I insisted that we drive further west and visit Omaha beach. Boy was it a good call. The drive from Juno was about 45 minutes but it was through some of the most amazing little Norman towns that were so quaint I could barely keep my eyes on the road. Chateaus here and there behind these most fantasticly old walls. It was a completely different place around every turn.
We arrived in Omaha and I admit that I expected that there would be a fancy museum and memorial commemorating the American's involvement. Quite to the contrary. This beach is set down low (and here there were actually people swimming believe it or not), there is a high hill that the American's had to get up after getting across their beach (making it more treacherous than the Canadian beaches at Juno which were relatively flat). The site is spectacular from above and again, the Germans had nicely fortified themselves with bunkers and lookouts, which you can still go into (the picture is from within one of their bunkers looking down at the beach and channel).
At the top of the rise above the beach is an understated and lovely monument to the approximately 680 Americans that died on that beach (twice as many as at Juno). The American cemetery is located here as well but we didn't go and visit it, having decided that we have seen enough cemeteries on this trip.
From Omaha we made the relatively quick trip back in to Caen where we are staying tonight. We leave by train at 9 am. tomorrow for Paris. A demain...
Cath,
ReplyDeleteYour blog is wonderful and the stories and photos are fantastic. It looks like you are having an absolutely fabulous time! I hope you'll collect all your photos into an album so we can see the whole trip in one place. Have a great time in Paris!!
Lots of love to all of you,
Peg xx