Bayeux and D-day tour

On the road early this morning to head to Bayeux, about 2.5 hours northeast of Feings to meet our private tour. Amanda worked some magic and found us the last remaining tour with Bayeux Shuttle, so we jumped in a van big enough for 18 and headed to our first stop, the American Cemetery. It was a really special and powerful place. We let the kids watch the beach landing part of Saving Private Ryan last night so that they would have a better grasp on the magnitude and devastation of that day. The cemetery was as beautiful and sad as you would imagine it to be.

After that we drove to Vierville-sur-Mer for a sunny lunch outside looking out at the western part of Omaha beach. After lunch we saw the ‘Ever Forward’ DDAY monument and the bunker there on the beach. We were soon back in the car to head up to Point-du-Hoc. We walked out to the historic area, passing bomb craters and German bunkers. Standing at PDH, it is difficult to imagine the bravery and determination that the army rangers had to have to climb the 100m cliff wall through constant gunfire. Inspiring for certain.

We made a short and very sweaty stop at the DDAY museum at Omaha, then finished our tour at Omaha Beach, standing near the Les Braves monument, symbolizing fraternity, hope and freedom when the US, UK and Canadian troops joined the fight on DDAY.

It was a very big day, and I think that we all learned and felt a lot. We made the drive back, had a quick bite and headed to bed.Read more