Wordless Wednesday: Heros

Le Cimetiere de Montmarte

There is no reason to be the richest man in the cemetery; 

You can't do any business from there.

~Colonel Harlan Sanders; American Astronomer~

The only real equality is in the cemetery

~ German Proverb~

All cemeteries are not created equal. Yes, they all serve as a burying place for the dead and are mostly comprised of row after row of durable tombstones. Cemeteries are places that are as much for the living as they are for the dead. Here the friends and loved ones left behind can visit and feel closer to the departed. And in their own way, regardless of whether they are in the midst of a bustling city or in a rural field, they are tranquil and serene. But that is where the similarities really end. Cemeteries may be organized in a haphazard fashion or with military precision. They may be abandoned and overgrown or manicured with surgical precision. They may be humble with small nondescript stones or they may be filled with ornate and over the top spectacular crypts and monuments. Regardless of their state and organization, I've always felt that walking through a cemetery is like walking back in time through history. In a few brief words epithets paying tribute to the dead tell more about the dead than the wordiest obituary can. Mother, father, spouse, sister, brother, veteran, artist, explorer, its all laid out on the stones. They also provide a wonderful window into the history and values of their region. So yes, I've been known to walk through a cemetery or two on my travels and so a recent trip to Paris had me exploring the beautiful and historic Cimetiere de Montmarte.

Montmarte Cemetery is tucked inside an abandoned gypsum quarry in the heart of Paris' hilly 18th arrondissement just a short walk from the Sacre-Coeur. In the 18th century the site was first developed as a make shift and mass burying ground for the poor; it was an answer to the ban on the disposing of bodies in the center of the city.  The area was later acquired by the city of Paris and in 1825 it opened as a cemetery in its current form. Today it is the third largest internment ground in Paris. As it has since it was built in 1888, the cemetery sits under a busy metal bridge span yet it feels a world away from the hustle and bustle of Paris. The 11 hectare cemetery is filled with 20,000 burial plots as well as numerous leafy maple and chestnut trees which provide shade on sunny days and filter out the street noise from above. The Montmarte district of Paris was the center of the arts scene so it makes sense that the names of those interred here reads like a who's who of the Parisian arts and culture scene. Painter and sculptor  Edgar Degas, dramatist Alexandre Dumas of Camille fame, author Emile Zola and the actress Dalida are just a few of the thousands buried here.

Crypts, chapels and busts...they are all here

Crypt or cathedral?

Some of the more "modest" burial plots

If you are looking for specific graves, several mounted maps will help lead you to your destination. But for me, the real fun was simply wandering around. A visit to the cemetery finds you wandering through narrow tree lined lanes amongst the many ornate crypts paying homage to those buried there. The first thing one notices is the crypts. Crammed in side by side the unadorned rectangular one is the oddity. Rather, towering crypts resembling small chapels, complete with crosses, stained glass windows and ornate carvings are the norm. Rather than laid out in a sprawling pattern, the crypts are positioned in a manner that maximizes the small space. They line pathways wide enough for hearses to travel, are stacked several deep along narrow walkways and accessible only by foot. Taking advantage of the hilly location some crypts are erected on higher ground as though they are standing guard over the lower graves. Others are built into the wall surrounding the cemetery and yet others are tucked away in the few grassy expanses. (Well, expanse is all relative since we are in the middle of a city). Most of the "residents" have French names but there is a smattering of non-French sounding ones as well. Some of graves date back to the cemetery's earliest days while others have been recent additions--rather the actual names and dates of death are recent since most of the crypts themselves have been in place for years. And because this is the burial place of so many members of the arts community, there are busts, sculptures and other forms of art. 

With sporadically places benches for rest and contemplation, Montmarte Cemetery makes for a welcome reprieve from the busy Paris streets surrounding the area. As a visitor to the city one's natural inclination might be to take in as many of the "big" sights as possible during their stay. But sometimes it is nice to step back from the hustle, leave the crowds behind and explore the city from a different perspective. If that is your goal, this is just the place to do it.

Oh, and the cemetery has a whole cadre of living residents as well. Cats, many of them, stalk through the graves simultaneously seeking refuge in the shady shadows and wallowing in the dappled sunshine. They aren't necessarily friendly but they will eye you suspiciously yet leave you alone if you leave them alone. So if you as though you are being watched during your visit, you probably are. By a cat, or two, or three.

