AnselmAdorne

flygirl, I just looked again at your photos, lingering a bit over the military cemeteries. You illustrate beautifully the differences between the German cemeteries and those of the Allies. I find both quite haunting. (I was delighted, too, to see Canadian headstones, with our maple leaf carved into the stone.)

Missed your earlier question about the Meuse-Argonne trip: spring or fall of next year.

AA

Coquelicot

Flygirl, I'm talking about the wise-looking stuffed fox in the dining room.

I can't take photos of restaurant meals either and wish I could because they are works of art. Maybe in a tourist restaurant a person could get away with it, but if you're surrounded by French diners, you'd feel really foolish. I do take photos of patisserie cases, though--with permission.

flygirl

Anselm, thank you so much. The German cemetery was a somber and almost eerie place, for all that it was a bright and sunny day. Imagine seeing those black basalt statues, hight on the hill, on a stormy evening... I find that the Commonwealth cemeteries are the most approachable and much like an English garden - flowers growing around every grave. I've also been to some English war cemeteries but not on this trip, for all that the British cemetery in Bayeux was walking distance from the Chilcotts. The Commonwealth ones are similar to each other.

La Cambe (German cemetery) seems to say in a guttural voice "don't MESS with me", even in death and defeat: all those black crosses and precise lines. In their own way, the Allied cemeteries likewise seem to say "don't MESS with me (we have triumphed)" but it's a much more uplifting message to see white crosses in their own precise lines and of course the setting is stunning. With one you get the message of the prince of darkness and with the other uplifting bands of angels. I wonder whose idea it was to use the black basalt for the crosses and statues (i.e. who designed that cemetery there on French soil...).

Have a great time on your trip, I will watch your reports.

Coquelicot, we didn't make it into the formal dining room. I don't recall a fox in the breakfast room! We took a number of photos of the B&Bs but I didn't post them (I did try to edit, really I did) but I can start a new set and post B&B photos here later. I have a funny story about taking photos of food though. On my first visit to Monte Carlo with friends, we wore evening clothes per the dress code. My friend Glenn was much more of a camera-head than I was, back then, and he had to lug his camera along. I don't recall what he did with it during our meander through the casino but afterwards we sat outside - a beautiful evening. Glasses of wine all around and he ordered dessert. Well this sundae was no ordinary sundae, with streamers and sparkly things on it. You guessed it, the big camera came out of hiding (and this was in the film days when the portable flash option was the big one you put on a hot shoe - not built in to the camera) and he went into full pro mode with close up shots of the sundae and everything. SIGH. So much for being cool cats slinking through Monte Carlo. He may as well have had a baseball cap on. HAHAHA

flygirl

Hi everyone

Anselm gave me a good idea.

I tagged the three military cemeteries and here is the slideshow of only those three cemeteries. This will show you directly the contrast.

The slideshow isn't in chron order, for some reason, so they are a little out of order but you can get the idea.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/skywalk...cemetery/show/

flygirl

I'm back everyone, sorry it has taken so long for an update. Most of my "home project time" has been making a Blurb photo book of the trip for Dad, for Xmas. I have to get it finished and sent to Blurb for printing before I leave for Belgium. If you've never heard of Blurb, check them out at www.blurb.com. I used them for the large-format photo book of my BMW Euro-delivery last summer and the book turned out beautifully. I'm using the 10x13 format which works very well especially when you want to highlight the best photos from the trip with a full page.

We left Thursday mid-morning for the Chilcott's B&B near Bayeux. Earlier that morning I decided to let Dad spend some time wandering around the Renault's gardens and talking with the owners and so I drove into town alone to walk around the chateau. It was, again, a beautiful morning, crisp, sunny and cool. In addition to walking around the base of the castle I also went back to the public garden in the upper part of town to view the castle "down below". It's such a huge castle you do not feel as if you are looking down very far!

