Today was a lot of fun. After getting a good night’s sleep in a bunk bed, I had to get up early for the first time in the three weeks that I have been here. Of course, early meant 7:15, which is still 45 minutes later than when I wake up at home. After having breakfast, which was centered around French bread but not croissants, we left for our day’s adventures. Our first stop was a small town in the region of Normandy where there was a museum about D-Day, specifically focusing on the man-made British harbor in the town where the museum was. It was interesting to learn that the British, knowing that they needed a harbor to capture France but capturing one of the ones held by the Germans would be nearly impossible, pre-fabricated the pieces for the harbor and took them by ship across the English Channel. They started by taking 15 worn out ships over and sinking them a little bit off of the cost of Normandy to create a barrier. Then, they brought in giant concrete and steel structures that were also used to create barriers. Also, the brought over floating bridges and pier heads that could move up and down with the waves. This meant that unloading could continue no matter what the tide was like. And, from June 18 to November 19, 1944, the harbor was used almost around the clock, providing weapons, vehicles, and supplies to the Allied Forces. On June 19, a terrible storm had blown along the coast, completely destroying a harbor that the Americans had put in. The British harbor, however, was able to withstand with only minimal, repairable, damage and could be used. At this museum, we watched a movie, had a tour guide take us through the process of building the harbor, and then we could go onto the beach and see the remains. There was one section of the bridge on display, as well as an anti-aircraft missile. You could still see some of the concrete and steel barriers about 2-3 kilometers from the shore. On the shore, there were some spare floating blocks that held the bridges up. There was also a piece of concrete pier extension. It was really amazing how this massive harbor could be set up in a matter of days, and used for months. After the museum, we had lunch. They were ham and cheese sandwiches on French bread, and they were very good.
After lunch, we went to the American Cemetery at Omaha Beach and Omaha Beach. The beach was interesting to see, it was the spot that was where the fighting and water landing occurred at the start of the movie “Saving Private Ryan.” After walking on the beach, I walked through the cemetery of white crosses. I looked at some of them, and it was humbling to see all of the people that lost their lives fighting for freedom in the world. After spending some time there, we drove a little ways to Pointe du Hoc, a cliff separating Omaha Beach and Utah Beach. This cliff was originally held by the Germans, but the Allies plan was to take it during Overlord, the project to prepare for D-Day. Severe weather had prevented them from attacking the cliff, however, and they had to wait. After several days of extreme fighting, the Allies were finally able to capture the cliff. As you walked around, you could see all these huge craters in the ground from where the bombs had exploded. It seemed so peaceful, but you could not help but picture what it was like in 1944. There were also remnants of the German bunkers. They were pretty interesting, and you could go inside of them. There was nothing inside any of the bunkers, but the structures that have remained are still pretty intact.
After climbing and exploring for a little while, we headed back to the hotel. We had some time to drop things off and freshen up before heading into Caen to walk around and have dinner. We waited a little while for the bus, but decided just to walk. It was a rather long walk, about 3.3 miles, but it was nice to get some exercise after the long bus ride we had the past couple of days. Rosie, Ingrid, Kristen, and I decided to go to a pasta restaurant. The food there was pretty good. Afterwards, a few of us needed to use the restroom, so we tried the mall nearby. Turns out that it was closed. We sort of got locked inside until a security guard led us out a side entrance. That is always fun. Then, we asked a woman how to get a taxi, but she did not speak any English, so we were not able to get help from her. Then, we asked a man who knew a little English, but he was also of no help. Finally, we walked over to a restaurant. With the help of an American woman who spoke French, we were able to get the manager to call a taxi for us. He was very nice and helpful. Once we got in the taxi, he was a little confused as to where he was taking us, but we got it figured out and made it back to the hotel. After that, we decided to go to McDonald’s to get some ice cream. We went back to the hotel, and played cards and talked to people for a little while. Then, I came up here to write this post. I just need to pack my suitcase tonight because we are leaving the hotel at 8:00am tomorrow. I have taken quite a few pictures over the last several days, but I have not had time to upload them. I am hoping that I will get more time one of the nights in Paris. I will get them up eventually, I have just been really busy.
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