If you go:

Cimetiere de Montmarte

20 Avenue Rachel

70518 Paris, FRANCE

+33 1 53 42 36 30

Open daily 08.00-18.00

Free

The Floating Gardens Of Hortillonnages

 Sometimes I joke about finding myself my own little cottage to use as my own personal escape. (Ok, maybe I'm really not joking). You know what I'm talking about; a space that is all mine, serves a reprieve from my daily responsibilities and is all mine--nothing particularly fancy but something that is all girly without a Lego, army soldier or beer bottle in sight. I've taken to calling this fantasy spot a "she shed" or the female version of a man cave. They exists; (probably more on the Internet than in real life). I've seen prototypes and dreamed and then, while on a recent day trip with my travel group, I saw exactly what I've been dreaming about. And now I am really hooked. And while these little cottages weren't the main attraction of our destination, I found my little escape amongst the floating gardens of Hortilonnages in the northern French city of Amiens. Our destination was the gardens and canals themselves but while on board a small boat called a "barques a cornet" as we glided through just some of the 65 kilometers of narrow canals surrounding the 300 hectares of gardens, I saw the cottages I've been dreaming about.

A tranquil spot along the
canal

The gardens themselves date back to the Middle Ages when these gardens were cultivated in the fertile grounds along the banks of the Somme River. While they host a smattering of flower beds and blooming trees, the gardens are gardens in the purest sense growing fruits and vegetables that for centuries provided the produce for Amiens. During the 15th century the gardens covered a total area of 1500 hectares and by the mid 1700s was home to a total of 47 distinct gardens. The area was a well defined community in its own right with a leadership hierarchy to enforce rules. Maintaining the gardens was hard and laborious. Adding to the labor intensive nature of farming the land, all of the necessary equipment, from tools to seeds, needed to be carried in by boat, thus storage sheds were built. Despite all of this, gardening plots were coveted and passed down from one generation to the next.

The gardening space has expanded and retracted over the years as the city of Amiens expanded and modern farming, transportation and refrigeration techniques changed the way farms operate. Today, although smaller than in previous decades, the gardens still produce three harvests a year. The recent trend towards organic produce has created a revival for the gardens and the formation of a new association that is working to preserve, maintain and continue the farming culture at Hortillonnages.

Today, visitors can tour the gardens both by boat and on foot. Touring by boat you see the gardens, which during our visit were in the infancy of their growing season. I can only imagine how lush they will be in a couple of months. But the towering trees provided a green canopy which made the entire area feel magical. Ducks and other water fowl swam alongside our boat and peeked out at us from the rushes and canal banks. You never knew what you would find around the next corner; sometimes it was more woods but other times it was garden plots carefully being tended by their caregivers or the small cottages. By foot, the experience is different. Winding paths parallel the canals but you can see the gardens at your own pace taking the time to sit and absorb the nature around you. The only hint that you are in a city is the spire of the Amiens cathedral on the horizon. If I had to use a single word to describe the experience, I would call it enchanting.

The canals meandered peacefully through the gardens. It
was easy to forget that we were in the middle of Amiens.

But my favorite part of course, were the little cottages set amongst the gardens and canal banks. Most cottages were pretty basic, rustic even, looking like one room shanties. The term 'shabby chic' immediately came to mind as a pastel pink house reminiscent of southern Florida sat next to a weathered wooden structure whose yard was filled with plastic bottle art. None appeared to have electricity yet most were obviously well cared for. With the exception of a couple that were accessible by foot bridge, boats were the only way of reaching them. As such, each had their own mooring spot. A few were incredibly well manicured and whimsical and these had me dreaming about the possibilities. We were told that today most of these cottages serve as weekend retreats for local residents.

I know that weekend retreats weren't the original intent of these buildings but I love what they have become. Each has their own individual personality, from manicured to overgrown, whimsical to utilitarian, I could dream about the possibilities of each of them. It made me realize that  don't need a big beach house or mountain retreat; give me a one room house in a peaceful setting and I could be perfectly content. For the moment I am making myself content with my own little quiet corner in our house but with our next move I'm already planning what my she-shed will be like and these cottages in the Hortillonnages gardens are sure to be my inspiration.

