Normandy

Today it was back to following World War II, this time along the beaches of Normandy. I was very excited to see this area as it has played such a huge role in history, not to mention the personal interest with my grandfather. On day one we toured the eastern beaches of Gold, Juno, and Sword. This is where the British and Canadian troops came ashore. Day two took us farther west to Utah and Omaha Beach, home of the American landings.

In 1942 the Germans started construction of the Atlantic Wall, meant to protect against a coastal invasion. By 1944 the coast of the North Sea contained over 150,000 different defensive structures. But the German command had been expecting the attack much farther east in France, where France was closest to Great Britain. They figured Normandy would be a less likely attack position, especially given its shallow water. On the morning of June 6, 1944, the British, Canadian, and American armies launched the largest military operation in history. Over the next four days, over 320,000 troops, 50,000 vehicles, and 100 tons of supplies would make their way across a 50-mile stretch of beach. Supported by more than 11,000 aircraft and nearly 7,000 vessels, the Allies had definitely arrived. Today the coast is littered with museums, monuments, cemeteries and battle remains.

In the end, the Battle of Normandy lasted three months, much longer than originally planned by the Allies. After that time, all German survivors were ordered to evacuate the remainder of Normandy, cross the Seine and make their way back towards Germany.

The Longues Battery, on Gold Beach, consisted of four German casemates arranged in a semicircle to maximize firing range. Each bunker still contains the original 150mm gun, which was capable of firing up to 12 miles away with relative accuracy. (The top photo is from one of the bunkers as well.)

Another bunker hidden along the beach with a modern day monument in the background.

Once on shore, the "Churchill" tank had a canon specifically designed to destroy the German bunkers dotting the coast.

The next three shots show remnants of the worlds first prefab harbor in Arromanches. Made out of umpteen ships that were purposely sunk bow to stern, this was one of two prefab harbors created to help off-load all the vehicles and supplies.

The Normandy American Cemetery, located right on Omaha Beach, is another striking tribute for the 9,387 soldiers that are buried here.
The Germans most heavily fortified position was here at Pointe du Hoc. The Americans were determined to take this position so they literally bombed it to smithereens. It's a site that is best experienced first-hand, so I included this aerial photo from off the internet to give a better perspective. After the bombs fell, 300 US Army Rangers scaled the 100 foot cliffs to try and take this strategic position. In the end, the Rangers took control, but at the cost of two-thirds of their men.

The night before the invasion 13,000 paratroopers were dropped behind enemy lines. One of those men, Private John Steele, got hung up on the church spire of Ste. Mére Eglise. He could only watch the fighting going on below as he played dead to avoid being captured or shot. The events were made famous in the movie The Longest Day.

This big stained glass window in the church portrays some of the paratroopers. Army men portrayed so vividly in a church is certainly an unusual sight.

This monument sits a top a hill in Mortain. This was a pivotal battle for my grandfather's unit in which over half the men were killed. In the end though, the Germans were forced to retreat.

Our troops got a special ride from some soldiers we met.

A Day at Disney

Did you know Mickey could speak French? So can Minnie, Cinderella, Snow White, Buzz Lightyear, Winnie the Pooh, and all their friends. Santa brought the kids tickets to Disneyland Paris for Christmas last year, so the kids have had this day on their radar for a while. Built in 1992, this is Europe’s number one tourist destination with over 15 million visitors a year. Luckily we weren’t into high season yet and we had a day that threatened rain, which kept the crowds manageable. Not quite the size of Disneyworld Orlando, the park is more comparable to the Disneyland in California. A lot of the rides are the same, it’s just everyone around you speaks French. The kids found plenty to keep them busy, yelling and screaming from one ride to the next. Safety restrictions, as a whole in Europe, are a little more lax, so Ella got to ride her first big roller coaster. She always complained when her brother and sister got to go, so this time she got to hang with them. Watching her expressions as we flew around corners and thru dark tunnels was worth the price of admission for me. We of course did the big parade later on and stayed until they kicked us out. What a way to finish Paris!

A cruise down the Mississippi.

Going to Disney can be hard work. On the train ride home, Mia asked for her coat. As you can see it was not because she was cold, she just needed a pillow.

Coaster Thrills!

