Catching up on the next couple days.........

It's only an hour and a half drive to the meeting spot where we will pick up Dan and Karen.  We smartly choose not to go directly into Charles De Gaulle Airport but instead will meet them at the Hilton nearby.  We leave the hotel with plenty of time as we don't want to be late.  Turns out we are quite early and just hang out for about an hour or so.

 They arrive on time, we stow their bags and off we go towards the quaint, charming town of Bayeux.  We talk non stop and while doing so miss an exit which unfortunately takes us into the insane traffic on the outskirts of Paris proper.  This is what we feared and now we are in the thick of it.  Me, white knuckled in the passenger seat, Terry gripping the wheel as motorcyclists weave in and out of the lanes, missing cars by inches.  Dan and Karen in the back seat, asleep! We have been warned how crazy it is and now we are witnessing it first hand.  Captain Terry gets us through with the help of the backseat navigators who are now fully awake!   Ha! Whew that was close.  Once we get out of the gnarly situation and back on the correct road we resume our conversation and plan the upcoming days.

Bayeux is a town of vary narrow, cobble stone roads that are about as confusing to us as the language that is spoken here.  I am instructed to call Mr. Louchine upon our arrival so we can arrange to pick up the keys to the apartment we have rented.  None of us has a working cell phone so I enlist the kindness of a stranger which comes in the form of a nice young woman working at the pharmacy across the street.  She makes several calls on my behalf and we finally make contact with the right person. Mission accomplished, Mr. Louchine meets us shortly and we now have a home for the next three days.  The apt. is exactly what we need, and is located in the heart of this wonderful city with lots of services all within walking distance.  A quick bite to eat. Dan & Karen power through the evening looking forward to a good nights sleep, we have a big day tomorrow.  Karen has procured an all day tour of D-Day beaches and surrounding areas.

We get picked up by Rene at 9:00 sharp.  He is a friendly chap with unending knowledge of the history of WWII and just about everything else that came up in conversation.    We spend the next 10 hours absorbing or trying to absorb all the information that Rene shares with us.  We have been looking forward to this for the past 6 months and we are finally here.  For those of you who have visited this hallowed ground, you know what an emotional shock it is to be standing exactly where so many of this Nation's young men gave their lives for the freedom of a people they didn't even know.
We solemnly walk the rows of white crosses that adorn the beautifully kept American Cemetery.
Words cannot express the patriotic feeling that coursed through me during the time spent here. From there we visit the surrounding area, Omaha Beach, Point Du Hoc, Utah Beach, St. Mere Eglise (where the famed paratrooper got hung up on the church steeple), The German Cemetery (what a contrast with it's black crosses and dark statues, however beautiful trees that line the entire perimeter) and finally Arromanches. 

To stand inside a German Bunker is very surreal indeed.  So much history................I could go on and on, but you get the idea.  At the end of a very long, emotionally exhausting day, we bid farewell to our new found friend and go in search of a well deserved glass of French Wine.  It doesn't take us long.   We end our day with  dinner at a café just down the street. 

Our second day in Bayeux leaves us to our own
 defenses.  We start the day French style with
 coffee, croissants and pastries from one of the
 many of  Pattessieries located on the main street.
What a treat.  We then make our way to the museum of the famed Bayeux Tapestry.  www.tapestry-bayeux.com/
An incredible work of art depicting the story of William the Conqueror woven into a tapestry.
Rene has suggested we tour Forbes Chateau and we make our way to the town of Balleroy just a few km away.  The Chateau is stunning from the parking lot, but we soon find out it is closed for the day due to electrical problems.  Losers.....We tour the grounds and stroll leisurely through the gardens.
We have all decided that we want to return to the American Cemetery.  Yes it is that compelling.
We watch a short movie in the theatre then wind our way down the pathway that leads to the beach.

OK, now I'm really verclempt.  Karen and I dip our toes in the Channel.  We gaze up at the hillsides trying to wrap our heads around what happened here 70 years ago.  Not to mention the date is 9/11!
It is inconceivable..............

Hunger has again taken hold but it is late and we just need a little something to tide us over until morning.  Many of the restaurants have closed for the day but we stumble upon a small Italian Pizzeria.  Sounds good.  To our right a woman holds her dog in her lap feeding little Frenchie off her plate, we are definitely not in Kansas anymore.  We think the owner might be Pat's ( as in New York New York Pizza) in Portland's long lost brother. We strike up a semblance of a conversation with the dog owner and her companion and find that we have a common ground. Of all things it is The Portland Trailblazers player Nickolas Batum. (sp?) He is from Caen which is just a town or two away.  They know of him well and are pleased that we can share the bond.  We enjoy our meal and are treated to complimentary lemon cello as an aperitif.  Karen also samples the coconut cello and the apricot cello.  We graciously thank our host and bid adieu to our new friends.  One more memorable day is behind us.