From the bright and whimsical

to the manicured and "fancy"

If you go:

Floating Gardens of Hortilonnages
54 Boulevard Beauville
8000 Amiens, France
Open  09.00-12.00 & 13.30-18.00 from 1 April - 31 October
Adults 9.50 Euro, children 4 and up 4.10 Euro, under 4 FREE
www.hortillonnages-amiens.fr

Les Plages du Debarquement de Normandie

Normandy American Cemetery

Humbling. Simply humbling. That is the only way I can describe a visit to the landing beaches on the coast of Normandy, France.  I've watched Band of Brothersand Saving Private Ryan numerous times yet neither film fully prepared me for the experience of walking over these battlefields. June 6, 1944, also known as D-Day, was a day that went down in history and during the long summer of 1944 this stretch of coastline was the scene of some of the most strategically planned yet bloody fighting our country has ever known. Today, seventy years after the fact, these same beaches, villages and fields are both eerily quiet yet filled  by tourists taking the same trek we did. Bunkers and craters mark the battlefields where bombs were once dropped, monuments paying tribute to the soldiers, sailors and airmen who made the ultimate sacrifice sit adjacent to corn fields and grazing cattle  and tastefully organized museums recount all aspects of the battles. American, British and Canadian flags fly alongside French ones in every village and signs and banners thanking the rest of the world for their freedom are as common as stop signs. The entire area pays tribute to their past and reminds us all of the horrors that can ensure should we forget where we have come from.

One could spend weeks if not months visiting and exploring the battlefields, monuments and museums of Normandy. In fact, there are so many historically significant sites in the area that our GPS looked like a field of black dots connected by a few roads. Because this was our first visit and since it was impossible to take it all in over the course of a long weekend, we chose to spend time at a few of the more famous ones along the Normandy coast. I know we missed so many worthy sites (we must go back) but those that we did see moved me in a way that few other places ever have. Nice, enjoyable and fun are not the appropriate words to describe our weekend; moving, humbling and thoughtful are.

Perhaps the best known (to Americans at least) sites are Omaha and Utah Beaches. Today they are flat sandy expanses that mask the horrors that took place seventy years ago. Here the tides ebb and flow quickly, exposing and covering the sands and reminders of the past. We saw a few brave souls swimming in the surf and many more curious waders dipping their toes into the sacred waters. (True to form, we limited ourselves to throwing a few rocks into the water from a craggy perch). There are many places you could start your visit but the Cinema Circulaire in Arromanches provides a moving and comprehensive overview of the landings and battles that took place on the shores below. Set on a hill overlooking the village of Arromanches-les-Baines, and using archival footage displayed on nine high definition screens, the cinema introduces visitors to the story of the landings by Americans at Omaha and Utah Beaches, as well as the Canadian and British landings at Gold, Juno and Sword Beaches and the entire 100 day Battle of Normandy. Both the Musee Memorial Omaha Beach and the Utah Beach Museum house relics, photographs and memorabilia that bring this period alive. Films take you back to 1944 and watching them makes you feel as though you are on the battlefields. Most of all, these museums take the war from a page in history that most of us only learned about in school and personalize it through powerful narratives that bring the battles to life.

But not all of the battle is shown from an Allied perspective. The Batterie allemande de Longues sur Mer has you walking along the remnants of the Atlantic Wall, Germany's defense barrier that protected their troops from attacking armies. Perched atop the cliffs overlooking Omaha and Gold Beaches the bunkers of Longues sur Mer provided German's with a bird's eye view of what was happening on the beachfronts below. Today concrete bunkers in various states of decline, some with their artillery still intact, dot the hills. Visitors are free to climb into and on top of the bunkers and see the same view that the Germans did seventy years ago. We visited on a crystal clear day and the serene views only made the reality of what had occurred here all the more numbing.

A German artillery bunker

And the German perspective of the beach landings

Normandy American Cemetery sitting above Omaha Beach

And last but not least, was our visit to the Normandy American Cemetery. I've visited several military cemeteries in the past, including the hallowed Arlington, but Normandy is in a class by itself. The visitors center provides visitors with a personal introduction to several of the soldiers buried on the cemetery grounds. It is these personal stories, who they were, how they lived, the families the left behind, and how they died that makes the tragedy that much more real. Then there was the cemetery. Set above the very beach where so many of those buried here lost their lives, these 172.5 acres are the final resting places for 9,387 American heros. Included in this number are 45 sets of brothers and four civilians. Marble Latin crosses and Stars of David are laid out in symmetric rows, without regard to date of death, home state or rank, for as far as the eye can see. And despite the throngs of visitors and the Congressional delegation on a fact finding mission (members of the Appropriations Committee) the cemetery had a tranquil feel. A silence hung over the area and we could wander amongst the headstones undisturbed by others. In fact, for much of our walk the only sounds were those of birds chirping and the sea crashing below us. It felt like a fitting final resting place for those whose final moments had been filled with such terror and trauma.