The Eiffel Tower

This has to be one of my favorite monuments. It’s not that I was looking forward to climbing it, but I just think it symbolizes the city (if not the country) so well. Similar to the Statue of Liberty in New York (technically another French monument), and the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, the Eiffel Tower is Paris. It was designed and built by Gustav Eiffel for the Universal Exhibition of 1889 (which celebrated the 100^th anniversary of the French Revolution). It stands about 1000 feet tall with the highest viewing platform (level 3) at around 900 feet. We climbed to the second level, which at 704 steps was close to the limit for little Ella. At night, the parks that surround the tower become filled with folks enjoying a picnic. Later on at 10, 11, midnight, and 1, they light up the tower for 5 minutes with 20,000 flashing lights. We caught the early show (10pm) even though it’s not quite dark yet. The kids seem to always find a late boost of energy to run off, but that’s still pretty late by the time we walked home and got in bed.

A quick hello from up top.

Paris

From Brussels we hopped on the Thayls (fast train) to Paris. One hour and 22 minutes at up to 186 mph. From the train station we transferred to the metro, and after a change of trains, we found ourselves 100 yards from the front door of our next apartment. We booked a smaller place knowing prices would be high in Paris. We were a little surprised though to find out just how small, small can be. Cozy might be a better word as it measured about 270 square feet. But we had a kitchen and a bed for everyone, so it worked just fine. Location-wise it was great. We were 50 yards south of the Seine near the Orsay Museum. Most of the major sights were still a decent walk, but that’s what you get in a city this big. For many people, Paris is a city that represents the finer things in life. Paris just exudes romance and elegance with its commanding boulevards, chic shops, and cozy cafes. And yes, almost everyone has a baguette under his or her arm. We even saw uniformed policemen with their baguettes.

Our first trip out took us to the Latin Quarter. When I first read a Latin neighborhood was nearby, I thought “A Latin neighborhood in Paris?” But we later learned that the old university is in this area and students studying here from all over Europe used Latin as the common language. It was the voice of higher education and so locals referred to the area by its language-Latin. Day two started the weekend, and for Angie that meant one-thing…flea markets. We started small to test the waters, but by day two it was on to Puces St. Ouen and its 2,000+ stalls. No way you can do it all, especially with kids, but we did manage to have fun in some interesting areas we found. We bought a few treasures that will be annoying to travel with, but great keepsakes and memories once we get them home. We also ran into Rod Stewart while shopping. His voice is so recognizable to Angie and I, even though the kids had no clue. We’ll have to play them a few tunes so they can put a name with the face.

After all the shopping it was back to the sightseeing with stops at the Notre Dame Cathedral, Flower Market, Jewish District (for some tasty Falafel), and the Eiffel Tower (more on the tower in another post). We also made it down the Champs-Élysées, which leads to the massive Arc de Triomphe. Another big stop was the Louvre; Europe’s oldest, largest, and second busiest museum (after the Vatican). This was not the kids' idea of fun, but with Disney looming they were willing to make the sacrifice. We just focused on the biggies, such as the Venus de Milo and Mona Lisa (the kids' overwhelming favorite). On our way home we stopped for a quick break along the Seine River. It was very relaxing until Mia lost one of her flip-flops into the river. It quickly floated too far from shore to retrieve, so we followed it down-river until we could flag down one of the passing boats. We finally got the flip-flop back and handed it to a very embarrassed Mia.

Next it was up to Sacré Coeur and the Montmarte neighborhood, the highest point in Paris. This was home to artists such as Picasso, Van Gogh, and Toulouse-Lautrec. Still full of struggling artists, we found the area rich with a culture all its own. Another diversion from the typical tourist stop was a trip to the Paris underground, and I don’t mean the metro. Paris offers a tour of its sewer of all things. This was the world’s first underground sewer and it’s still the largest with over 1,500 miles of tunnels. The home of Disney’s Ratatouille, it was both interesting and disgusting at the same time. It was definitely a strange choice by us, something different I guess, as the best part for Angie and I was stepping back into the fresh air afterwards.

With our final day scheduled for Disney (another future post), it was time to bid farewell to Paris. Our week went by just like that. Paris certainly didn’t disappoint, although we were looking forward to getting out of the hustle and bustle and back into the peaceful countryside.

Too much walking!

A look from under the Arc de Triomphe.

Sacré Coeur

The Comics

Besides the chocolate, waffles, and beer, Belgium is also known for its comics. Some of the world’s most famous comic characters were born here including the Smurfs, Tintin, and Lucky Luke. While most of the names are not as familiar in the U.S., they’re everywhere in Europe. The city offers a comics museum, resale stores everywhere, and a tourist map leading you to murals like these, all over town.