Hotel Napoleon Cherbourg

... that had effectively evacuated the premises. Most access points were blocked with debris and rubble cluttering the floor and filling the once used doorways. It’s almost best to distance yourself and try not to think of what this place was like as the destruction occurred early in the morning of June 6, 1944.

It’s all very real to Brian though. He’s always trying to picture what may have been, and ...

Mon. 13th Jul. Viville.
Not our usual sort of morning this morning. Michel, the Mayor of Viville and a journalist popped around after breakfast to interview us and take our photo's for the local newspaper. What a surprise that was!
Just as well it was another of those glorious sunny French days so we could pose around the truck with Dave, Maureen and Jane.
At last, we're famous! ha ...

... where you volunteer to work part time for an organic farm, and in turn they house and feed you. Good deal right? Well, I quickly learned that you have to do your research. Some places are just getting started and may ask you to live in a tent. Some places are vegetarian only. Some have you wrestling goats for 5hrs a day. We luckily did our research ahead of time and landed ourselves in a renovated chateau. Chateau Monfreville has been British ...

... to see. While we were watching the jump my cell phone rang and it was Brad Stansbury. Brad is a reenactor friend of mine and he was here with the Liberty Jump Team. He called to try and find me and we were able to connect for a few moments. It was good to see Brad since he is from Indiana and I only see him about once a year or so. Even if it was only a few minutes it was nice to catch up with him.

A police escort brought us back to town and we were free ...

... early enough to catch a train home, assuming we berth on schedule. It stayed fine but grey, with visibility about three or four miles most of the day but improving later. As it went dark we entered the Dover Strait and could see Dover off to the left and various lights on the French coast to the right. At about 19:45 we anchored off the northeast corner of Kent.

... made it to Los Angeles last spring. Somebody has to be there with me. Alexis came to Hollywood with me in July. She's the Movie Star. Paris is the city of Love. "Paris, Je t'Aime." The title to a movie I purchased on Valentine's Day during my Journey. Various "short" stories about love in the city of love. What better place to be then with the one you love. I will return, soon, with Alyssa Jane Milano. That I know for sure. Think It! Feel It! Live It!

I got the owners of the B&B up early this morning. I was told that breakfast was served at 8h30. I wanted to be on the road by 8 am so I told them I'd skip breakfast. They would have none of that and so prepared my breakfast for 8. I was on the road by 8h30. The first part of the ride was on motorway. Then I followed the coastline. I had forgotten that the GPS was set for shortest distance to Cherbourg. When I had set it to fastest it detoured ...

... bombs left the landscape pitted with shell holes. Unbeknown to the allied forces, these bombing raids had caused the Germans to move the guns away from the area and into the apple orchards. Five guns were moved but one had been destroyed by a bomb. When the Rangers arrived they were surprised to find the bunkers empty and it was decided that they would send 5 scouts inland to follow the tracks left by what they could only assume were the guns being dragged ...

... welcome to go and walk around the field if I wanted, which I did. Hearing the birds singing under a sky that had cleared to bright blue, and watching my step for cow chips as I walked, it was hard to imagine the carnage that had happened there. It was still quite moving. I stopped briefly at the museum of Utah Beach just a short ways up the road. The museum was closed but I got to see a Higgins boat out front, and I walked down onto the beach and tried to ...

... en oefeningen in een houtenlat durf ik het aan wat betreft de maatvoeringen: 6.5 de boor en 8 mm de tap. Het is in een poep en een zucht gebeurd, maar ik krijg het niet zweetdicht, ook niet met een koperen ringetje. Voorlopig laat ik het zo. Nog even de stad in, Dieppe is een prachtige stad met een fantastisch kiezelstrand. Er is wat wind en 4 uur voor hoogwater Cherbourg is de kentering dat betekent dat we 13.30 uitvaren naar Fecamp. Het is westen wind, maar ...