I had the Pudlo guide out and decided that we'd stop for lunch in Vire at the restaurant Au Vrai Normand. I really think carrying the Pudlos along is a good idea. When you are on the road, good luck trying to find a place on your own that will have reliably good food. Don't ask me what we had, the fact that I even remembered to write down the restaurant names on this trip is a triumph! I can just tell you that we enjoyed the meal and Pudlo gave it good marks. They actually have a website: http://www.au-vrai-normand.com/

We continued on and decided that we would do some touring before heading to the B&B. We made a beeline to Caen. I had not yet visited Le Mémorial de Caen but I knew Dad would enjoy the museum. I was right. This museum is billed as the "best WWII Museum in France" and I'd say it lives up to that hype. Your ticket is actually a 24 hour pass (we showed up in the mid afternoon, not sure if that is why it was a longer pass) and if you are staying in Caen it would not be a bad idea to take the museum in chunks over the time allotted because there is a lot to see. We were staying near Bayeux and had limited time so we spent almost 3 hours there all in one go.

After we left, we pulled out the map and decided to meander back roads to the beaches. I also really wanted him to see Arromanches and the Mulberries as well as the 360 degree movie theater high on the bluff above the beaches. I've seen this film 3 times now and it's one of the most interesting D-Day documentaries I've seen. As it is 360 degrees, you get that dizzy sensation that you are part of the action on the boats crossing the channel! This film was made for the 50th anniversary of D-Day. Here is the website: http://www.arromanches360.com/eng/index.php After the movie we walked up and down the top of the cliff, peering over the edge. You can see in the photos the people riding horseback on the beach. You can also see Arromanches village down below. We didn't head down into the village that evening because we wanted to get to the B&B and also eat dinner. As it happened we didn't make it back to the little village which is a shame because on my last visit, five years ago, I did visit there with new friends I made at the Chilcott's home. Arromanches has quite a party there in the days surrounding the anniversary of D-Day.

After visiting Arromanches we continued along our meandering way to the Chilcotts.

to be continued...

avalon

As always another great report and the time spent with your Dad will always remain a special memory.

I think you just created a new Francophile!!

flygirl

Avalon

I really did create a new Francophile! Dad absolutely loved the trip and really enjoyed meeting people there.

Sue4

Lovely report,and your photos are sensational. I was in Brittany last year for 2 weeks, and Normandy for 2 weeks the year before that, and reading your report makes me want to go back. Sounds like you had a wonderful time with your Dad. Great memories for both of you.

Grassshopper

Wow, Beth, you really are getting to be very good at this photography thing! Excellent photos.

flygirl

Sue and Grassshopper, thanks so much! My Dad kept saying "he wouldn't have changed a thing about the trip" whereas I kept fretting that we didn't have enough time, or I wish he could have seen this, etc. We really didn't have enough time but this wasn't meant to be the last trip to France but rather something to give him to look forward to the next time.

I've had an exhausting last few days at work so I don't have a new update yet, but, I did sort the B&B photos and as soon as I write about our visit with the Chilcotts I'll post that set. It's no secret that I love visiting the Chilcotts (third stay in their "Manoir des Doyens" there in St. Loup Hors) and this part of the trip was a lot of fun - a lot of cameraderie. They are a people-magnet.

TDudette

Outstanding photos. Bookmarking for a leisurely read.

flygirl

New Year's Resolution: Finish this thread, before the New Year.

Finally, after a long hiatus I'm coming back to tie up the thread! A trip to Belgium over Thanksgiving, then finishing my Xmas present for my Dad (Blurb book, 80 pages with text), then the mad rush at work leading up to years-end, and then Xmas. Finally, time to breathe a little.

