Back in France: Normandy

Our first stop in Normandy was the city of Rouen . We had some lunch and visited the cathedral and the old clock. I found that the cathedral was too big to fit in a single photo with the lens I had, so took some video of it.

While in Normandy, we stayed in Bayeux, which was a lovely town! We got to see the Bayeux Tapestry; however, no photos were permitted. Trust me when I say it was truly remarkable. I found the Bayeux Cathedral to be one of my favorites.

The view from my hotel room in Bayeux

An old mill near where the Bayeux Tapestry is located

Bayeux Cathedral

A bird landing on the Bayeux Cathedral

A candle inside the Bayeux Cathedral's memorial for the dead of World War II

Bayeux Cathedral

Town of Bayeux

While staying in Bayeux, we made day trips to D-Day sites. We got to visit Omaha Beach and the American Cemetery again - this time, I was able to arrange a special ceremony for Bill's great-uncle who was KIA in Cherbourg and is buried here.

Will, Bill, Gabrielle, and Madison at Uncle Edward's Grave - American Cemetery

We also got to visit Utah Beach for the first time. This is where my grandfather landed on D-Day with the 70th Tank Battalion.

Utah Beach

Bill, me, Gabrielle, Will, and my Aunt Barb on Utah Beach

Utah Beach

Another new stop we made in Normandy was Saint-Mère Église. It was the first French town liberated by the Americans shortly after D-Day. One of the most famous sites here is the statue of the paratrooper hanging off of the church tower. This is modeled after American John Steele who hung here for two days feigning dead during the battle so that he would not be killed by the Germans. He was finally able to cut himself down once the battle was won.

Notice the paratroopers landing at Mary's feet

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