1st Day On Cruise - Normandy Beaches
Trip Start
Sep 12, 2007
1
7
20
Trip End
Sep 29, 2007
Le Havre,
France
Sunday, September 16, 2007
We met up with fellow CC posters: Frances & Billy, Stan, Margie & Dickie, Mark & Mary Jane, Joe & Judy, Elayne & Jack, Kevin & Cathy, Bob & Sue, Jon & Debra, Rob & Jeannette, Peter & Dawn, Roy & Diane. Our private tour was conducted by Rene of A Paris Travel.
Tour Guide Rene
He is a dual French/US citizen and speaks excellent English. Three vans led by Rene took us first to the village of Bayeux to see the Tapestry. It just so happened that the village was celebrating a festival (memoire du monde de l'unesco). Village people dressed in traditional costumes and some performed dances in the courtyard.
Festival Dancing
The Tapestry is a hand-embroidered depiction of the victory of William, Duke of Normandy, over the English at Hastings on October 14, 1066. This tapestry is believed to have been commissioned to decorate the nave of the Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Bayeux in 1077. It's 224 feet long and 19 inches high.
Bayeux Tapestry
The embroidery was stitched on 9 linen panels that were connected with fine stitches. It is hung with a fabric strip marked off with 58 numbers so the story scenes can be identified. Three vegetable-based dyes were used to produce 10 different colors of wool thread: wasd, madder and weld. Embroidery stitches used were: stem stitch, split stitch with 2 threads, chain stitch and satin stitch or Bayeux stitch.On September 9, 1987, Prince Charles and Princess Diana visited Bayeux and The Tapestry. Rene related to us the story of meeting the Princess and talking to her as he spoke English and few others did. He told us how friendly and down-to-earth she was. Meanwhile, Rene says, Prince Charles was quietly fuming in the background as his wife was receiving all the attention. Rene also told of how he coincidentally drove through the tunnel in Paris where Princess Diana was killed just 7 hours after the accident.
Then it was on to the Normandy Beaches and the American Cemetery. The French maintain 160 acres on perpetual loan to the US for casualties of World War II. The first official overseas visit by every Secretary Of State is to this cemetery. Out of 9,387 soldiers buried here, only 900 are actual casualties from this location, Omaha Beach. After the war, the town changed its' name to Omaha.
American Cemetery
Because the Nazis had conquered France, many of its citizens were forced to work for the regime either directly or indirectly. Rene told us many people sabotaged their work as a resistance to who they were working for. Sugar was slipped into the concrete mix so when it was set and dry, the concrete would flake and crumble apart. When assembling bombs, parts would intentionally be left out; 25% of the German bombs made were actually duds.
Viewing the mortar craters at the top of the bluff and the expanse of beach where our soldiers were killed was extremely moving and I could feel the horror of those first hours of battle.
Land Pockmarked By Bomb Craters
John's father was in the initial invasion on these beaches although we have not yet been able to determine his exact unit.
We rode back to the cruise ship and bid Rene and the other two drivers "au revoir" and thanked him for an awesome tour. After dropping off coats, etc at the cabin, we took off for the buffet for a late dinner. The offerings were sparse but we did have salad, center-cut pork loin chop, bread and strawberry ice cream. John also had a few pieces of pepperoni and cheese pizza.
End of another long day and it was time to sleep. Luckily we gain back an hour in the morning.