Thursday evening, June 4. We arrived at the Chilcott's home sometime after 6 PM. This is the third time I've stayed with them (the week of the 55th anniversary, and, the 60th anniversary of D-Day were the other two times) and I was eager to introduce my Dad to the Chilcotts and their friends. Colonel Chilcott has been ill for a few years and in fact isn't conducting guided tours these days (his friend and avid historian Ian is now conducting the tours). It was good to see him and his wife Rosemary but it was evident he was not in the best shape. He spent much of his time in his chair but his take-no-prisoners spirit was still in evidence. Dad and I sat in their dining room and talked with him for over an hour (fueled by the single malt scotch he frequently offers) about their times in France including what prompted them to move to Normandy many years ago (post-military career university courses as well as the history of the area - they quickly found they loved the region and moved permanently). We also met their other friends and guests that evening. One thing is for certain, you get a double bonus when you stay with them - a lovely place to stay and an interesting, convivial atmosphere! We asked Rosemary if they ever actually had their home "to themselves" and she said it was a rare occurrence - but they prefer it that way. They define the term "people magnets" and they usually have a full breakfast table. In the photos I've posted below, take a look at the number of cars in their driveway!

Dad and I eventually left for dinner and we had to ask Rosemary for a place that was open for a later dinner. In the summer there it's hard to gauge the time because it's still quite light at 10 PM - believe me I am not complaining! I love late evenings that are still bright. After we got home from dinner we stayed up talking to the other guests in the large drawing room, which had the requisite books to the ceiling, fireplace, overstuffed chairs and sofas, 300+ year old beams, etc. I must point out here that the drawing room still has the stuffed stoat which was in residence on my first visit 10 years ago. I snapped a shot and put it on facebook for my friend William who was traveling with me at that time, ten years ago - he pointed out then that the room had everything desirable in an old English country house drawing room and I'd have to say he was probably right!

Here are some photos of the Chilcott's home as well as a few of the B&B in Brittany. I'll come back later to explain some of the photos. You will see Gordon holding court and there is a humorous (if wine-fueled) story about him too.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/skywalk...79264472/show/

basingstoke2

Wonderful report!
Wonderful photos!

flygirl

basingstoke, thank you! Here is my next installment.

Here is a link I posted before the trip. I think this link is helpful and updated year 'round.

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...-of-events.cfm

Friday morning (June 5) Dad and I assessed our options. We really only had two full days left to visit, because Sunday we were going to wend our way back to Paris for the Monday morning flight. We had already visited (once over lightly, alas) some interesting parts of the D-Day beaches east of Bayeux, so we decided to head straight to the American Cemetery and then head in the general direction of Ste. Mere Eglise. I had long wanted to visit La Cambe, the German Cemetery, as I had missed it on the two previous visits. Dad spent some time talking to the other guests and one mentioned that there was a small church in the area in a tiny speck of a village called Angoville-au-Plain which was used as a first aid base during the days after D-Day. So with our day more or less planned, we set off.

Our first stop was the American Cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer. The visitor center had gone high-tech since my last visit 5 years ago. There was a really well-done museum underground complete with movies and of course many exhibits and photos. One of the movies which was on a continuous reel had a voiceover by the same gentleman who played General George C. Marshall in the movie "Saving Private Ryan". Upon exiting the museum you will pass an infinity pool (see photos) which is a poignant message. Dad and I strolled through the cemetery amidst many other people. We also took the path down to Omaha Beach itself. Even this path had been improved since my other visits as it was now paved and had steps in places. Dad stood and stared off into the distance for a while and then touched the surf. It was very awe inspiring to be there and ponder the events of many years ago. It was peaceful and quiet with few walkers on the beach despite the proximity to the anniversary. No doubt many people were busy preparing for the next day's ceremonies. We saw quite a few official military aircraft go by as well as a number of old bombers and cargo aircraft.

To be continued...

flygirl

et encore plus...

Between the visitor center and its many exhibits, our walk amidst the tidy graves with their perfectly straight rows of crosses, and our walk down to the beach itself, we spent almost three hours at the American Cemetery before heading to our next destination.