Then....

...... and now

Tribute at Omaha Beach

The Navy Memorial at Utah Beach

Like I said, our entire visit was a humbling experience. Today it is so easy for people to complain about what they don't have in life or how difficult they perceive things to be for them. But I challenge them to take a moment to reflect on what they do have and question if their circumstances are really that bad. For just a moment, they should put themselves in the place of the French families who lived under the Nazi occupation. Or perhaps put themselves in the shoes of the young soldiers who stormed one of the beaches or dropped from the air on D-Day. Then think about their own lives. I know I did and I walked away feeling grateful for those who fought these battles. Its humbling; simply humbling.

If you go:

Arromanches Cinema Circulaire 
Arromanches, France
(33) 02 31 06 06 45
www.arromanches360.com
Open daily
5 Euro for adults, 4 Euro for children and seniors

Musee Memorial Omaha Beach 
14710 Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer
Normandy, France
(33) 02 31 21 97 44
www.musee-memorial-omaha.com
Open daily
9 Euro for adults, reduced admission for children, seniors and active duty military members

Musee du Debarquement Utah Beach

50480 Sainte du Mont, France

(33) 02 33 71 53 35

www.utah-beach.com

Open daily

8 Euro adults, reduced admission for children and seniors

Batterie allemande de Longues sur Mer

Port en Bessin, Bayeax, France

(33) 02 31 21 46 87

www.bayeax-bessin-tourisme.com

Open daily

Free admission; charge for guided tours

Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial

14710 Colleville-sur-Mer, France

(33) 02 31 51 62 00

www.abmc.gov

Open daily

Free admission

Wordless Wednesday: Lilac

Wordless Wednesday: Wisteria Hysteria

Wordless Wednesday: Monet's Inspiration

Channeling Monet In Giverny

It is probably one of the most peaceful and enchanting places I've visited to date. Tucked away in a tranquil corner of Haute Normandie, the village of Giverny, France was once home to Impressionist artist Claude Monet. It was from here that he drew his inspiration the gardens and ponds made famous through his paintings. And all it took was a single walk through the gardens and around the lily pond depicted in his paintings to understand where his inspiration came from.

Born in Paris in 1840, Claude Monet began painting as a teenager living in the Normandy coastal town of Le Havre. Following military service in Algeria, Monet returns to France where he continues painting and befriends his fellow artists including Pierre-Auguste Renior and Pablo Picasso. His work slowly gains a following and he begins to exhibit and sell his artwork throughout Europe. In 1890 he moves to the town of Giverny which he would use as a home base until his death in 1926. Monet traveled throughout Europe but found much of his inspiration right in his own backyard.

Today visitors to Giverny can tour Monet's house and walk through the numerous gardens which fans of Monet will immediately recognize from his paintings. Walking through the gardens was truly like experiencing a deja vu since it felt as though I was walking through his paintings. With eight children, Monet's green shuttered, pink stucco house was clearly one that was designed to be lived in and that is reflected as you walk through the warren of rooms that his family called home. The large windows of his bedroom offer sweeping views of the gardens below while the kitchen and dining room--my favorite two rooms in the house---are brightly colored and exude a warm and welcoming lived in feeling. It is easy to imagine family and friends gathering in these rooms to share food and ideas. But a visit to Giverny is really about seeing the gardens. Immediately surrounding the house lies the Clos Normand, which is comprised of fruit trees, boxwood hedges and row upon row of brightly blooming flowers. With each look you can see yet another one of Monet's palates reflected in the landscape.

The real star of the show, however, is the water lily ponds and surrounding gardens. While the Clos Nomand is filled with brightly colored blooms, the water garden, across the street tucked away from the house is a pastel dream. The garden has a distinctively Japanese feel with bamboo, peonies, ginkos bibola, Japanese maple trees and a wisteria covered green bridge framing the famed lily pond. This garden is truly enchanting. The flowers fragranced the air without over powering it and a chorus of frogs serenaded visitors from their lily pad filled pond. And even with a good number of visitors sharing the pathways on the day of my visit, the garden was peaceful and it was possible find your own quiet little nook. It is so easy to see how Monet found inspiration there and simply being there inspired me to want to both garden and to paint.

