D-Day Beaches

One of things I was surprised by was the remaining German bunkers you could see and, in some cases, walk through at Omaha Beach and Pointe du Hoc.

We first stopped at Omaha Beach.  The other thing I wasn't expecting is how one moment we were driving through French countryside, cows in the fields, and the next we were right there looking over the water.

  Inside a bunker

People are quiet here; it is a moving place to be.  We heard French being spoken, spoke to some people from the UK, and saw several Americans, too.

This is a view from the water's edge to get a feel of what they had to cross and achieve.  The point sticking up on the left side is the monument, sitting on top of one of the bunkers.  It's a long beach and a steep hill to climb. 

 

We walked to the American Cemetery next.  It's amazing the difference you feel when you walk on to American soil.  You can read the signs, there are beautiful free bathrooms, you hear familiar accents, and you're not afraid of making any social faux pas.  I felt like I knew what to expect inside those walls.

The crosses (and some stars of David) seem to go on for as far as the eye can see.

Inside a chapel on the site

Our next stop was Pointe du Hoc, which has a fascinating story of brave Army Rangers.

The site is riddled with huge craters from the gunfire of American and British naval ships.  KJ got inside one (not the largest by any means) to show how big they were.

 Cliffs climbed by Army Rangers