Hotel Le Mountbatten Arromanches-les-Bains

... there. It was beautiful, haunting, and eerie to see the sight of where the troupes landed on D-Day. When I was in the museum, I was listening to an interactive audio recording of soldier’s experiences from D-Day, and the first button I happened to push was of a soldier from Mt. Vernon, IL! What a small world. To climb down to the actual beach part of Omaha Beach took awhile. It’s ...

Next stop were we stepping back in time even further...to 1066 to be exact and the battle of Hastings which is deplicated on a 70 m piece of embroidded cloth known as the Bayeux taperstry. On entry to the tapestry you are given an audio guide which provides a running commentry on what is ...

... we drove past Courseulles code name Juno Beach and onto Arromanches code name Gold Beach and where the famous Mulberry Harbour was built.

The Mulberry Harbour was made by the British. Over a dozen old ships on their last voyage were intentionally sunk as the foundation of the harbours break wall. Several dozen extremely large concrete blocks which were transported across the seas ...

Arrived at Ouistreham just before dark and found an Aire de Service right on the beach and this time it was free! The downside was it was right next to the ferry terminal and the 6am ferry to Portmouth the next day was kill the tranquilo the next morning. Kim's Maison du Scooby cooked up a storm. Pork fajitas on rice - delicious. I gave it 5 stars.

The trip to Normandy was a lot to absorb. It's hard to believe, that my grandfather Kelly was there on D-Day over 60 years ago.I certainly do not think I would have survived. I am thankful he did, I wouldn't be here. Nor my mother and her siblings, my sisters, or my nieces. His sacrifice has not only affected the existence of my own life, but the daily lives ...

... This field of destruction gives a taste of what that horrible day must have looked and felt like. Just crazy. Blown up bunkers, huge craters everywhere. Our next stop was Omaha Beach. Not a whole lot to see, but we did enjoy driving along the beach watching families, couples, and children playing in the sand ... flying kites and such. In my mind, I flashed back to the footage shown at the museum of a fighter pilot strafing the Allied invasion of the same beach ...

... climb costs money and had a good thirty minute line). As we scaled Mt. St-Michel from the inside up, we passed an old drawbridge, ultra narrow cobblestone streets, and mobs of tourists. Definitely crowded. ... Up atop the ramparts, we have a great view of the masses of people entering at the gates, and I take a moment to try to get the kids to imagine what it would have been like to be on guard duty. I draw back my imaginary bow and launch arrow after ...

... the harbor including many of the phoenix caissons out in the channel. The map below shows the layout of the Biritish Mulberry (B) harbor. Designed by the British, all of the components were towed from England across the channel on D-Day. Without this mobile harbor, the invasion could not have occurred. The ...

... and sound of D Day. We are so used to embedded correspondents these days that we forget what a feat it was to get film footage of the battle site. Yet six hours after the Allies had landed film of the event was back at the Pentagon. In the harbour at Arromanches there are the remains of the temporary harbor that was set up. We finished our trip at Juno beach and quickly went through the ...

... The US Rangers lost most of their approximately 200 men while trying to climb the cliffs of Pointe du Hoc to knock out the German guns that had a clear shot at the flank of the American beach landing. Aerial bombing tried but failed to silence these guns. The ...