And while you are in Giverny, visit the neighboring Musee des Impressionnismes (Impressionist Museum). This small but well laid out museum features temporary Impressionist exhibits from Paris' Musee d'Orsay. From now through the middle of Edgar Degas after which the exhibit will feature photographs of Monet's gardens.
July the exhibit features the life and works of

If you go:

Fondation Claude Monet
84 Rue Claude Monet
27620 Giverny, France
+33 (0)2 32 51 28 21
fondation-monet.com/en

Open daily from late March to early November, 09:3-18:00
Adults-10 Euro, students-6.50 Euro, under 7 Free

Musee des Impressionnismes
99 Rue Claude Monet
27620 Giverny, France
+33 (0)2 32 51 94 65
www.mdig.fr

Open daily from late March to early November, 10:00-18:00
Adults- 7 Euro, students- 4.50 Euro, under 7 Free

Wordless Wednesday: Stained Glass

Strasbourg: The Oldest Christmas Market In Europe

Away from the hustle and bustle of the holiday
festivities the city is still beautiful

My favorite part of the past few weeks has been making the rounds of the European Christmas markets. Whether large or small, local or international, these markets are a European tradition and are sure to instill the spirit of the holidays in everyone who visits them. And my favorite adventure to date took me to Strasbourg, France and the oldest Christmas market in Europe.

Located on the Ill River along the German border in eastern France, Strasbourg's location is reflected in everything from its architecture to its food. It is truly a diverse city that feels a lot like Germany while being located in France. The historic city center is essentially an island surrounded by the flowing canal like river making me think of Brugge. In 1988 the entire city center was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site marking the first time an entire city center received such an honor. Strasbourg is capital of the Alsace region, the official seat of the European Union Parliament and home to the Grand Mosque, the largest place of Islamic worship in France. There is also a grand cathedral, broad squares and winding cobblestone streets and alleys where you can get pleasantly lost for hours at a time. And if shopping is your thing you are in luck because here you can find everything from upscale designer boutiques selling "Paris" fashions to gourmet shops filled with local wines, foie gras, cheeses and chocolates. (You will never go hungry here).

Welcome to the markets

And then there is the Christmas Market. Or more correctly the markets because there are eleven of them spread across the historic city center. Strasbourg bills itself as the "Capital of Christmas"for good reason. The markets date back to 1570 when the first Christmas market in Europe took place here. In 1605 the tradition of decorating fir trees was introduced to the advent festivities. The tradition continues with a giant tree being erected in Place Kleber each winter. The city center also boasts several hundred kilometers of Christmas lights and decorations which turns the entire city into a Christmas wonderland.

Today,with over 300 individual stalls spread out over eleven markets, the Christmas market of Strasbourg is collectively one of the largest in Europe. The stalls are divided into themed markets which include a Village of Sharing (a market filled with NGO vendors such as UNICEF) and a Children's Village where the smallest visitors are treated like royalty. There are markets dedicated to selling the speciality items of Alsace (lots of hand crafted wooden items, foie gras and wine sold here). And each year a different country is invited to set up a market dedicated to highlighting their country's products. This year's guest country was Belgium where chocolates and pomme frites were on display. And the food. Whether it be spicy gluwein (of both the red and white varieties), baguettes slathered with cheeses and meat or cookies and baked goodies of every shape, size and flavor are there for the eating and enjoying.

Roasting chestnuts

Sweet treats of the chocolate variety

Build your own nativity 

Traditional Alsace houses

So if you want to get into the holiday spirit, are looking for something special for yourself or someone else or simply want to experience a traditional European Christmas, visit the Christmas markets of Strasbourg. I went this year and plan on returning again.

If you go:

Place Broglie
67000 Strasbourg, France
+33 (0)3 88 52 28 28
www.noel.strasbourg.eu
From 28 November to 31 December 2014 (check dates for future years)

Wordless Wednesday: Dogs This Way

Le Mont-Saint-Michel Abbey

I loved our recent trip to Normandy, France and was moved beyond belief by the memorials and tributes to the historic events that happened here seventy years ago. But there is more to Normandy than World War II memorials and after two days of visiting cemeteries and battlefields, I was more than ready for a change of pace. So searching for something different, we set off to Normandy's the northwest corner to visit Mont-Saint-Michel and the famous Abbey.