We were running low on gas so I made that the first priority. At the first gas station we saw, many miles up the road, I found my card wouldn't work in the machine (no chip). Because it was lunchtime, there was a card in the station's window helpfully pointing out that the attendant would return at 2 PM. I really didn't want to chance continuing on because it was a long drive before we found even that gas station. I will tell you this was in Isigny s/ Mer so that you don't make a similar mistake in looking for a restaurant there. We wandered around and didn't see many meal options to choose from so we just opted for a place with outdoor seating. It was a bar which had a number of people sitting under the umbrellas. That looked promising, despite the fact that it looked like a hole in the wall. Well, I'll just say that they did have Leffe on tap which was the saving grace. The food was barely edible. At 2 PM we wandered back to the car, filled up, and on our merry way found a full service "highway exit type" gas station a few miles up the road. Honestly, a meal of beef jerky and a packet of chips would have been far preferable to what we just ate! I had to giggle, for all that I brought the Pudlos Normandy with me, we had a rather hit or miss time of it. When I was able to rely on it, or on specific recommendations from our hosts (most of the time, to be fair), we had fabulous meals; otherwise, our luck was not good and we had to content ourselves with soggy "mystery meat"cheese burgers and stale toast with melted cheez whizz on it. Blech.

Next stop: Sainte Mere Eglise. Dad was especially interested in this because of the story he had just read in Stephen Ambrose's book on D-Day. I had visited here five years ago, and they really put on a party for the D-Day celebrations. Lots of re-enactors, many WWII-era planes buzzing around (a few were really low and slow - check out the photo I posted, talk about a steep turn, wow). We wandered around and Dad talked to many people. There were a few signs which said "no weapons of any kind including reproductions" and "only Allied uniforms allowed" (i.e. no Nazi uniforms). An ice cream cone, more wandering and chatting, and then we were off to Angoville-au-Plain.

Tiny, tiny little village. The 11th century church was in good shape, having been used as a makeshift hospital and first aid station. The blood-stained pews were still there, the blood not easily visible in the dim light. I do not like to use a flash in a church and taking photos of a bloody pew didn't seem very reverent so I didn't photograph it. Dad spent quite some time talking to an American veteran who had met a French woman during the war and married her and moved to France. In this church there are a few stained glass windows which honor the 101st Airborne Division and the medics.

Here is a link which gives some of its history:
http://www.normandie44lamemoire.com/...ngovilus2.html

Our next stop was La Cambe, a German war cemetery. During the war people were usually buried in a near where they fell, perhaps in small battlefield cemeteries, villages, or even field graves. After the war came the grim task of finding the various graves and reinterring the bodies to more formal cemeteries. La Cambe is one of the largest (if not the largest) German war cemeteries in Normandy. I hadn't visited it yet and had heard much about its atmosphere and wanted to give it a look.

The contrast between this cemetery and the American cemetery is striking and I've described it somewhat, above. What I didn't know at the time of our visit but learned later was that the enormous mound in the center of the cemetery, crowned by a large black basalt cross and two sad figures staring down on the graves below, is a mass grave of almost 300 mostly unknown German soldiers. We walked around in somber silence looking at the various headstones, lying flat against the earth, sometimes with two, three names on them.

After spending some time here we decided to move on to Pointe du Hoc. The Germans had built strong fortifications here which were part of the Atlantic Wall. The task was left to the Rangers to capture the stronghold found at the top of this steep cliff. The night prior to D-Day the Pointe du Hoc saw enormous bombing from the Allies and the deep craters from the bombs are still there. You can walk down into the craters, dodging the protruding steel rods and climbing over the concrete jumbled all about. There is a memorial at the top and edge of the cliff. Ten years ago you could walk right up to it and peer over the cliff, now, there are barriers - more to protect people from falling than to protect the memorial I should think.

After we left the Pointe du Hoc we realized we had a full day at it was time to go back to the Chilcott's and relax over a glass of wine and spend some time chatting with the guests there. We had met some very interesting people there and were looking forward to hearing about their day too. We had wine from Saumur but we did not have cheese so our next stop was at E. Leclerc near the Chilcott's home.

to be continued...

monicapileggi

Hi flygirl,

Glad to read your report. Looking forward to more!

Monica

flygirl

Friday night, June 5.

