Normandy

Normandy

Kristin, Kyle, Lisa and Dan went on toward Normandy.  Unlike the Loire Valley - the weather had turned cold and rainy.  Somehow, to me, fishing villages need to be toured in the rain.  I guess its the boats and the slippery fish and all.  Also the fisherman sweaters - just seems logical.  

The village of Honfleur dates back to 1100 (or ever earlier according to Wikipedia.)  It's picturesque slate houses are the keynote of its character, and have been the subject of many a painter's canvas including Courbet and Monet. Its location marks the principal entrance to a key estuary of France, the Seine - making it critical for military protection.  It launch many an explorer's ship and survived many a war, but its ultimate demise was as the hands of the French Revolution. 

Lisa (bundled up for the weather) standing with harbor in the background.

Picturesque slate houses - so many windows to paint!

Beautiful beaches - not hard to imagine the vulnerability of this spot.

Photo taken from Dan's iPhone - great shot!  Beauty of sunset in France.

The principal purpose of the journey to Normandy was to visit the historic WWII beaches of Omaha and Utah and the artificial port (Mulberry Harbour) of Arromanche.  

So a little history lesson here:  By 1944 the allies had made the decision to take "swift and decisive" action to defeat Hitler.  (They were making little forward progress in Italy, and the Russians were hibernating...)  The Germans had built massive structures along the French coastline forming what we called the "Atlantic Wall". (Germans and their walls... really.)  The bean counters and nay-sayers all said it couldn't be done.  (Strategically they were correct.) The secret was the construction of these Mulberry ports (like Arromanche) which could guarantee supplies to allied troops during the siege.  

So, without further ado, on June 6th, 1944 the "longest day had begun."  As we know now, with regard to Operation Overlord - the rest is history. 

Remnants of German fortress along French coastline. 

Just think of the men and boys in those skiffs... knowing the probability of living through the landing was not very high.

Dan among the many headstones in the Normandy American Cemetery.

The Normandy American Cemetery came under "friendly fire" while the group was there.  During the entire trip we had been delightfully immersed in all things French - operating somewhat oblivious to the goings-on of our own country.  No one ever suspected America would insert herself into the fantasy of our trip.  Alas during a government "filibuster"; our executive officer was forced to withhold funds for a number of government funded projects, including National parks and monuments - like the one in France.  The group was disappointed to find the facility temporarily closed, making access to the cemetery impossible.  

Ah hah! (You say).  Then how were these photos taken?  

American ingenuity.  (Plucky!)

Finally, a photo of Rouen Cathedral at night.  Lisa certainly understands the art of timing.  While the photos don't do it justice, you can imagine the illumination this old lady emanates - both against the darkness of night and spiritually.  The foundations date back to the fourth century.  Its facades obliterated by war, rebuilt, marred by fire and rebuilt again.  The tower spires were struck by lightning not once, but twice!  Not to mention what the Calvinists did to it back somewhere in the 1580's.  

Religion aside, its best known in our century because of its association with French painter (say it with me now) Claude Monet.  (His name has come up frequently in this blog.)  Claude set out to paint the Cathedral in all sorts of weather, in varying degrees of sunlight, and in all seasons.  Today we call that OCD, but in the 1890's the French called it art.  No seriously - here's a side by side of the Cathedral at night, and from Claude's "sunlight" series - you be the judge. 

Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Rouen - at night. 

Claude Monet - painting of Rouen.  This is part of the exhibit at Musée d'Orsay, Paris, France.