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| Honfleur |
Normandy
This is a post I just didn’t write in a timely fashion. There was some end of trip blog fatigue, but it was mostly the difficulty of doing any justice to the place.
Omaha Beach
The year 2024 marked the 80th anniversary of D-Day, and we arrived just a week after commemorative ceremonies were held. Flower wreaths still rested where they were laid, now wilting, fading. What happened here then has been well documented in books, photographs, and movies. Today, parts of it look like any other beach. A place where children could run into the surf and build sandcastles, but thinking of their vulnerable bare feet and limbs so close to the ordinance and metal that still remains here gave me the chills. I’m glad to have experienced it — the enormity of it, the crushing weight of it. Whatever I write seems insignificant. So I’ll add photographs to the album, which don’t capture the experience but will have to suffice.
Click here for our photos
Our campsite was on a high bluff overlooking the beach. In fact, right from our camper van, we could see the concrete “widerstandsnest” Germans used to shoot those on the beach far below. Our visit to the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial touched us — again, words fail me, so photos will take their place.
Bayeux
A short ride away was the town of Bayeux, which was just unimportant enough at just the right time to escape destruction in WWII. The highlight of the town is the Bayeux Museum. Our RS guide describes it: “Essentially a 225-foot-long embroidered scroll stitched in 1067, the Bayeux Tapestry, known in French as the Tapisserie de la Reine Mathilde (Queen Matilda’s Tapestry), depicts, in 58 comic strip–type scenes, the epic story of William of Normandy’s conquest of England, narrating Will’s trials and victory over his cousin Harold, culminating in the Battle of Hastings on October 14, 1066.” So, needlepoint propaganda that gives incredible insights into how people lived. While here, we also visited the Cathedral Notre-Dame (of course) and the Musée Baron-Gérard, which included gorgeous porcelain and lace-making displays. The crêpes were delicious!
Honfleur
This old port town was a great place to wander. The ancient houses lean against each other, vying for space. The harbor lined with boats, colorful umbrellas, and tall buildings reflected so beautifully in the water are so picturesque that artists set up their easels, attempting to capture a fraction of its charm.
After roaming far and wide, we indulged in some great meals here. One sunny day, we got a nice table by the harbor and enjoyed fresh seafood and some of the best people watching around. Our campsite had pétanque courts that were frequently in use with spirited games. The camp loaned us a set, and we tried our hand at it but the locals were unimpressed.
London
After dropping off our campervan in Bristol, we spent a few days in London, visiting family and taking in Hyde Park.
We had a great time in France visiting many new-to-us places. Travel in France is always enchanting.
Upcoming 2025 trip: Spain, Portugal and Ireland.