Looking up

Mont-Saint-Michel is one of France's most recognizable landmarks and is a UNESCO World Heritage site that is visited by over 3 million people each year. It is a sight I've seen hundreds of times in travel magazines and websites but nothing could quite prepare me for the experience of seeing the Abbey looming on the horizon for the first time. One minute we were winding our way along narrow roads through apple orchards, cow filled fields and tiny villages. We came around one bend and saw a spire in the distance. As we drew closer we realized that rather than being the steeple of a village church, it was the spire on top of Mont-Saint Michel Abbey that we were seeing. We were still several kilometers from the island when the full Abbey and her environs came into view. Perched on a rocky outcrop between the tidal plains and the sea was our destination. And it was truly breathtaking. 

Cemetery within the grounds

The island itself is quite small; located approximately half a mile from the mainland, it encompasses 247 acres and as of 2009, had a permanent population of 44 residents. A fortification since ancient times due to its strategic location, a church was first built on the site in 709. At the request of the Duke of Normandy, a community of Benedictines settled here in 966, building the first pre-Romanesque church. During the 11th and 12th centuries the abbey was expanded and by the 14th century a perimeter wall was constructed around the entire area to help protect the Abbey from invading armies. During the French Revolution the Abbey served as a prison before being restored in the 19th century. The Abbey's close proximity to shore made it easily accessible for the millions of pilgrims who have flocked to here from its earliest days.

 A window with a view

The Abbey's position at the top of Mont-Saint-Michel is said to best exemplify the way a feudal society was structured--God on top, followed by the abbey and monastery then the great halls, shops and housing with the fishing village and farmer's housing located outside of the walls. Today shops and housing have been replaced by restaurants and trinket peddlers with the fishing village completely obliterated but all of Mont-Saint-Michel remains an impressive sight none the less.

Go prepared to walk; once you reach the island itself, there are hundreds of steps to climb. Upon entering the walls you are greeted by restaurants and shops catering to the tourists. My advise is to skip those and escape up one of the narrow winding staircases. Going to the right will take you up onto the town's walls; left takes you deeper into the heart of the Mont. Here you can follow narrow (as in only accessible to one person at a time) walkways as you make your way up, up, and farther up towards the Abbey itself. When you make it to the large veranda of the Abbey you are rewarded with panoramic views of both land and the sea. From here you can not only see the village below but also watch the tides as they race in at break neck speeds flooding the plain below. From the top the touristy commercialism that you first encountered feels miles away. But when you are ready you can slowly wind you way back down the hill and all of its steps. If you are so inclined you can even dine at one of the restaurants and shop for your souvenirs before hopping the bus or walking back to your car. I prefer walking since the views along the way are pretty spectacular.

Rooftop views towards land

and looking the other way towards the sea

If you go:

Centre des Monuments Nationaux

Abbaye du Mont-Saint-Michel

50116 Le Mont-Saint Michel, France

02 33 89 80 00

www.monuments-nationaux.fr

Free to walk through the Mont; admission to the Abbey is 9 Euro / adult, reduced rates for seniors, children and groups.

No cars are allowed on the island. Paid parking is available 2.5 kilometers away with free shuttle service until late at night. It is also possible to walk along a new pedestrian walkway. Any visit for Mont-Saint-Michel requires a lot of walking and a lot of stairs; this is not a handicapped accessible site.

The Other Landing: Pointe du Hoc

The very point of Pointe du Hoc

As an American, in school I learned about the World War II Battle for Normandy. We heard about the American, British, and Canadian forces storming Omaha, Utah, Sword, Gold and Juno Beaches and the heroism of those who parachuted in from above, collectively pushing the Germans back and eventually liberating Normandy. What I never heard about, and honestly didn't even know happened until recently, was the landing of U.S. Army Rangers at Pointe du Hoc, a craggy cliff face sandwiched between Omaha and Utah Beaches. The Ranger's pivotal contribution was critical in the Allie's success in Operation Overlord and how their story fits into the larger battle is well laid out at the Pointe du Hoc Memorial.

In the years and months leading up to the D-Day invasion, German forces had built a strong defense system along the French coast. Called the Atlantic Wall, this well armed defensive barrier composed of batteries and bunkers on land and underwater mines provided protection to German controlled lands and were thought to be impossible to breach.  But as history shows, that wasn't the case.

