D-day beaches: Colonel Chilcott - worth it?
May 10th, 2006, 01:48 AM
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D-day beaches: Colonel Chilcott - worth it?
Okay, he's been very highly recommended, and he has an available day for us. Is he worth the money? He's TWICE as much as all the other tours. I need to decide pretty quick. I don't have a confirmed spot on any other tour yet (Battlebus is full; have several emails out to other companies). But I'll have to be sneaky....my husband will kill me if he knew I spent that much on a tour! But if he'll lovelovelove it it's worth it.
Opinions?
Opinions?
May 10th, 2006, 01:18 PM
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We took the day tour with the Col several years ago and would definitely recommend him. He began the day with a review of maps so as to orient everyone before setting out. The tour lasted until around 7PM but it felt like the time flew by. He was able to add some historicial facts as we visited various sites that I would never have been able to learn from my reading. For instance while visiting the German cemetery he pointed out a grave containing the remains of a tank crew and its captain. The captain was very famous having been decorated with the Iron Cross by Hitler, books had been written about his exploits and victories. The Col was able to tell us the story of this tank crew and how they met their match after D Day. We have not used any of the other tours so I can't make a comparison for you but once again, we found the Col to be informative and engaging. I think we paid somewhere around 150 Euro plus his lunch, but it was the best money we spent on our two week vacation. I took along my video camera and still enjoy replaying the reliving the tour.
May 11th, 2006, 01:53 AM
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thanks for the comments. I'm actually living in Belgium right now; we lived in Baton rouge for about 6 years before moving here and I went to LSU for veterinary school. We are certainly thinking of you and everyone else down there. You're not forgotten!
May 11th, 2006, 05:52 AM
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Appreciate your thoughtfulness. Sometimes we feel like the rest of the country has forgotten about the level of devistation in most parts of the city. Television can never capture the whole picture, you must see it for yourself. But anyway, we are making some progress however slow. Due to our house flooding, only an inch or so, we have been rebuilding and thus missed out on planning our annual trip to Europe for 06. I would have liked to return to Normandy and spent more time with Col Chilcott and his wife Rosemary. Really lovely people. The Col is an interesting person to visit with, he speaks several languages and knows history like no one else I know. We spent an evening in his study after our tour with a bottle of wine.
I hope your planning works out well, let us know what you decide to do and how it goes.
I hope your planning works out well, let us know what you decide to do and how it goes.
