Caen and Normandy, France
October 20 & 21, 2014
Mont-Saint-Michel Abbey
Tour Guide: Francis from Ireland
This abbey dates back to 708, built in honor of the Archangel Michael. It only took 17 years to build. Imagine. It still holds weekly services and houses seven monks and five nuns. At one time during the Revolution it was used as a prison. Thank goodness that changed in 1863. It is a very architecturally beautiful abbey, but not ornate like the other cathedrals we have visited. There was over a thousand visitors, but for the English tour there were only two English speaking tourist. That's right, just Lee and me. Francis, our tour guide was am amazing and very informative. Since there was only two of us, we got a special "behind the scenes" tour.
Arromanches Museum
This Museum/cinema showed a documentary on the Normandy DDay attack on the Nazi Regime. The movie was depicted on a 360 degree screen. It showed live footage with Eisenhower and his team working on logistics in the final days before attack. Then his dilemma when weather conditions changed and the decision to wait or go ahead as planned rested on his shoulders. Then the attack... and the rest is history. It was a great black and white documentary. As the war was ending and Normandy was recovering, the film showed the rebuilding of Normandy and the town in its present state with color pics.
Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial
This was a beautiful museum documenting the DDay attack. The theme of the museum shows the Confidence, Courage, and Sacrifice made by the men that fought. Outside the museum are the grave sites of the victims killed there during WWII. They also continuously call out the name of the men and women buried in the cemetery. There are 9,387 Americans buried there. It was an amazing display and I could not help to think where we would be if we had not own that war.
We left with a deep sentiment for the brave men and women that gave up their lives for the good of all.
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