Saint Briac was beautiful and the weather was perfect. Theo spent all day at the beach or in their enormous back yard playing with his toys. He was in absolute heaven!
Saturday we rented a car and drove to Normandy. We stopped quickly at St Micheal's mount (Mont Saint Michel) which is a famous abbey built on an island. When the tide is down you can access it from the road and when the tide is up it is an island. It was formerly a famous spot for pilgrims. There is now a road where you can access it at all times of day but it is still an amazing site.
We met our tour guide in Bayeux and he took us around Normandy. I strongly recommend getting a guide because the area is huge and you could drive around all day not knowing exactly what to look for! We visited the German cemetery first. Most Germans were killed in battles or by the French underground resistance so they were buried quickly in shallow graves around France. This cemetery is where their remains have been moved and they are still finding new bodies each month.
After the German cemetery we visited Pointe du Hoc, the point between Utah and Omaha beaches where the US army rangers were in charge of scaling these enormous cliffs in order to capture the German cannons so they couldn't fire on the beaches during the invasion. The area was heavily bombed prior to the operation and there are enormous craters where the bombs landed. It was amazing to see. The cliffs were basically 90 degrees vertical and the Rangers climbed them using small pick axes and their bayonets!
Next we visited Omaha beach where the most casualties during D-day occurred. This was primarily because the planes in charge of bombing the area before the ground forces arrived missed their targets so the Germans were unhurt and completely prepared for the invasion. The beach has returned to it's original purpose as a seaside resort and is absolutely beautiful. There are still many reminders of the US casualties, however, including a memorial and the provision of several German bunkers in the area. The main road by the beach was named for a US army platoon that lost the majority of it's members in the first wave. There is also a small stone in someones front yard that marks the spot of the first American cemetery in France.
Lastly we visited the American cemetery. It was a gorgeous day; blue sky and sunny, and the white crosses against the green grass overlooking the ocean was stunning. The cemetery is the largest US cemetery outside of Arlington and is used for US armed service men and women killed in France from 1941-1945.
After Normandy we returned to Brittany to spend the rest of the weekend with our friends. We enjoyed delicious French home cooking, went out for crepes and cider (2 Brittany specialties) and had a lovely and relaxing weekend.
Miss you all!
Love, Sarah, Shane and Theo