On 6 June 1944, under German fire, members of the 2nd Ranger Battalion under the command of Lieutenant Colonel James Rudder, scaled the 100 foot cliffs of Pointe du Hoc and disabled the German positions above. During the early morning hours the U.S. Naval bombardment that left those lasting craters began. In less than two hours of intense fighting, during which two landing craft and their crews were lost, American Rangers were able to reach the top of the cliffs, capture the strategic location and destroy numerous German artillery. The battle continued but the success of initial attack helped pave the way for future successes. Of the initial attacking force of 225 men however, only 90 were still able to bear arms when this portion of the battle was over on 8 June. The personal stories of those who were killed are shared in the Sacrifice Gallery that lines the exit of the memorial site.

View in the direction of Omaha Beach

Today the Memorial is operated by the American Battle Monuments Commission and visiting it is a completely hands on experience. Visitors can tour the visitors center and view an introductory film before heading out and walking over the crater pocked battlefield. Along the way you walk through the Ceremonial Circle where plaques from the French government honor the Ranger's exploits. And you pass craters; huge indentations in the earth that are a visible reminder of the bombs that were dropped on this point of land. Even seventy years later the earth is scarred. Some are enclosed by barbed wire but others are covered with rocks, crumbling dirt and worn grass. Signs warn of the dangers of climbing into them but don't explicitly forbid it. As a result visitors are able to walk down into and out of the craters. My little war-playing boy was not the only child running through them and wondering at their size. And it is their very size that makes you understand the extent and power of the bombs that were dropped. Concrete bunkers of varying sizes sit alongside the craters. Two meters of solid concrete formed the outer walls of the ten-person and twenty-person bunkers where German soldiers sought shelter and sat watch over the sea below. Three ammunition bunkers, numerous casemates, hospital and observation bunkers also fill the pock marked field. Some of the concrete structures are in near perfect condition while others have been ravaged by bombs and time. Visitors are welcomed to explore the ins and outs of these bunkers. You can walk through the rooms that were crew quarters, check out the casemates and even peer out the observation bunker and see the same view of the surrounding water and land that the occupying Germans did seventy years ago.

The granite dagger that is the Pointe du Hoc Ranger memorial sits atop another bunker at the every end of the point. It was erected by the French government then later landed over to the U.S. government in 1979 as a sign of friendship between the two nations. From this point it is possible to look up and down the coast in both directions and see the landing beaches. From this perch it is easy to see why capturing this point of land was so crucial to the success of the Allied invasion of Normandy.

Bunkers and craters for as far as the eye can see

Exploring a crater

If you go:

Pointe du Hoc Ranger Memorial
Pointe du Hoc, France
33 02 31 51 62 00
www.abmc.gov
Open daily
Free

Plages du Debarquement de Normandie

Normandy American Cemetery

Humbling. Simply humbling. That is the only way I can describe a visit to the landing beaches on the coast of Normandy, France.  I've watched Band of Brothers and Saving Private Ryan numerous times yet neither film fully prepared me for the experience of walking over these battlefields. June 6, 1944, also known as D-Day, was a day that went down in history and during the long summer of 1944 this stretch of coastline was the scene of some of the most strategically planned yet bloody fighting our country has ever known. Today, seventy years after the fact, these same beaches, villages and fields are both eerily quiet yet filled  by tourists taking the same trek we did. Bunkers and craters mark the battlefields where bombs were once dropped, monuments paying tribute to the soldiers, sailors and airmen who made the ultimate sacrifice sit adjacent to corn fields and grazing cattle  and tastefully organized museums recount all aspects of the battles. American, British and Canadian flags fly alongside French ones in every village and signs and banners thanking the rest of the world for their freedom are as common as stop signs. The entire area pays tribute to their past and reminds us all of the horrors that can ensure should we forget where we have come from.

One could spend weeks if not months visiting and exploring the battlefields, monuments and museums of Normandy. In fact, there are so many historically significant sites in the area that our GPS looked like a field of black dots connected by a few roads. Because this was our first visit and since it was impossible to take it all in over the course of a long weekend, we chose to spend time at a few of the more famous ones along the Normandy coast. I know we missed so many worthy sites (we must go back) but those that we did see moved me in a way that few other places ever have. Nice, enjoyable and fun are not the appropriate words to describe our weekend; moving, humbling and thoughtful are.