Having spent a full day driving and visiting many places, we wanted to relax over some of the wine we bought in Saumur before heading off to dinner. We had met many interesting people at the B&B and wanted to compare notes with them - everyone had a different plan for the day. Dad and I loaded up on cheese, crackers and bread at E.leclerc near the Chilcott's home and headed back to the B&B. I love shopping for cheese in France. There are so many choices and the person running the cheese counter had some great tips when I told her the wines we planned to enjoy. I took her advice and the three-four cheeses I bought I had never heard of before. Alas, I didn't write them down but I can assure you they went well with our wines. I'll also point out the cheese was a great bargain compared to what we have at home, even with the exchange rate.

Once we arrived, we saw that our new friends Robert and Phyllis were already enjoying the patio with their own wine. I retrieved our wine, and after prepping the cheese/bread we brought it out to the patio and joined them. We spent the next several hours savoring the lovely, warm evening. Fabulous company, good conversation, good wine, good appetizers.

At some point in the evening Gordon (the lonely gander you see pictured in the B&B photos link above) waddled over and started pestering us. Rosemary told us that he was very lonely since his mate had died (at the teeth of a fox I believe?) and had a habit of following everyone around. Geese are limited in the means of getting someone's attention! By this, I mean they nip at you. Phyllis and Robert brought their tiny sweet Maltipoo, Beignet, on the trip with them. Gordon was quite cocky until Beignet lifted her head for the first time. HISSSSS!! He backed off. Beignet put her head down again, and he advanced again and wouldn't give us peace. Phyllis had enough and started tailing Gordon while holding Beignet out in front of her. Well, he wasn't having any of that! Flap flap flap, HONK! He started running, Phyllis and Beignet in hot pursuit.

She came back and sat down again. This worked for a while and Gordon left us alone for about 30 minutes. He came back, slowly, and then started nipping at my Dad's bicep. Dad ignored him for a few minutes then finally Gordon got a good nip in. My Dad said, "ok buddy, that's it! You want a piece of me? You want attention? Here's some attention!"and he grabbed him, picked him up and plunked him on his lap! We were all laughing pretty hard at this point but I was also yelling , "Dad, Dad, put him down! He is going to poop on you!" Gordon of course was honking and trying to flap, my Dad was laughing, we were all laughing, and finally Dad put him on the ground. WADDLE WADDLE WADDLE as fast as he could, Gordon was gone and he didn't come back this time.

At about this point we realized the sun was pretty low. It was after 10 PM! We hadn't eaten dinner yet, we were having too much fun talking and enjoying our wine (and playing spy-vs-spy with Gordon).

There aren't a heck of a lot of choices in Bayeux for late dining. Rosemary sent us to La Taverne des Ducs. By the time we finally set off for dinner, it was dark. The other guests had filtered outside and were discussing going to watch the fireworks on the beach. We were all hungry, and had we already eaten it would have been fun to join them but food won out. We set out for the restaurant. The meal was very good - I recall one of us had the skate but I don't remember what else we had. No more wine though! We had enough over the course of the evening. It must have been past midnight by the time we left. What a fun evening. Dad was in his element, he LOVES people and we had spent the entire evening talking with our new friends.

flygirl

Saturday morning, June 6. The <b>65th anniversary of D-Day.</b>

Dad and I had so many choices for the day, and I found myself wishing we had more time for the trip. Sunday we were heading back to Paris, so this was our last day in Normandy.

In the few weeks leading up to our trip I networked like mad to obtain passes to the ceremony at the <b>American Cemetery</b> on this day. I thought it would be really special to see President Obama speak, and to see the other dignitaries in attendance. On June 5 we saw a lot of movement and people in suits (especially at the American Cemetery) but didn't recognize anyone specifically.

I finally did obtain the passes but a day or two before the ceremony got our final instructions via email. The central collection point was in Caen and, long and short, it was about a twelve hour time commitment for the 1.5-ish hour official ceremony. This was due to security, mainly. The central collection point was a good hour-plus from the cemetery (and a drive from Bayeux just to get to it - and the main roads were closed off), the bus ride itself, the fact that the arrival at the cemetery was meant to be at least four hours before the ceremony, then the re-collection and bus back to the collection point, AND the drive back to Bayeux afterwards... a very long day. Add to this the instructions that no food or drink was allowed to be brought into the cemetery and the attendees were told they would have to eat on the bus (remember, early arrival) and that would be it until the return to Caen before more food would be available and it all seemed like a huge hassle. I wondered what the heck they did about all the old veterans who must have had more health issues than just my Dad's diabetes.

