride while looking at the pictures because despite my husband’s best efforts he could not take the whole Palace, IT WAS TOO BIG.

The hall of mirrors. The ballroom. It was gorgeous.

Here is one of Marie Antoinette's Chateau, the other one was slightly shappier.

Coming back on the train, I told Gary that I wanted to stop at the Statue of Liberty, remember Paris gave our Statue of Liberty to us (much bigger), but Parisians don’t really get into their Statue, but it meant more to me to take the picture than it did for the Eiffel Tower, and so we did.

Then Gary and I took a very painful (I was not feeling very good, oh have you noticed the cane, yeap, Lyle is not up to running mode, oh well for Gary), walk along the Seine until we got to the Eiffel Tower. The thought of standing in line almost made me throw up. So we just admired and then took a lot of pictures. So what great picture did we take from the bottom, up the middle, and funny as it maybe our hotel had a blow up of the same picture. Amazing how artistic I am, especially in Paris.

A Humble Day

The next day off to the races. I was bound and determined to see everything. I didn’t want to leave out anything. Gary absolutely hates it when I get this way. So first St. Chappell. I finally got an advantage (not like I didn’t need it) to have someone feel sorry for me with my cane. They allowed me to go beyond the line and walk right in. SCORE.

After really reading about St. Chappell, that was amazing, it was absolutely gorgeous. Gary took some blurred pictures but this was my favorite, am I not the angel of everyone’s life.

I got my wings that day. I think I deserve them.

Off with the Hutchback of Nortre Dam. I just sat there in the chapel while Gary ran around taking pictures. This big clap of thunder hit over the Chapel and I wasn’t sure if God was warning us both or just telling us “yeah I’m here and don’t forget it.” As we left the roads were all wet but skies were clear.

Off to the D’Orsay. Now my HR at work told me to have lunch there, believe me by the time I got through some of the museum, I was way happy for lunch, but yet again another line. I only wished we had taken pictures, because it was the absolute funniest salad I had ever had, but the absolute best.

Off a walk across the Seine with a few gypsies trying to trick us and of course we had to stop and hug each other on the bridge of love. The locks are individual’s luggage locks, locking their love to each other forever. I tried to get Gary to do that, but to no avail.

Off to the Louve. We were highly suggested to Napolean’s Apartments and I was so happy we did. Even though the Palace of Versailles was big, I believe these were way more ornate than that, I know it is hard to believe.

This was my favorite piece of the entire trip. The desk totally folds into one round table. I loved it.

This was my second favorite piece, it was made of crystals.

After that I said to Gary, “honey I saw what I came to see, let’s go.” He said I didn’t fly across the world not to see the Mona Lisa. I hope he was happy with her when he was done.