Sainte-Mère-Église

Someone recommended this place as a good stop for the way back to the ferry. We drive through the main square and see the church with the paratrooper model hanging from the top, as well as a big building the shape of a parachute. The small campsite is again perfect, big grassy pitch, a park for the children and nice and quiet (until we arrive!).

We decide to have a quick walk around to the town as it looks really interesting - so interesting that it turns into an evening and dinner in the town. The town is dedicated to D-Day, with a museum and all of the shops and buildings bearing some sign of the war. And we learn a lot about war from the French perspective. In the museum shop, Amelia chooses a lovely book about D-Day for children, Coen chooses a toy spitfire.

We learn that on d-day when the paratroopers were dropped in to check the area was safe for the sea and land troops, one actually landed on the church roof, hence the model that still remains there. The landing beaches are all very close to this town and it really is steeped in the history of it. Coen loves seeing the tanks and war vehicles, and also the model soldiers dotted around the town. Nic and I agree we now know more about D-Day than we remember from school! We see the memorial for one of the US war cemeteries, 14000 buried in temporary cemeteries around this tiny town - shocking numbers.

We see tourists from more nationalities here than we’ve seen for a long time, everyone is visiting to soak up the history.

The kids have scooted so we have a look to see if we can find somewhere for dinner and eventually find a tiny Galette restaurant - Nic isn’t convinced a pancake will fill him up but luckily these are really good and the filling is big! The children get full sized pancakes as well as two huge scoops of ice cream...so inevitably Coen does a humongous poo on the way home, when we have no nappies left and he wants to be carried....things gets a bit messy!

Time to hit the road for the final time now as we make it up to the ferry terminal at Cherbourg...Read more