Kerrel: The French Connection - Stage II

Stage II of my trip to France began with an evening dinner with Thierry Bonet and Bridgette Turgis, who are great people, and wonderful hosts. This couple is my daughter’s adopted French family, where she lived for a time.

Our evening began with an “apero” (pre-dinner drink) meaning a social time in their living room area complete with Garlic Bread for snacks and generously filled glasses of Bastilles-Ricard, Pineau and Porto, all “powerful adult beverages”. This followed by more conversation at the supper table, vegetables, and “Foie Gras” with bread (Foie being duck liver), and of course a shared bottle of Bordeaux and ???? (by now the type of wine in the second bottle we were drinking did not seem to matter!). The main course was a delicious mixture of turkey and mushrooms in a cream sauce served with rice and more vegetables, topped off by a very rich chocolate cake (gateaux in French).

Through prior arrangement with Thierry (during the “apero”) it was now time for the “Digestif”, consisting of a glass of Cognac and then some home brew Calvados (hard liquor made from apples, estimated by Thierry at 65% or 130 proof!). Believe me, the Calvados is potent stuff!

It may seem hard to believe, but I did survive it all, and arrived back at my daughter’s apartment a little after midnight amazingly feeling no ill affect of any of the evening’s festivities.

One day later I found myself off to Normandy for a visit to the invasion area and a two night stay in Bayeux, France.

Day one was traveling from Niort to Bayeux and a visit to the Tapisserie: a museum with a 70 meter long tapestry on which is the embroidered pictorial story of William the Conqueror and the before, during and after events of the Battle of Hastings, following which William became the ruler of England. Then a short night sleep and off to the Normandy invasion site.

The photo below is Omaha Beach. The rock to the left of the picture is approximately the dividing line between American Sector Easy Red and Fox Green. If any of you have seen the movies “The Longest Day” or “Saving Private Ryan” this is the spot where the actual landings portrayed in those movies took place.

In the picture below two remaining German bunkers can be seen (directly inland from the picture above) with the dunes where the American forces took cover in the foreground. I have always wondered what the distance between the opposing forces was on that day. From the American point of view, if you were lucky enough to survive crossing 200 to 300 yards of wide open beach (at low tide) under fire and make it to the dunes the distance appeared to be approximately 200 yards from the Dunes to the lower bunker, and approximately 300+ to the upper (round knob to the left of the lone tree).

Below is a picture of Point de Hoc.

For you “The Longest Day Fans” this is where the American Army Rangers shot grapples from the beach below to the top of the cliff, and then climbed the cliff with the aid of ropes. Apparently this is one of the only places where the landscape has been left completely untouched since 1944. Bomb craters from the pre-invasion naval bombardment are still visible, along with the remains of a German artillery position in this photo.

After viewing more beaches, other German positions and the locations of feats of heroism on both sides, we went to the town of Carentan. This town was of strategic importance as it was one of the few places that the forces from Utah and Omaha beaches could link up, (consequently it was of equal importance to the German forces) and was the scene of heavy fighting.

For any “Band of Brothers” fans out there, the photo below is the actual monument (in place during the invasion) where “Easy Company” finally grouped up together in France (yours truly in full re-enactment mode of that event).

For all of you aspiring “I am going to visit the Normandy invasion site” people, my recommendations are as follows:

Bayeux, France is a great launching point for your tour, with many good hotels, restaurants, and filled with friendly people. (Beware of the “here comes an American Cowboy” guy outside one of the local taverns!).

I only allowed one day for this particular part of the trip, and in hind sight should have allowed for two whole days.

Take a tour on the first day. There are many ranging from large buses to the Band of Brothers and/or the Overlord tour. The latter two being a maximum of 8 people per van, and a little more “hands on” attention from the tour guides. (I was on the Overlord tour)

Then on day two I would recommend renting a car, motorcycle, or for the ambitious a bicycle and return to the main invasion beaches of your choice to explore, take more photos, and reflect more on the total sacrifice of both sides that was experienced during this particular event in history.

Tomorrow (Sunday, 4-27-08 I think, I seem to have lost track of time), we are off to Albi, France located in the southern part of the country for my daughter’s last regular season volleyball game, more relaxation and touring, then travel north to Paris and a flight home to the U.S. via Toronto to complete this journey.

Sante!