Septebmer 12 and 13

September 12

We sailed early from Rouen, heading for our final port of Honfleur in Normandy and the estuary of the Seine.

To entertain us while we sailed the chef provided a demo on how to make tarte tartin. The traditional apple tart of Normandy. It would be one of our selections for dessert for dinner tonight. Also our program directors provided samples of some traditional foods including foie gras. I have had it before so not new to me but I don't really care for it.

Some horses grazing by the edge of the river, couldn't tell what breed they were.

Main highlight was that we sailed under the Normandy Bridge. It links the port cities of Honfleur and LeHarve. Honfleur has mostly smaller ship, fishing boats and pleasure boats. LeHarve is the huge port that handles much larger ships, freight and cruise ships.

Getting into port, the bridge swings to open the passage for us to get into the inner harbor. Later as I ran down to my cabin the captain and one of the crew were in a small power boat. Glad I wasn't changing clothes at the time!

He was working on the motor on the boat and I feel they might have been inspecting the this side of the ship since this was the side where the walk way came down.

The we had a walking tour, while they were cleaning this now, this is where people used to come to wash their clothes.

Puppy and a place to buy a chapeau from the chapelier!

Nice boats and the Hotel de Ville, or what we would call city hall.

Back to my home away from home, at least for a few more days.

September 13 

A very early day for everyone, this was the day we were headed off to the Normandy area where the World War II invasion occurred. Again, much grumbling about the early day, but for one really early day we could survive. It would be a two hour bus ride until we reached our destination.

 Bomb craters all over the place and the remains of the German pillbox which housed guns, but some of them had been moved prior to D-Day.

 This first stop was Point du Hoc. Until you are there and see the cliffs that had to be scaled, nothing you read or see on pictures or film shows the enormity of the task of getting up the cliff. You can't get really close to the edge, but I took a picture of the cliffs as the are to just to the west.

 

 Lots of small museums along the various roads. If you had time you could spend days here going through everything. We didn't go far enough west to get to Utah Beach or St Mere Eglise. Our tour guide for the day says she has taken a day per beach for some groups.

 Moving on to Omaha Beach and the various memorials there.

After lunch we were then headed off to the American Cemetery which is near Colleville-sur-Mer

 

 Time capsule buried which would be opened on June 6, 2044.

 

 

 

 A picture of the vets who were on the trip. Not WW II era vets, but vets none the less. We had a small remembrance, the National Anthem was played and taps. We were then given a rose to walk down and place on a grave.

 I personally did not know anyone buried here, so walked down and tried to get away from the closest graves. Then I started to look for a grave of someone from either Wisconsin or Iowa since I have lived in those states. I found one from Iowa and placed my flower.

It was a very moving day, and it was a quiet ride back to the ship.