I told Dad "this is your trip, and I've got the passes. I'm happy to go if you want to go, but keep in mind this is a loooong day and this will be the only thing we will do all day. We won't see much else in Normandy if we go, but it would be really cool to go. Here are the other options we could have for today, you choose". I then gave him the other possibilities for the time we had left. He had already told me earlier in the week that he didn't want to spend all day on just the ceremony, and the morning we had to decide he said the same thing. He wanted to move around more and sightsee more.

We had a lovely breakfast with the gang staying at the B&B. The other guests who also had passes had long since left for Caen to attend the ceremony in <b>Colleville s/ Mer</b>. I love lingering over the breakfast dining room stories at the Chilcotts. There are always at least twelve people around the table and it's so fascinating to hear their stories. As I've mentioned above, the Chilcotts are people magnets and their friends and guests are varied and interesting. A few of the guests who came in from London planned to visit the British Cemetery (just a walk up the road) that morning which was of course having their own ceremonies. In retrospect I wish we had at least done that, because that night when we compared notes with the others, the guests who did go to the ceremonies saw a very moving ceremony, and a bonus - they realized after things got going that they were standing behind Prince Charles. Apparently the security isn't the same there as it was at the American Cemetery! There was also the faux pas in that the Queen wasn't properly invited, either. To be fair, the British Cemetery didn't have ALL the dignitaries show up, whereas I believe the American one pretty much had all the heads of state who made the trip (including, I believe, Prince Charles). I later found out that Tom Hanks was there too. I had wondered if he would show up, and I was bummed to have missed "seeing" him too - on the jumbotron, of course!

After breakfast Dad wandered around and took photos of the B&B and courtyard from all angles while I grabbed our guidebooks. We also visited the "Map Room" which is above their garage/barn. This is a very elaborate staging room which had many dioramas, maps, posters, and so on from the era. Colonel Chilcott's friend Ian was passed the torch for carrying on the tours, and we spent at least half an hour talking to him in the Map Room.

As an aside, 5 years ago I spent one evening sleeping in a sleeping bag, on a cot, in this very Map Room. Fear of spiders compelled me to decamp to the rental car as sleeping quarters for the following two nights. The Chilcotts were so very full at that time, the 60th anniversay. There was no room at the inn and in fact they had many many people camped out in tents on their property. This anniversary, the 65th, they were full but for the most part their guests were in their large house. I was a very last minute guest at the 60th anniversary, and since I was a repeat they had offered me the Map Room. Of course I had no problem staying in a Map Room, it's a room with a lot of maps, right? Imagine my surprise to find it as essentially a loft above the garage. hahaha (I had full bathroom/shower privileges in their house at the time but no actual room in the house). This should be a real testament to how special they are - I came back anyway! I am now famous as the "Map Room Girl" there, though. When the Chilcotts introduced me around that was the story they told and in fact Ian remembered me as soon as he heard the story.

By the way, here is a photo taken on June 6, 2004. Colonel Chilcott is in full health and you see Ian in the photo as well. Rosemary too of course, next to Colonel Chilcott!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/skywalkerbeth/2192909009/

Our plan for the day was to park in <b>Bayeux</b> and see the <b>Tapestry</b> and the Cathedral, and in general wander around. After that we were going to have lunch and then head off to visit the <b>Pegasus Bridge</b>. I really wanted to Dad to see the <b>Merville Battery</b>, which I had enjoyed on my visit ten years ago (1999).

sassy_cat

Great trip! Loved the photos and yes we also found that in Bayeux it can be hard to find food late at night.

flygirl

Thanks Sassy Cat!

I should be able to write the last two days this weekend, then, to put up my Belgium photos!

Maybe before the one-year anniversary of the 2009 Tour de France I'll have those photos up and my TR written here, too.