Perhaps the best known (to Americans at least) sites are Omaha and Utah Beaches. Today they are flat sandy expanses that mask the horrors that took place seventy years ago. Here the tides ebb and flow quickly, exposing and covering the sands and reminders of the past. We saw a few brave souls swimming in the surf and many more curious waders dipping their toes into the sacred waters. (True to form, we limited ourselves to throwing a few rocks into the water from a craggy perch). There are many places you could start your visit but the Cinema Circulaire in Arromanches provides a moving and comprehensive overview of the landings and battles that took place on the shores below. Set on a hill overlooking the village of Arromanches-les-Baines, and using archival footage displayed on nine high definition screens, the cinema introduces visitors to the story of the landings by Americans at Omaha and Utah Beaches, as well as the Canadian and British landings at Gold, Juno and Sword Beaches and the entire 100 day Battle of Normandy. Both the Musee Memorial Omaha Beach and the Utah Beach Museum house relics, photographs and memorabilia that bring this period alive. Films take you back to 1944 and watching them makes you feel as though you are on the battlefields. Most of all, these museums take the war from a page in history that most of us only learned about in school and personalize it through powerful narratives that bring the battles to life.

But not all of the battle is shown from an Allied perspective. The Batterie allemande de Longues sur Mer has you walking along the remnants of the Atlantic Wall, Germany's defense barrier that protected their troops from attacking armies. Perched atop the cliffs overlooking Omaha and Gold Beaches the bunkers of Longues sur Mer provided German's with a bird's eye view of what was happening on the beachfronts below. Today concrete bunkers in various states of decline, some with their artillery still intact, dot the hills. Visitors are free to climb into and on top of the bunkers and see the same view that the Germans did seventy years ago. We visited on a crystal clear day and the serene views only made the reality of what had occurred here all the more numbing.

A German artillery bunker

And the German perspective of the beach landings

Normandy American Cemetery sitting above Omaha Beach

And last but not least, was our visit to the Normandy American Cemetery. I've visited several military cemeteries in the past, including the hallowed Arlington, but Normandy is in a class by itself. The visitors center provides visitors with a personal introduction to several of the soldiers buried on the cemetery grounds. It is these personal stories, who they were, how they lived, the families the left behind, and how they died that makes the tragedy that much more real. Then there was the cemetery. Set above the very beach where so many of those buried here lost their lives, these 172.5 acres are the final resting places for 9,387 American heros. Included in this number are 45 sets of brothers and four civilians. Marble Latin crosses and Stars of David are laid out in symmetric rows, without regard to date of death, home state or rank, for as far as the eye can see. And despite the throngs of visitors and the Congressional delegation on a fact finding mission (members of the Appropriations Committee) the cemetery had a tranquil feel. A silence hung over the area and we could wander amongst the headstones undisturbed by others. In fact, for much of our walk the only sounds were those of birds chirping and the sea crashing below us. It felt like a fitting final resting place for those whose final moments had been filled with such terror and trauma.

Then....

...... and now

Tribute at Omaha Beach

The Navy Memorial at Utah Beach

Like I said, our entire visit was a humbling experience. Today it is so easy for people to complain about what they don't have in life or how difficult they perceive things to be for them. But I challenge them to take a moment to reflect on what they do have and question if their circumstances are really that bad. For just a moment, they should put themselves in the place of the French families who lived under the Nazi occupation. Or perhaps put themselves in the shoes of the young soldiers who stormed one of the beaches or dropped from the air on D-Day. Then think about their own lives. I know I did and I walked away feeling grateful for those who fought these battles. Its humbling; simply humbling.

If you go:

Arromanches Cinema Circulaire 
Arromanches, France
(33) 02 31 06 06 45
www.arromanches360.com
Open daily
5 Euro for adults, 4 Euro for children and seniors

Musee Memorial Omaha Beach 
14710 Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer
Normandy, France
(33) 02 31 21 97 44
www.musee-memorial-omaha.com
Open daily
9 Euro for adults, reduced admission for children, seniors and active duty military members

Musee du Debarquement Utah Beach

50480 Sainte du Mont, France

(33) 02 33 71 53 35

www.utah-beach.com

Open daily

8 Euro adults, reduced admission for children and seniors

Batterie allemande de Longues sur Mer

Port en Bessin, Bayeax, France

(33) 02 31 21 46 87

www.bayeax-bessin-tourisme.com

Open daily

Free admission; charge for guided tours

Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial

14710 Colleville-sur-Mer, France

(33) 02 31 51 62 00

www.abmc.gov

Open daily

Free admission