On the road again ... Normandy, France

                                                   bonjour France!

Well here we are at the last leg of our tour! We are on the countdown with just a few weeks left in the campervan. We have now clocked up 11,000km in our van, visiting 13 countries and staying at over 58 camp sites. 

The rough plan is to head south to the Loire Valley from Normandy and then down the west coast to be in the Pyrenees in time to catch some of the Vuelta. Then via the Cote d' Azur to the Alps (Lake Annecy) before the home stretch back to NL.

On the road, thanks Miep for the 'Gijs-tomaten' :)

hay, hay and more hay ...

First stop ... Normandy

Typical architecture of Normandy

Pont du Normandie at Honfleur. Built in 1995, in its time the longest cable-stayed bridge in the world at over 2 km in length. 856 metres between the two piers.

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Leaving on a rainy day we arrived in Honfleur (Normandy) in a day from NL covering about 570km.

Honfleur

Known for its picturesque port at the estuary of the Seine River. We cycled here from our camping and spent a day strolling the streets. Busy and popular with the British. It reminded us of Padstow in North Cornwall, UK, where we spent a week with our friends Jane and Gareth exactly one year ago.

Honfleur, Normandy

one grumpy boy :(

Honfleur harbour

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 D-Day, Operation Overlord 
June 6-8, 1944

Normandy is of course all about the Battle of Normandy, otherwise known as 'Operation Overlord' which culminated in the Allies finally gaining their foothold in mainland Europe. It lasted 10 weeks and marked the start of the Liberation. The beaches of Normandy are still known by their invasion code names from the battle.

We drove along the coast in beautiful weather and had lunch on Juno Beach.

Juno Beach 

Bunker

Canadian War Museum, Juno Beach

14,000 Canadians and 9,000 British troops landed. 5,500 young Canadians, all volunteers, lost their lives.

Relatively new museum from 1994. Inspired by the Normandy Canadian war veterans who realised there was nothing to remind their grandchildren of what happened here. Particularly interesting museum for kids!





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American War Cemetery

The American troops landed here at Omaha Beach .

One of the many war memorials along the beaches 

'Our debt to the heroic men and valiant women in the service of our country can never be repaid. They have earned our undying gratitude. America will never forget their sacrifices', President Harry S Truman

Omaha Beach where the American contingent landed

9,387 graves of American soldiers are buried here, the majority from the battle of Normandy. This cemetery is featured in the movie Saving Private Ryan. A very impressive war cemetery which is well worth a visit and not just for Americans. It also features an interesting museum. 

'Here rests in honored glory a comrade in arms known but to God'.

Mosaic on the chapel ceiling

70 hectares. Yikes.

Omaha Beach, today the perfect location for some land-windsurfing

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Sainte-Mere-Eglise

Famous for where John Steele, parachutist, was caught on the spire of the town church (see below) where he hung for 2 hours pretending to be dead. He was taken prisoner and later escaped from the Germans and joined up again with his division. Those who have seen the classic war movie 'The longest day' will remember this scene. 

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Fynn in charge of the water. On occasions a particularly messy job.